Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV 450+ X296

The 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen is widely reported to suffer from freezing, black screens, and random reboots, especially on early 2022-2023 cars. When frozen, navigation, climate control, charge planning, and the reversing camera all become unavailable. Failed OTA updates can leave the system in a partially updated state requiring dealer reflashing. Mercedes has issued several software updates to address stability. Most fixes are software-based and covered under warranty, but out-of-warranty dealer diagnostic sessions for reflashing typically cost around €200-500. Later 2024-2025 cars are noticeably more stable thanks to cumulative updates.

Many EQS SUV owners report sudden phantom braking at moderate speeds (35-60 km/h) with no vehicles or obstacles ahead. NHTSA data shows that around 75% of complaints about 2022 EQS models involved brake or forward collision avoidance issues. Other reported symptoms include the lane-keeping system fighting normal lane changes, adaptive cruise canceling unexpectedly, and blind-spot monitoring going intermittently offline. Mercedes has not issued a specific recall for these ADAS behaviors. Software updates have improved but not fully resolved the issue. Cost is generally zero (software update) but sensor recalibration after windshield replacement can run €200-300.

The AIRMATIC air suspension is standard on the EQS SUV 450+. Air spring bags can develop micro-cracks or porous seals over time, leading to slow leaks that cause uneven ride height, especially visible after the car sits overnight. If a leaking strut is not addressed, the compressor works overtime and can burn out. A single air strut replacement costs roughly €800-1,500 including labor at a Mercedes dealer. A failed compressor adds €500-1,500. A full system refresh addressing multiple leaks can reach €3,000-5,000. These costs are outside warranty coverage, and Mercedes' extended warranty explicitly tends to exclude suspension fluid leaks. The EQS SUV's higher curb weight (approximately 2,480 kg) puts slightly more stress on the air springs compared to lighter Mercedes models.

Multiple EQS SUV owners report the 12V auxiliary battery going flat after the car sits for several days, leaving the vehicle unable to wake up or respond to the key fob. Causes range from a loose negative terminal to a software bug that prevents the high-voltage battery from properly recharging the 12V system while parked. Mercedes has addressed this with software updates in many cases. The physical battery itself (12V 1.3Ah lithium unit) costs around €200-300 including dealer installation. If the failure triggers cascading fault codes, additional diagnostic time at the dealer can add €100-200 to the bill.

Some EQS owners report misaligned DC pins inside the CCS charging port, which can cause overheating or physical damage when plugging in at DC fast chargers. Charge port replacement has been quoted at around €2,500-3,000 at dealers. Separately, the 9.6 kW onboard AC charger can fail, preventing Level 1 and Level 2 charging entirely while DC fast charging still works. A failed onboard charger is a dealer-only repair requiring XENTRY diagnostic software for coding, and is expensive outside warranty. Many charging-related problems are software-based and resolved with updates, so a dealer software check should always come first.

Mercedes recalled certain 2023-2025 EQS SUV models because the battery management system software could cause the high-voltage battery to shut down, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power while driving. This is a software-only issue resolved by a free dealer update. The recall covers EQS SUV 450+, 450 4MATIC, and 580 4MATIC models. If the recall work has been completed, the risk is essentially zero. If it has not been completed, the consequences could be serious. Always verify this recall is completed before purchasing.