Used Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222 (2014-2020): Buyer's Guide

A well-optioned 2019 S450 cost $97,245 new. Today the average one trades for around $30,700. That's a 5-year loss of over $66,000, and it's the single biggest reason to buy a W222 S-Class used instead of new. But the same forces that make this flagship affordable, six distinct engines, three separate recall waves, and a suspension system with a five-figure worst-case repair bill, mean the wrong car in this generation can turn that bargain into a money pit fast.

This Generation at a Glance

The W222 is the sixth-generation S-Class, sold in the US as model years 2014 through 2020. It replaced the W221 with a design shared visually with the C-Class (W205) and E-Class (W213), and it was the first production car with Magic Body Control, a stereo camera that scans the road ahead and preemptively adjusts the suspension.

Two distinct eras exist within this one generation. From 2014 to 2017, the S550 (a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8) was the volume seller, alongside the S63 AMG and the V12-powered S65 AMG and S600. For 2018, Mercedes overhauled the engine lineup: the S450 (a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system) became the base engine, the S560 (a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8) replaced the S550, and the S63 AMG got an updated 4.0-liter V8. The V12 S65 AMG carried on unchanged.

That engine swap is why this guide treats 2014-2017 and 2018-2020 almost as two separate cars sharing a body. A repair that's routine on one side of the split (a $200 camshaft adjuster fix on the M278 V8) has no equivalent on the other side, and a recall that matters on one side (the S560's camshaft idler gear campaign) doesn't exist on the other. Buy this generation with that split in mind, not as one uniform seven-year run.

Powertrain & Trim Breakdown

S550: the 2014-2017 M278 4.6L twin-turbo V8

The M278 is a proven engine by 2026, and most of what fails on it is well documented and cheap to prevent. The known failure is the camshaft adjuster magnet: engine oil migrates through the solenoid seal and wicks into the wiring harness connector, eventually triggering codes P0011, P0016, or P0021 along with a rough idle and reduced power. Caught early, replacing all four magnets runs under $200 in parts. Left alone, oil can travel far enough up the harness to damage the ECU, turning a simple fix into a $10,000-plus repair.

A second M278-specific item is the high-pressure fuel pump, which is camshaft-driven off the intake side. Owners on MBWorld.org describe a "cricket" ticking noise from the pump area as the earliest warning sign, progressing to long cranks and stalling if ignored. Because the same camshaft adjuster that fails also drives the pump on one bank, a neglected magnet failure and a failing HPFP often show up together.

Model year 2014 carries one extra wrinkle: MBWorld forum consensus places bore-scoring risk on the M278 specifically on cars built before July 2014, not the whole model year. A pre-purchase inspection with a borescope, or at minimum a compression and leak-down test, settles the question for any specific car. Owner complaint volume on CarComplaints.com tells a similar story: 32 filed for 2014, a surprising jump to 52 for 2015, then a sharp drop to 15 for 2016 and just 2 for 2017.

S63 AMG: the 2014-2017 M157 5.5L twin-turbo V8

The M157 adds AMG-specific wear items on top of the M278's issues, since the two share a family lineage. Bosch piezoceramic fuel injectors have a service life commonly cited around 100,000-150,000 km before clogging or failure risk climbs, and a full set replacement can run toward $3,000. The alusil cylinder walls, particularly cylinders 1 and 5 nearest the turbos, are prone to scoring on high-mileage or poorly-maintained examples.

The costliest known failure pairs an oil vapor separator with a leaking rear main crankshaft seal. MBWorld owners report this combination running close to $7,000 to fix properly. It isn't universal: several owners in the same thread reported 44,000-mile cars with no major issues beyond routine service, which underscores how much prior maintenance discipline matters on this engine specifically.

S65 AMG and S600: the M279 6.0L twin-turbo V12

The V12 isn't known for a single defining failure mode the way the V8s are. It's expensive by design: oil changes run several hundred dollars, a full spark plug job across 24 plugs is a multi-thousand-dollar service, and brake jobs commonly exceed $3,000 given the car's weight and speed. Owners budgeting for a V12 W222 should plan for $5,000 to $10,000 a year in upkeep on top of routine items, even with no major failures. Because CarScout doesn't yet have enough US market data collected for the S65 AMG and S600 specifically, treat any listing you find as a case for an independent PPI rather than relying on comparable pricing here.

