Used Mercedes-Benz EQS 1st Gen (2022-2026): Buyer's Guide

A 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ that started near $105,000 new is currently listing for as little as $27,469. That's not a typo and it's not a wrecked car. It's what happens when a flagship electric sedan meets three years of rapid EV depreciation, a name American buyers never warmed to, and a well-documented list of software and suspension complaints. The car underneath is still a genuinely impressive piece of engineering. The question is whether you're buying it with your eyes open.

The EQS launched for 2022 as Mercedes' dedicated electric flagship, built on its own EV-specific platform rather than a converted S-Class. Two trims carried it through 2022-2026: the rear-drive EQS 450+ and the all-wheel-drive EQS 580. Both share the same core electrical architecture, the same 56-inch Hyperscreen dashboard, and the same air suspension, which means they share the same failure points too. This guide covers what those are, which years carry which recalls, and what to check before you buy one of the biggest depreciation stories in the used luxury EV market.

None of this means the car itself is a bad buy. It means the ownership experience depends heavily on whether the specific example you're looking at has already had its early bugs worked out, which is a different question than "is this a good generation overall" and one this guide is built to help you answer, powertrain by powertrain and year by year.

This Generation at a Glance

The EQS debuted for model year 2022 on Mercedes' EVA2 electric-only platform, a clean-sheet architecture separate from the combustion S-Class it's positioned alongside. There's been no full redesign since launch, but Mercedes has made meaningful running changes: later production years received a larger usable battery pack, up from roughly 108 kWh toward 118 kWh on some configurations, extending range on paper even though the body and interior carry over largely unchanged.

Two core configurations have been available across the generation. The EQS 450+ is rear-wheel drive only, and the EQS 580 adds standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive and more power. A high-performance AMG EQS 53 also exists in the lineup but isn't tracked as a separate model in CarScout's market data, so it isn't broken out separately below. Later model years added an EQS 450+ 4MATIC option too, giving buyers who want all-wheel drive without the 580's extra power a middle path.

Current pricing and inventory: Mercedes-Benz EQS market data, with per-year pages for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. EQS 580-specific pricing: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

The EQS arrived into a segment Mercedes helped define and then largely ceded on price. It launched around the same time as the Tesla Model S refresh, well ahead of the BMW i7 and Lucid Air Grand Touring, and it undercut none of them on the one thing American luxury EV buyers actually cared about most in 2022: charging network access. That's since changed for the better. Starting February 2025, Mercedes-Benz EV owners in the US gained access to Tesla's Supercharger network through a $185 NACS-to-CCS1 adapter sold at Mercedes dealers, and Mercedes EVs built from 2025 onward get a native NACS port instead of the adapter. That access meaningfully improves the ownership case for a used EQS today compared to when the car was new and limited to the slower-growing CCS network alone.

Powertrain Breakdown

EQS 450+ (Rear-Wheel Drive)

The 450+ is the volume model and the one carrying most of the generation's used inventory. It makes 355 hp from a single rear motor, with 0-60 mph in roughly 5.5 seconds, which is brisk for a nearly 5,900-pound sedan but noticeably calmer than the 580. EPA range tops out around 350 miles on the version with the larger battery pack, though early 2022 cars with the smaller pack rate lower.

The 450+'s main documented electrical defect is recall 23V309000, covering 2022-2023 EQS 450 and 450+ models (alongside the 580, AMG EQS 53, and related EQE models): the high-voltage battery monitoring software may fail to alert the driver of a battery malfunction, a safety-standard compliance issue rather than a battery failure itself, but one that means a genuinely failing battery could go undetected without dash warning. Confirm this recall is closed on any 2022-2023 car before you buy.

A single 2023 EQS 450+ was also the subject of an airbag recall (24V960000): mounting brackets near the roof with sharp edges that could damage the side-curtain airbag during deployment. This affected a very small population, but it's worth checking the specific VIN regardless.

DC fast charging on the 450+ tops out around 200 kW on the larger-battery cars, enough for a 10-80% charge in roughly 31 minutes under ideal conditions, though owners on mbeqclub.com report charging speed drops noticeably in cold weather without battery preconditioning active, which is itself dependent on the navigation system routing you to a charger ahead of time rather than being manually triggered.

EQS 580 (4MATIC All-Wheel Drive)

The 580 doubles down on performance: 516 hp, standard all-wheel drive, and a 0-60 time around 4.1 seconds, at the cost of roughly 10 miles of EPA range compared to the 450+. It shares the 450+'s battery-monitoring software recall and carries one of its own: a 2022-specific recall (23V074000) for the multi-purpose camera and rearview mirror assembly, which may be insufficiently attached to the windshield and can detach. Because that camera also feeds Distronic adaptive cruise, brake assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and the augmented-reality display, a detachment doesn't just cost you a mirror. It disables a chunk of the car's active safety system at the same time. Verify this recall's completion on any 2022 EQS 580 specifically.

