Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1997 Mercedes Benz 280

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
100
Steering › Linkages1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Child Seat1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Child Seat
Filed Oct 22, 1999CO

THE MERCEDES BENZ 280 CAN NOT HAVE A CHILD CAR SEAT TETHER INSTALLED. THE TETHERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SOLD WITH CAR SEATS AFTER SEPT 99, BUT MERCEDED WILL NOT INSTALL THESE. IN CANADA, THE TETHER ATTACHMENTS ARE FACTORY INSTALLED OR THERE IS A RETROFIT KIT BECAUSE CARS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THESE ATTACHMENTS. TOYOTA, GM, AND OTHERS ALL INSTALL AFTER-MARKET TETHER KITS AT NO CHARGE. MERCEDES WILL NOT. PLEASE HELP. ALL CARS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THIS ATTACHMENT FACTOR-INSTALLED BY YEAR 2002. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CAR SEATS TELL YOU TO INSTALL THE ATTACHMENT AFTER MARKET.

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Oct 17, 1999NY

WINDSHIELD WIPERS CONSTANTLY BANG WHEN IN USE. MERCEDES CAN'T FIX. ON 2 OCCASIONS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FROZE AND SO DID THE FLUID. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

Steering › Linkages
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

LINKAGE BUSHINGS FAILED. YH

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Sep 3, 1997MD

WHILE IN REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF IN REVERSE ABOUT 20 MPH, CAUSING $3200 DAMAGES ON THE VEHICLE. *AK

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20006000Routine
19993000Routine
19983000Routine
1997 — this page5000Routine
199613000Routine
199547040Routine
199418040Routine

Compare every 280 year →

Other Mercedes Benz models

All Mercedes Benz models →
C300 3,958E350 2,210E320 1,164ML350 951GLK350 904ML320 742C250 725C230 657GLC 300 650E500 460

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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.