S450: the 2018-2020 M256 3.0L turbo inline-6 with EQ Boost

The M256 replaced the S550's V8 as the base engine and it's the newest, least-proven design in this generation as of this writing. Its defining risk is the 48-volt lithium-ion mild-hybrid battery that powers the EQ Boost system: reports of premature failure under 80,000 km exist, with symptoms including EQ Boost warning lights, erratic start-stop behavior, and reduced power assist. Independent shops with 48V hybrid experience quote roughly $1,500-2,000 for a battery replacement; dealer pricing runs higher.

One recall rumor to rule out here: the widely covered 2023 Mercedes fuel pump campaign (NHTSA 23V-880) applies to 2021-2024 W223 cars, the S500 and S580 that replaced this generation. It does not cover any 2018-2020 S450, and NHTSA currently lists no fuel-pump recall against the W222 S450 at all. Run the VIN anyway, since campaigns do get expanded, but don't let a seller or a listing wave the newer car's recall at this one.

S560: the 2018-2020 M176 4.0L twin-turbo V8

The S560's new V8 traded the M278's known quirks for a different set. An oil separator and PCV system prone to clogging lets crankcase pressure build, forcing oil past the rear main seal and showing up first as a valve cover gasket leak. More frequent oil changes are the common mitigation cited by owners. Two 2018-2019 S560-specific NHTSA recalls are worth checking directly against any VIN you're considering: one covers engine oil drain plugs that may not hold under load and can run the engine dry, and the other, more serious one, covers a camshaft idler gear that can detach from the crankcase, damaging the engine badly enough that Mercedes' remedy is a full engine replacement. A 2019-2020 fuel rail and injector recall, tied to manufacturing debris causing fuel leaks, applies to gasoline S560 production as well.

S63 AMG: the 2018-2020 M177/M178 4.0L twin-turbo V8

The updated AMG V8 carries a similar oil separator and rear main seal risk to the S560's engine, with independent shops quoting $2,000-3,000 for the combined repair (more at a dealer). A distinct AMG-specific wear item is the passenger-side hydraulic engine mount, which can fail under hard use as early as 30,000-50,000 km, showing up as vibration at idle or a clunk on gear changes. Direct-injection carbon buildup and eventual ignition coil and timing chain wear are the longer-term items to budget for.

Transmission: 7G-Tronic versus 9G-Tronic

Every 2014-2016 S-Class shipped with the 7G-Tronic (722.9), and MBWorld owners describe rough, hesitant upshifts and downshifts as the most common complaint on these cars. One detailed forum fix traced it to shift-point calibration rather than worn hardware: a full re-adaptation of the shift ranges and torque-converter lock-up, run through Mercedes' Xentry diagnostic tool during a road test, resolved it without replacing a single part. When the 7G-Tronic does fail outright, a defective valve body or conductor plate is the usual cause, and that repair runs $2,000-3,000.

For 2017, Mercedes swapped in the 9G-Tronic a full model year before the styling and engine facelift, pairing the well-proven M278 V8 with a transmission that doesn't share the earlier car's shift complaints. Every 2018-2020 facelift car also uses the 9G-Tronic. It isn't complaint-free either: some owners report a shudder between 25 and 45 mph tied to torque-converter clutch engagement, along with firmer than expected 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts when the car is cold. Regular fluid changes, roughly every 60,000 km, are the preventive step owners cite most often.

Recalls worth naming specifically

Beyond the engine-specific recalls above, two more apply across multiple model years and trims. An electric power steering control module recall (NHTSA 16V899) covers 2014-2015 S550 and S600 production built through August 2015, where improperly soldered contacts can both cut power steering assist while driving and raise fire risk even with the car parked and off. A seat belt pretensioner recall (18V-839) covers certain 2019 S-Class production, where a manufacturing defect can make a properly latched belt read as unlatched, disabling the PRE-SAFE pretensioner function. One reassurance worth stating plainly: despite the era, NHTSA lists no Takata airbag inflator campaign against the W222 sedan. A VIN check still settles it for any individual car.

