1991 Mercedes Benz 300

Routine

Owners filed 19 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags › frontal. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags › Frontal4
203
Electrical System2
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Tires › Sidewall1
000
Structure1
000
Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly1
000
Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
010
Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Visibility96V175000
Filed Sep 19, 199628,874 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.

Defect. IF ONE OF THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARMS BECOMES MISALIGNED, THE WIPER BALDE CAN LODGE IN THE GROOVE UNDER THE HEADLAMP. IF THE WASHERS ARE ACTIVATED WITH THE WIPER BLADE IN THE MISALIGNED AND LODGED POSITION, THE WASHER PUMP WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY EXPELLING ALL AVAILABLE FLUID.

Risk. PUMP OPERATION IN THE ABSENCE OF FLUID CAN CAUSE THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP WASHER PUMP ON THESE VEHICLES.

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.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Oct 4, 2009119,000 milesWI

MY 1991 300SL BENZ HAS HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED PER MB DEALER BECAUSE IT'S GOING BAD AND DECOMPOSING CAUSING A POTENTIAL FIRE PROBLEM. THIS AFTER A NO START PROBLEM AND A MONTH IN THE SHOP. AND THEY NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE. NOW , AFTER REPLACING THE HARNESS , THEY ARE STILL NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE HARNESS IS A "GREEN WIRING HARNESS" AS REQUIRED BE GERMANY TO ITS AUTO MAKERS IN 1991-1996. THE DECOMPOSING OF THE WIRING CAUSES A FIRE HAZARD AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 28, 2005NJ

THE DRIVE TRAIN ON THE CONSUMERS 1991 MERCEDES BENZ 300 LOCKED UP. *JB THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN TOTALLY ISOLATED TO THE CONTROL UNIT. THE TOTAL LOCK UP OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY OR THE PROBLEM MAY BE ELSEWHERE CAUSED BY A CERTAIN SET OF CONDITIONS. *SC

Tires › Sidewall
Filed Jun 27, 2001CA

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH IN 1991, MERCEDES BENZ, 300D 2.5 TURBO, RIGHT REAR GOODYEAR ROAD HANDLER VOYAGER LX TIRE SIZE P195/60R15, DOT PJUNYBLR319 EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT IN SIDEWALL OF TIRE. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES ON THE TIRES, AND THEY WERE NOT ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON VEHICLE. *AK *SLC

Steering › Linkages › Tie Rod Assembly
Filed Oct 12, 2000FL

REPLACED RIGHT TIE ROD ASSEMBLY. *CJ

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Nov 17, 1999CA

ENGINE DIES WHILE DRIVING AFTER ABOUT THE FIRST 5 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE DIES IT CANNOT BE RESTARTED WITHOUT TURNING THE KEY OFF WHICH LOCKS THE STEERING WHILE YOUR STILL MOVING. THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU CAN BE HIT FROM BEHIND BY ANOTHER CAR. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE IN THE COMPUTER FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed May 14, 1999CA

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING ERRODED THROUGH, CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation ComponentsFire
Filed Feb 2, 1999PA

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO UP TO 80 TO 100 MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO PUT VEHICLE INTO ANOTHER GEAR TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP ALSO, BRAKE SYSTEM CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

Air Bags › Frontal1 injured
Filed Jun 22, 1998IL

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT A FRONTAL IMPACT, CAUSING INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANT. NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust
Filed May 1, 1998IL

FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE POWER SEATS ADJUSTS ITSELF WITHOUT OPERATOR INPUT OR CONTROL. REPLACED MICROPROCESSOR.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Nov 27, 1997FL

DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT ACCIDENT AT 35 MPH. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT RETRACT, RESULTING IN AN INJURY. *AK

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed May 28, 1997PA

,VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, SPPED 25MPH, DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed May 13, 1997VA

THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET DEVELOPED A LEAK THAT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PISTON, A CYLINDER WALL, AND THE HEAD.

Structure
Filed Apr 9, 1997LA

VEHICLE DESIGNED WITH MANY BLIND SPOTS.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Dec 11, 1996NY

THROTTLE SENSOR FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER.

Electrical System › WiringFire
Filed Nov 6, 1996TX

ELECTRICAL WIRING OVERHEATED, CAUSING FIRE.

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Nov 5, 1996FL

DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT ACCIDENT AT 35 MPH, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Electrical System
Filed Nov 1, 1996NY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System
Filed Feb 23, 1996NY

DISTRIBUTOR ROTOR/BRACKET FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *DSH

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist › Hose, Piping, and Connections
Filed Jan 15, 1996CA

CLAMP HOLDING POWER STEERING HOSE TOO BIG TO HOLD HOSE IN PLACE WHEN TIGHTENED ALL THE WAY, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK OUT OF SYSTEM. *DSH

19 of 19 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1993
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20023000Routine
19996000Routine
19982000Routine
19975000Routine
19968000Routine
199516020Routine
19944000Routine
199339120Routine
199222120Routine
1991 — this page19220Routine
19905400Routine

Compare every 300 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: Sep 19, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.