1991 Mercedes Benz 190e

Routine

Owners filed 10 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seat belts › front. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Heater Core1
001
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Seat Belts › Front1
000
Fuel System, Other › Delivery › Fuel Pump1
010
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly1
000
Electrical System › Ignition1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
102
Air Bags1
001

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting09E012000
Filed Apr 7, 200916,270 vehiclesSabersport

Defect. SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Risk. DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Exterior Lighting06E026000
Filed Mar 23, 200661,944 vehiclesPro-A Motors, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk. WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 18, 2008100,000 milesRI

1991 MERCEDES 190E IDLED OUT OF CONTROL. CANT FIND ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR OR HOW TO FIX IT. ITS A HAZARD AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WHEN IT IDLES UP SO HIGH, THE CAR ACTUALLY PEELS OUT IF YOU LET YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BRING IT TO A FULL STOP. *TR

Fuel System, Other › Delivery › Fuel PumpFire
Filed Jun 26, 2007CA

ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE AFTER OVERNIGHT PARKING. WHEN I ACTIVATED IGNITION THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD WHICH BLEW OFF MOST OF THE INSULATION LINING AND IGNITED A FIRE AROUND THE AIR INTAKE COVER. *AK I WAS TOLD THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY SWITCH FAILED. THIS AND THE FULE PUM WERE REPLACED BUT NOW VEHICLE WILL INTERMITENTLY ACCELERATE WHEN IDLING AND OR MOVING AT AROUND 25MPH.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Oct 31, 2001MD

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING VEHICLE CUTS OFF, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND HAS REPLACED THREE HEAD GASKETS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed May 4, 2001CA

PLASTIC NECK FOR UPPER RADIATOR HOSE FRACTURED WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF COOLANT. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Jan 31, 2001GA

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 45-50 MPH CONSUMER HAD A HIGH IMPACT HEAD-ON COLLISON. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SID AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS JUST AWARE THAT AIRS BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jan 11, 2001CA

MECEDES BENZ 190E PRESENTS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANTS AND OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. ENGINE STALLS. STALLING OCCURS OUT IN TRAFFIC. THE AUTO IS EITHER MAKING A TURN AT AN INTERSECTION OR STALLS WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. WHEN FIRST THE PROBLEM WAS ENCOUNTERED, WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED COMPONENTS, BUT TO NO AVAIL.(WE PAID FOR THESE) WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE DEALER WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO JUST KEEP REPLACING PARTS UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED ( THE COST OF THESE EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENTS LABOR IN & OUT, IF THE PART DID NOT WORK, WOULD FALL ON US). WE HAVE REPLACED PARTS WITH STILL NO CURE FOR THE STALLING PROBLEM.WE HAVE FOLLOWED ALL THE MANUFACTURE'S OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE PROCEEDURES.THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TWICE BY ME. ONCE THEY SAID THAT THE SAN DIEGO REP. WOULD CONTACT THE DEALER ON ANOTHER OCASSION I LEFT MESSAGES THAT WERE NOT RETURNED. I AM A RETIRED TEACHER AND CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE AND LOOSE ALL THAT HAS BEEN INVESTED IN THIS AUTO. MORE THAN THAT, THE AUTO IS A DANGER TO DRIVE. *AK

Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Heater Core1 injured
Filed Oct 11, 2000CA

THE HEATER CORE IN THE VEHICLE RUPTURED, CAUSING BOILING HOT COOLANT TO POUR ONTO THE DRIVER'S FEET. THE BOILING COOLANT CAUSED BURNS TO THE DRIVER'S FOOT ANKLE AND LEG.*AK

Air Bags1 injured
Filed Aug 23, 2000TN

WHILE TRANSPORTING FOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, I HEARD A LONG BANGING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THE CAR TRAVELED ABOUT 6 FEET AND STOPPED. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED, THE DRIVERSIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED CAUSING SEVERE BRUSING, ABRASIONS, AND BURNS TO MY LEFT ARM. CLIFFORD BLAKEMORE, SERVICE MANAGER AT LONG OF CHATTANOOGA CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRBAG COULD DEPLOY UNDER THE CONDITIONS DESCRIBED AND AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD STOPPED. HE STATED THAT THE FLEXDISK WHICH CONNECTS THE DRIVE SHAFT TO THE TRANSMISSION PROBABLY CAME LOOSE AND RESULTED IN THE DRIVE SHAFT HITTING THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL. THIS WOULD HAVE EXPLAINED THE LOUD, BANGING NOISE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED FROM ANOTHER SOURCE THAT THE CONTROL UNIT FOR THE AIRBAG RESIDES ON TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE AIRBAG COULD HAVE DEPLOYED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION RESULTING IN MUCH MORE SEVERE INJURIES OR EVEN FATALITIES. I QUESTION WHETHER THE AIRBAG COULD ACCIDDENTLY BE DEPLOYED BY THE CAR STRIKING AN OBJECT ON THE ROAD OR HITTING A POTHOLE AND BELIEVE THE DESIGN OF THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT POSES A SERIOUS THREAT.

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Aug 8, 2000TX

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. HOWEVER, CONSUMER KEPT CONTROL OF VEHICLE.TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE AFINITY. *AK

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Jan 5, 1998KY

SEAT BELT LATCH FAILURE.

10 of 10 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1991
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19933200Routine
19922200Routine
1991 — this page10210Routine
19902200Routine

Compare every 190e year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 7, 2009. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.