One recall worth ruling out explicitly, since it gets asked about often: the widely covered 2021 backup camera software recall (21V354, roughly 375,000 vehicles) does not include the S-Class. It was limited to A-Class, CLA, CLS, GLA, GLB, GLC, GLE, GLS, and E-Class body styles.

Trim-Specific Notes

Every W222 rides on AIRMATIC air suspension standard. Magic Body Control, the road-scanning active damping system, was a step-up option on higher trims. It's a genuine party trick, but it comes with real cost exposure: a full system issue (hydraulic struts, pump, and lines together) can run $5,000-7,000, well above a comparable AIRMATIC-only repair. It also has a functional limitation worth knowing before you pay extra for it: the system depends on a windshield-mounted camera, so it doesn't reliably see bumps at night or in rain, which undercuts its value for a lot of real-world driving.

The Driver Assistance Package (adaptive cruise, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning with automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, active parking assist) shows up repeatedly in owner discussions as the one option worth insisting on. Once owners have it, they don't want a car without it.

Panoramic sunroofs were common but not universal on this generation, and they carry direct recall relevance: a botched prior roof-panel repair using the wrong adhesive can let the front panel between the windshield and sunroof detach at speed. This is an expanded NHTSA recall (21V-197 and later expansions), and it only affects cars that already had this specific repair done once, not every panoramic-roof car. Check the build sheet and any prior repair history.

The Executive Rear Seat Package, power-reclining rear seats with additional legroom, heated and cooled rear cupholders, is the package that makes the S-Class's chauffeured-car reputation real, and it's worth seeking out if rear-seat comfort matters to your use case.

Burmester audio is a common upgrade on higher trims and it's a genuine selling point in resale conversations, but treat it as a nice-to-have rather than something to chase at a premium; unlike AIRMATIC or the Driver Assistance Package, it doesn't carry a documented reliability or cost story worth paying extra to avoid.

COMAND infotainment glitches, freezing screens, random reboots, and a screen that dims or shuts off under heat, show up across every trim and year. Owners on MBWorld traced one repeat "reboot in 3 minutes" warning to a single undersized fuse in the passenger footwell, not a core software defect, and a separate case resolved with nothing more than a 15-second hard reset via the console's off button. Before assuming a glitchy COMAND system means expensive electrical work, rule out the cheap fixes first.

Which Model Years to Target Within This Gen

Recall counts above are approximate, compiled from NHTSA campaign filings and public recall trackers, so verify the current count against your specific VIN before buying.

If you want the pre-facelift V8 without the launch-year rough edges, the 2017 is the one to target. If you want the newer tech and mild-hybrid efficiency of the facelift without eating its worst recall year, 2020 is the safer buy over 2018.

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

All engines: Have the seller pull up NHTSA recall completion status for that VIN before you even see the car; the camshaft idler gear recall (S560) and seat belt pretensioner recall are worth confirming were actually performed, not just mailed. Park the car overnight and check ride height the next morning; a corner that's visibly lower than the others is a leaking AIRMATIC air spring, not a parking-surface illusion. Drive for at least 15 minutes and watch for COMAND rebooting or freezing; a quick fix (a bad fuse or a held reset) is common, but confirm it's actually resolved rather than intermittent.

S550 and S63 AMG (2014-2017, M278/M157): Start the car cold and listen for a ticking or "cricket" noise near the front of the engine; that's the earliest sign of a failing high-pressure fuel pump. Pull codes for P0011, P0016, and P0021, even if the check-engine light isn't on, since a pending code can mean oil is already wicking into the camshaft adjuster harness. On S63 AMG specifically, ask for maintenance records showing recent oil analysis or a rear main seal inspection, given the ~$7,000 repair risk if the oil separator and seal go together.

