MajorVery commonBody & Rust

Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Body rust - wheel arches, boot lid, door bottoms and jack points (W220)

Body rust - wheel arches, boot lid, door bottoms and jack points (W220) is a very common body & rust fault on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class on the 2000–2006 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,500 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 20 documented faults on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Years: 2000–2006
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mercedes-Benz S-Class faults20 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The W220 is notorious as the rustiest modern S-Class, a result of cost-cut steel and the switch to water-based paint. Rust shows in the rear wheel arches, boot lid (around the handle and number-plate lights), door bottoms, front wings, behind the bumpers and at the jack points, and suspension mounting areas can also corrode. Facelift cars (2003 on) are better but not immune. Proper repair is cut-and-weld panel work plus paint - bubbling you can see usually means much worse underneath.

What you would notice

Paint bubbling on arch lips and door bottoms
Rust around the boot lid handle and number-plate lights
Corrosion at jack points and under mouldings

How to check it

Where to look. Wheel arches, boot lid, door bottoms, front wings, jack points, behind bumpers

Walk the car in good light: run a finger under each wheel arch lip, check the boot lid inner skin and around the handle, open all doors and inspect the bottom edges and sills, and look behind the front and rear bumper edges.
Lift the boot floor and check the spare wheel well.
Ask about any previous rust repairs and check for mismatched paint.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$1,500 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the car ever had rust repairs or a respray?”
“Has it lived near the coast?”
“Can I see it on a hoist to check the underside?”

Now check the Mercedes-Benz S-Class you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Mercedes Enthusiasts 'Common Problems W220 S Class'
Fast Car 'Mercedes-Benz S600 W220 Buying Guide & Common Problems'
CarBuzz 'The Story Behind The Worst S-Class Generation'

Mercedes-Benz S-Class buyer questions

Is body rust - wheel arches, boot lid, door bottoms and jack points (w220) serious on a Mercedes-Benz S-Class?

We rate it major and very common on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The W220 is notorious as the rustiest modern S-Class, a result of cost-cut steel and the switch to water-based paint. Rust shows in the rear wheel arches, boot lid (around the handle and number-plate lights), door bottoms, front wings, behind the bumpers and at the jack points, and suspension mounting areas can also corrode. Facelift cars (2003 on) are better but not immune. Proper repair is cut-and-weld panel work plus paint - bubbling you can see usually means much worse underneath.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mercedes-Benz S-Class?

$1,500 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mercedes-Benz S-Class years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Walk the car in good light: run a finger under each wheel arch lip, check the boot lid inner skin and around the handle, open all doors and inspect the bottom edges and sills, and look behind the front and rear bumper edges. Lift the boot floor and check the spare wheel well. Ask about any previous rust repairs and check for mismatched paint. Look here: Wheel arches, boot lid, door bottoms, front wings, jack points, behind bumpers