Car Model History

Third generation · W140 · 1992–1999

1996Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The imposing, over-engineered 1990s flagship — double-pane glass, a V12 (600 SEL / S 600), and the debut of Electronic Stability Program (ESP) in its C140 coupe. US model years 1992–1999.

Third generation · W140

1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W140) — sedan, front three-quarter view

Photo: “1996-1997 Mercedes-Benz S280 (W140) Sedan (03-06-2018) 02” by Jirapat Chroenkeskij / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.

Start here

What do you need to know?

This page covers the whole 1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.

Complete, source-verified lineup

Find your exact 1996 S-Class

Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.

4factory configurations
Verified complete for the U.S.-marketHow this lineup was verified

We checked this U.S.-market lineup against period sources for factory sedan, coupe, cabriolet, drivetrain, and powertrain roster represented by the cited exact-year or factory-archive evidence. Every version shown below has its own detail page.

Verified 2026-09-01 from Mercedes-Benz Club of America — 1992–1999 W140 buyer's guide and technical tables, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive — 140-series S-Class model history, Mercedes-Benz W140 School archive — factory North American owner's-manual model indexes by year.

4versions shown
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz S 320 Automatic

Body
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
3.2-liter M104 DOHC inline-six
Gearbox
5-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz S 420 Automatic

Body
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
4.2-liter M119 DOHC V8
Gearbox
5-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz S 500 Automatic

Body
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8
Gearbox
5-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz S 600 Automatic

Body
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
6.0-liter M120 DOHC V12
Gearbox
5-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version

The 1996 model year

Overview

For 1996, the North American factory manuals list four W140 sedans—S 320, S 420, S 500, and S 600—and no diesel. The club guide identifies 1996 as the switch from four-speed to five-speed adaptive automatic transmissions.

Specifications

Engines
  • 3.2-liter M104 DOHC inline-six
  • 4.2-liter M119 DOHC V8
  • 5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8
  • 6.0-liter M120 DOHC V12
Transmissions
5-speed automatic
Body styles
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Year over year

What changed

  • The S 350 Turbodiesel left the documented North American roster without an S 300 Turbodiesel replacement.
  • The four gasoline sedans moved to five-speed adaptive automatics, a material service and fitment boundary.

Worth knowing

Notable

  • Mercedes-Benz presented Brake Assist in November 1996 and says standard W140 equipment began in December; that calendar timing should be checked against an individual car's build date.

Living with it

Reliability & ownership notes

  • Service records matter on every W140; inspect the pneumatic convenience system, all electronic equipment, rear window regulators, power-steering leaks, and engine mounts before purchase.
  • The club guide identifies pre-1996 evaporator leakage and 1993–1995 biodegradable wiring harnesses as specific inspection points; verify repairs on the individual car rather than assuming every example is affected.
  • Match service parts to the exact engine, transmission, market, and build date shown on the data plate; a shared W140 body does not make six-cylinder, V8, V12, and diesel fitment interchangeable.

Maintenance & service parts

Keep your 1996 S-Class on the road

Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.

Service desk

What this car needs & when

Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1996 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.

Service topics
3
Factory intervals
3
Fitment-scoped
3
Exact references
1

Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.

Collect

Bring this model year home

Find a scale model using the exact year, make, and model—not a generic generation search.

Sources

  1. Mercedes-Benz Media — factory S-Class history and W126 design/safety chronology
  2. Mercedes-Benz Public Archive — 140-series S-Class model history
  3. Mercedes-Benz W140 School archive — factory North American owner's-manual model indexes by year
  4. Mercedes-Benz Club of America — 1992–1999 W140 buyer's guide and technical tables

Other Third generation years

Explore the W140 generation →All Third generation · W140 years →

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