Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 4 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Heater Core
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
1
0
0
0
Air Bags › Frontal
1
0
0
0
4 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Vehicle Speed Control93V095000
Filed May 27, 1993128,000 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.
Defect. DUE TO HEAT EFFECTS, THE THROTTLE BUSHING LOCATED ON THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL CABLE, CAN FATIGUE AND BREAK, CAUSING THE THROTTLE LINKAGE TO SEPARATE.
Risk. IF THE THROTTLE LINKAGE SEPARATES, THE ENGINE WILL RETURNTO IDLE SPEED, AND REMAIN AT IDLE, WITH NO ACCELERATION ABILITY. LOSS OF ENGINESPEED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND ANACCIDENT.
Remedy. REPLACE THE THROTTLE BUSHING WITH A NEW BUSHING MADE FROM MORE HEAT-RESISTANT MATERIALS.
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner90V068000
Filed May 1, 19901,584 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.
Defect. UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS, THE PLASTIC COVER OF THE PRERESISTOR FOR THE AUXILIARY FAN MAY MELT, POSSIBLY IGNITING THE PRERESISTOR.
Risk. THIS RESULTS IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE THAT WOULD BE HAZARDOUS TO OCCUPANTS.
Remedy. REPLACE THE PRERESISTOR WITH VERSION HAVING A METAL COVER.
Tires › Sidewall90V062000
Filed May 1, 1990278 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.
Defect. LEFT FRONT AND LEFT REAR TIRES MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY A WORN CHAIN DRIVE OF THE CONVEYOR SYSTEM.
Risk. DAMAGED OR CUT TIRES COULD FAIL DURING USE AND RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT WITH POSSIBLE INJURIES.
Remedy. REPLACE DAMAGED TIRES WITH TIRES OF THE SAME BRAND NAME.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components90V033000
Filed Jan 26, 1990594 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.
Defect. BOLTS USED FOR THE BRAKE STRUT SUPPORT DO NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY BREAK.
Risk. THE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS MAY RESULT IN A DETERIORATION OF VEHICLE STEERING AND BRAKING WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy. REPLACE HEX NUT BOLTS WITH BOLTS THAT MEET SPECIFICATIONS.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Dec 11, 2002CA
300 SE, VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTANTLY. DEALER UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. MR
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Catalytic Convertor
Filed Apr 28, 2002CA
I DROP MY CAR TO THE SERVICE STATION FOR SMOG CHECK, NEXT DAY I CALLED MECHANIC,TO SEE IF MY CAR IS DONE. HE SAID NO IT STILL HAVE A HIGH READING ON HYDRO EMISSION. HE SAID HE WILL TRY TO INJECT WATER AND OR SOME KIND OF CHEMICAL INTO THE ENGINE TO REJUVENATE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. NEXT DAY HE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HE SAID I CAN HAVE ONE PUT IN FOR $480.00. I SAID IT'S TOO HIGH. I TOLD HIM I WIL HAVE MY OTHER MECHANIC FROM CALIFORNIA MUFFLER INSTALL ONE ON IT. WHEN I WENT TO PICK MY CAR IN HIS SHOP I NOTICED THE VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I ASKED HIM WHAT IS THAT NOISE, HE SAID IT'S SOME KIND OF CARBON DESPOSITE LOGDE IN THE PISTON. IT SHOULD GO AWAY. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE CALIFORINA MUFFLER SHOP AND HAD A CATALYTIC CONVERTER INSTALLED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR RE-TEST AT TEXACO STATION, AND AGAIN IT FAILED. I INSISTED THAT HE SCREWED NU MY ENGINE AND SAID NO. HE ASKED ALL HIS MECHANIC FRIENDS THAT NOISE WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY. UPSET ABOUT THE SITUATION I TOLD THE MECHANIC. YOU OWE ME AN ENGINE, HE SAID HE CAN NOT HELP ME BECAUSE HE IS A COMMISION MECHANIC, I HAVE TO BRING MY COMPLAIN TO THE OWNER OF THE STATION. SO I CONFRONTED THE OWNER, HE TOLD MY YOU GOT PROBLEM, HAVE YOUR LAWYER TALK TO MY LAWYER. MEANTIME I HAD MY MERCEDES MECHANIC LOOK INTO HTE NOISE PROBLEM. HE WENT AND DROP THE OIL PAN AND FOUND ALL KINDS OF METAL FILINGS IN IT. HE ALSO TOLD ME #4 PISTON IS THE ONE MAKING THE NOISE. I HAD THEM DROP THE WHOLE E
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Dec 30, 1999TX
WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE DUE TO THE REAR MOTOR MOUNTS DROPPING. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Heater Core
Filed Sep 4, 1997TX
A/C HEATER CORE LEAKED ALLOWING THE TOXIC ANTI-FREEZE TO SPRAY INTO THE VEHICLE ONTO CONSUMER.
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: May 27, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.