Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1990 Mercedes Benz 500Sl

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the visibility › windshield wiper/washer. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer1
000
Tires › Sidewall1
000
Tires1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist93V067000
Filed Apr 28, 199314,300 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.

Defect. DURING THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF THE AIR FILTER HOUSING WHILE SERVICING THE VEHICLE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO MISROUTE THE PREFORMED VACUUM HOSE AND DAMAGE THE CHECK VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE. IF THE CHECK VALVE IS DAMAGED, LOSS OF SUFFICIENT BRAKE POWER ASSIST WILL OCCUR.

Risk. LACK OF SUFFICIENT BRAKE POWER ASSIST WILL INCREASESTOPPING DISTANCE AND COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE THE PREFORMED VACUUM HOSE WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED PREFORMED HOSE WITH A RELOCATED CHECK VALVE WHICH WILL ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CHECK VALVE BEING DAMAGED.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Jul 21, 201081,740 milesMD

PIRELLI TIRES (4) BOUGHT 6/13/10. MY LEFT REAR TIRE EXPLODED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A THREE LANE HIGHWAY ON 7/21/10 (38 DAYS LATER). LUCKILY I WAS ON IN THE RIGHT LANE AND BARELY MADE IT TO AN EXIT LANE. THE TIRE IS PIRELLI FOUR SEASONS P6. 225/55R15 I HAVE PICTURES OF THE TIRE. THE TIRES WERE BOUGHT FROM MR. TIRE IN ANNAPOLIS. I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE WITH THESE TIRES. THE POLICEMAN CAME BY AND TOLD ME TO GET MY CAR OFF THE EXIT--HE DID NOT EVEN GET OUT OF HIS CAR TO SEE IF I WAS ALRIGHT.. I HAD ALREADY CALLED AAA PLUS TO TOW MY CAR TO MR. TIRE AND THAT IS WHERE IT IS NOW. *TR

Tires › Sidewall
Filed May 4, 2000FL

TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. (PIRELLI P6-205/65/R15)YH

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Dec 17, 1996NJ

OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN THE RAIN AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING AND AT A STAND STILL. *AK

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1992
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
19925100Routine
19913110Routine
1990 — this page3100Routine

Compare every 500Sl 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.

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 28, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.