PLASTIC REAR VIEW WINDOW OF CONVERTIBLE TOP IS DISTORTED, HAZY AND IMPAIRS VISION. DEALER STATED THE MFG'S REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED 5 YEARS WARRANTY. DEALER SOLD ME A "DO IT YOURSELF" KIT TO RESTORE BUT DOES NOT WORK. FAULTY DESIGN. *JB
1999 Mercedes Benz 500
Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the equipment › appliance › air conditioner. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts › Front › Retractor | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Rearview Mirrors/Devices › Exterior | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats › Front Assembly › Power Adjust | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsTHE DRIVER'S SIDE BELT RETRACTOR WAS NOT WORKING. THE PART WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE OF $425.00. THE DEALER INDICATED, THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK *SC
THE ELECTRICAL SEAT CONTROLLER LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT, SHORTED OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. NO FUSE WAS BLOWN. THIS WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION DUE TO THE FACT THE UNIT WAS NOT SEALED FROM MOISTURE.*AK TOXIC FUMES AND SMOKE WERE INSTANTANEOUS. WHEN IT SHORTED OUT, TURNING THE KEY DIDN'T STOP ELECTRICITY FLOW. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. *PH *JB
SEAT BELT PROBLEM WITH 1999 MERCEDES S500. SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ TECHNICAL SUPPORT (TWICE) TO ASK IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEAT BELTS. THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SEAT BELT FAILURE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN MERCEDES BENZ ONLY, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY REPLACE MANY SEAT BELTS. LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO DINNER WITH FRIENDS WHO WERE DRIVING A 1994 SE MERCEDES - WHEN WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS NOT RETRACTING AND WAS HANGLNG LOOSELY IN THE SEAT (THE SAME WAY MINE WAS BEFORE I HAD IT REPLACED LAST WEEK). IT COST ME $375 TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT REPLACED - IF IT HAD BEEN SOME OTHER FAILURE ON THE CAR, I WOULD NOT FEEL SO BADLY. BUT I FEEL THAT A SEAT BELT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 3 TO 4 YEARS!! WE HAVE A 1981 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE THAT WE BOUGHT NEW - THE SEAT BELT IS STILL WORKING JUST FINE. IN FACT, I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND NEVER HAD A SEAT BELT FAILURE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
PLASTIC REARVIEW WINDOW HAS A DISTORTION IN IT WHICH CAUSES POOR DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. WINDOW WAS LOOKED AT BY A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH ALL MERCEDES BENZ CONVERTIBLES. REAR WINDOW HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED. *AK
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND IS STILL EXPERIENCING FAILURES. MJS
A HOSE IS MISSING FROM AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAUSING SYSTEM TO BLOW WARM AIR, IT NEVER GETS COLD. *YC
7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Across model years
Worst on record: 1993Reading 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.