Shared Electrical and Mechanical Systems

Both trims share Mercedes' 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen, and it's the single most-discussed reliability topic across EQS owner communities, including the dedicated Mercedes EQ All Electric Forum (mbeqclub.com). Owners report screen freezes, full blackouts, and random reboots, concentrated on early 2022-2023 production. A frozen Hyperscreen doesn't just lose you the radio: navigation, charge planning, climate control, and the reversing camera view all run through it, so a freeze mid-drive is a real functional loss, not a cosmetic annoyance. Over-the-air updates have their own reputation for stalling partway through, occasionally requiring a dealer visit to manually reflash the system.

The other shared complaint runs through the AIRMATIC air suspension. Owners report low-speed clunking over bumps, uneven ride height side to side, and a ride quality that drifts from the EQS's signature floaty smoothness toward harshness as the car ages, traced to worn sway-bar links, bushings, air struts, or a degrading compressor and valve block. None of this is recall territory. It's ordinary German-luxury wear-item failure, but on an air suspension system the repair bill runs well past what a coil-spring rival would cost, and it's worth budgeting for on any car past 40,000 miles.

A broader recall, 25V366000, covers the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System across 2022-2025 EQS, EQE, EQE SUV, and S-Class models: software may cause an incorrect external warning sound while reversing, which is a pedestrian-safety compliance issue addressed with a dealer software flash. It applies across nearly the entire generation, so check it on any model year.

The flush, power-retracting door handles are a third recurring complaint, and not a recall on either trim. Owners on MBWorld.org and mbeqclub.com describe handles that need multiple pulls to present, or don't present at all, with the underlying cause split between a software glitch (the key fob still unlocks the door even when the handle motor won't extend) and outright motor failure requiring replacement. The handles aren't heated, so they can freeze solid in cold climates, and forcing a frozen handle risks damaging the presentation motor. A 12-volt battery disconnect for roughly 15 minutes resolves the software version of the problem for many owners; a mechanical failure needs a dealer part replacement. If you're buying in a cold-weather state, test every door handle on the car, not just the driver's door, and ask whether any have already been replaced.

Trim Levels

Unlike most three-row SUV guides where trim climbing buys meaningfully different equipment, the EQS's Hyperscreen, driver-assist suite, and general luxury feature set come standard even on the base 450+. The money you spend moving up the lineup goes almost entirely to power and all-wheel drive, not to unlocking features that were withheld at the base trim. That makes the 450+ the rational buy for most people cross-shopping this generation on the used market, since it inherits every piece of technology the 580 has at a meaningfully lower price of entry.

Where you do see real feature differences is in the option packages layered on top of either trim: a Burmester 3D surround sound system, massaging front seats, rear-seat entertainment screens, and Digital Light adaptive headlights with projection capability. None of these carry documented reliability problems beyond what's already listed above, so if you find a heavily optioned 450+ at a price close to a stripped 580, the options are the better long-term value since you're not paying for extra motor and battery hardware you may not need.

Which Model Year to Target

2022 absorbed the launch-year growing pains you'd expect from an all-new EV platform and an all-new dashboard architecture launched together: the battery-monitoring software recall, the 580's camera-detachment recall, and the bulk of the Hyperscreen freeze complaints concentrate here. It's also, not coincidentally, the cheapest year on the used market by a wide margin, since first-year EV depreciation and a documented complaint history compound each other.

2023 is a reasonable middle ground: most of the same recalls apply, but forum reports suggest software stability improved meaningfully over the model year. 2024 and later cars carry the larger battery pack and the least complaint history in CarScout's data as of this writing, but they also carry the smallest depreciation discount from new, since they haven't had as many years on the market to fall.

There's a genuine argument for buying the "worst" year here on pure value. A 2022 EQS 450+ with every recall closed, a clean Hyperscreen through a full test-drive cycle, and working door handles gets you the same interior, the same driver-assist suite, and nearly the same range as a 2024 car, at a fraction of the price. The risk you're taking on isn't really about the car being fundamentally different generation to generation. It's about whether the specific VIN in front of you has already had its recalls done and its early bugs worked out, which is exactly what the checklist below is for.