S450, S560, S63 AMG (2018-2020, M256/M176/M177): Check for oil weeping at the valve cover gasket, an early tell for the oil separator/PCV clogging issue on these newer engines. On S450 specifically, watch for any EQ Boost warning light and ask when the 48V battery was last tested. On S560 and S63 AMG, feel for vibration at idle or a clunk when shifting from park to drive; that's the passenger-side engine mount starting to go.

Magic Body Control cars: Test the system on a rough road in daylight and again if you can at night; confirm you understand its camera-dependent limitations before paying a premium for the option.

2014 models specifically: Ask for the exact production date if possible; MBWorld's bore-scoring discussion draws the line at July 2014, and a car built after that date carries no more risk than the rest of the generation. Listen for a driveshaft clunk on throttle lift-off at low speed right after startup, a documented TSB item on early cars, and a creak from the front axle over uneven pavement, which the factory fix addresses with a shim rather than a parts replacement.

Every car, regardless of engine: Have a shop check for play or wear in the passenger-side engine and transmission mounts, since mount wear shows up across both the pre-facelift and facelift V8s and is easy to miss on a short test drive. Ask specifically whether the electric power steering module recall (16V899, relevant to 2014-2015 cars) has been completed, not just scheduled.

Use CarScout's recall lookup tool to run the full VIN before you commit to any of this.

Running Costs

AIRMATIC air suspension crosses every trim and is worth budgeting for separately: a single strut runs $800-1,800 depending on OEM versus aftermarket parts, and a multi-component failure (struts plus compressor) can reach $3,000-4,000. Magic Body Control repairs run higher still, commonly $5,000-7,000 for a full system issue.

FAQ

Is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222 reliable? It depends heavily on which engine and year. The pre-facelift M278 V8 (2014-2017) is well understood with cheap preventive fixes if caught early. The facelift engines (2018-2020) are newer with less track record and carry the generation's most serious recalls, including an engine-replacement-grade campaign on the S560.

What year W222 S-Class should I avoid? 2018 carries the heaviest recall load of the generation: an engine oil drain plug recall and a camshaft idler gear recall on the S560 whose remedy is a full engine replacement. All-new engines with no history compound the risk in that specific model year. The seat belt pretensioner recall (18V-839) applies to 2019 production.

How many miles does a W222 S-Class last? There's no reliable published lifespan figure for this generation, and precise-sounding averages you'll find online aren't sourced well enough to bank on. What the ownership record does support: major-work risk climbs meaningfully past 100,000 miles, and well-documented maintenance history matters more to longevity here than on most mainstream cars.

Is the AIRMATIC air suspension worth the risk on a used S-Class? Every W222 has it standard, so it isn't optional. Struts commonly begin failing around 80,000-100,000 miles, costing $800-1,800 each. It's a known, budgetable wear item rather than a reason to avoid the generation, but factor it into your offer if the car is already past that mileage.

Should I buy a pre-facelift (2014-2017) or facelift (2018-2020) S-Class? Pre-facelift, specifically 2017, pairs the well-understood M278 V8 with the smoother 9G-Tronic transmission that arrived a year early. Facelift, specifically 2020, gets you the mild-hybrid S450's better fuel economy and updated tech once the 2018 recall wave has been fully addressed.

Bottom Line

Run every VIN through CarScout's recall lookup tool before you commit, especially checking for the S560 camshaft idler gear and seat belt pretensioner campaigns. The 2017 S550 is the sweet spot if you want the proven pre-facelift V8 with smoother-shifting 9G-Tronic; the 2020 S450 or S560 is the pick if you want the newer tech with the recall wave behind it. Either way, budget for AIRMATIC as a wear item, not a surprise. CarScout members can track price drops on specific W222 trims and years at usecarscout.com.

Data sourced from the NHTSA recalls database, EPA fuel economy data, RepairPal and CarComplaints.com owner-reported reliability data, Edmunds and KBB owner reviews, and real owner discussions from MBWorld.org's S-Class W222 subforum, BenzWorld.org, and MBClub UK. See the full Mercedes-Benz S-Class market data for current pricing and inventory.