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

For any EQS, either trim:

• Run the VIN through the recall lookup tool and confirm 23V309000 (battery monitoring software) and 25V366000 (AVAS pedestrian sound) both show completed repairs.
• Cycle through every Hyperscreen function during the test drive: navigation, climate, charge planning, and the reversing camera. A freeze, black screen, or unresponsive touch input during your test drive is the exact failure mode owners report most often, and it will not fix itself.
• Drive over a series of speed bumps or rough pavement at low speed and listen for clunking from the air suspension. Also check ride height is level side to side with the car parked on flat ground; a visibly leaning EQS points to a failing air strut on one corner.
• Ask for service records showing any over-the-air software update history. A car that's been kept current on Mercedes' software releases is less likely to be carrying an unresolved Hyperscreen bug.
• Check the state of charge the battery will accept at a DC fast charger if you can arrange a test session. A pack that won't charge past a reduced percentage or charges unusually slowly is a stronger signal of battery health than the dash range estimate alone.
• Test every door handle on the car, not just the driver's door, through a full present-and-retract cycle. Hesitation, multiple pulls, or a handle that doesn't present at all points to the software or motor issue documented above, and it's cheaper to negotiate on price for it now than to fix it later.

EQS 580-specific:

• Inspect where the rearview mirror and camera assembly mounts to the windshield for any looseness or prior repair, and confirm recall 23V074000 shows a completed repair on any 2022 model.

Running Costs

Neither trim has mature independent repair-cost data yet, since the oldest cars in this generation are only entering their fifth model year. The costs worth planning for are the ones already documented: an out-of-warranty AIRMATIC repair (suspension components on air-sprung luxury cars routinely run into four figures per corner), a door handle motor replacement if one has already started failing, and, in the worst case, a high-voltage battery replacement if you buy well outside Mercedes' battery warranty window without verifying pack health first. Mercedes covers the EQS battery for 8 years or 100,000 miles from new, in line with the EV industry standard, which matters most to anyone buying a 2022 or 2023 car since that window is already partway spent.

Insurance is also worth quoting specifically on this car rather than assuming a number from a mainstream luxury sedan. Flagship EV pricing, sensor-heavy body panels, and the cost of Hyperscreen glass all factor into collision repair estimates, and the EQS's steep depreciation curve can work against you here too: a low agreed value on an older policy may not reflect what it actually costs to replace a damaged front fascia full of radar and camera hardware.

FAQ

Is the Mercedes EQS reliable? Owner reports concentrate complaints in two areas: the Hyperscreen infotainment system (freezes, blackouts, slow over-the-air updates) and the AIRMATIC air suspension (clunking, uneven ride height as the car ages). The core EV powertrain and battery are not the primary complaint source; the surrounding technology is.

Which EQS model year should I avoid? No year is disqualifying, but 2022 carries the most recall exposure and the most-discussed Hyperscreen complaints, concentrated in early production. Confirm every recall is closed and cycle the Hyperscreen fully during your test drive before buying a 2022 car.

Why is the used Mercedes EQS so cheap? A combination of steep EV-segment depreciation, lukewarm American demand for the nameplate, and a documented complaint history has pushed some 2022 EQS 450+ listings under $30,000, a fraction of the roughly $105,000 starting price when new. The car itself hasn't gotten worse; the market's appetite for it has shrunk faster than for combustion luxury sedans.

What's the difference between the EQS 450+ and EQS 580? The 450+ is rear-wheel drive with 355 hp and the longer EPA range of the two. The 580 adds standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive and jumps to 516 hp, at the cost of roughly 10 miles of range. Both share the same Hyperscreen, suspension, and known-issue list.

Is the EQS's air suspension expensive to fix? Yes, relative to a conventional coil-spring luxury sedan. Owners report failures in sway-bar links, bushings, air struts, and the compressor or valve block as the car ages, and AIRMATIC repairs on Mercedes models routinely run into four figures per corner once out of warranty.

Bottom Line

The EQS is a genuinely capable flagship EV wearing a recall history and a soft resale market that make it one of the more interesting used-luxury bargains on sale right now. A 2023 EQS 450+ with every recall closed and a clean Hyperscreen and air suspension inspection is the sensible target: most of the launch-year software rough edges are behind it, and the price gap versus a 2022 car is smaller than the risk gap. Whatever year you're looking at, run the VIN for open recalls before you commit, and track pricing across trims and model years on CarScout's Mercedes-Benz EQS market data.

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Data sourced from NHTSA's recall database via CarScout's market intelligence pipeline, EPA range data, and real owner discussion from the Mercedes EQ All Electric Forum (mbeqclub.com) and aggregated EV reliability reporting. See the full Mercedes-Benz EQS market data for current pricing and inventory.