Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz 208, most frequently naming the brakes and engine categories. 18 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
AFTER JUST GETTING MY CAR FROM DEALERSHIP 6 DAYS PRIOR, MY WIFE AND I WERE COMING DOWN A HILL WHEN MY BRAKING SYSTEM STARTED TO MALFUNCTION AND AS WE CAME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND COSTED TO A STOP THE BRAKING SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN.
AT 2 AM WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 OUTSIDE OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FL. THE DRIVE SHAFT FLY WHEEL BROKE FROM THE ENGINE DAMAGING AND MAKING INOPERATIVE ACCESSORIES SUCH AS POWER STEERING AND WATER PUMP COOLING ACTION. FORTUNATELY, THE CRANK SHAFT APPARENTLY WAS NOT DAMAGED NOR DID THE ENGINE SEIZE AS GENERALLY HAPPENS WITH THIS FREQUENT OCCURRENCE ON THE MERCEDES BENZ INSTALLED ENGINES OF THE DODGE SPRINTER. FOUR SPRINTER CERTIFIED MECHANICS AND TWO SERVICE MANAGERS SUBSEQUENTLY ATTESTED TO THE REGULAR OCCURRENCE OF THIS POORLY ENGINEERED DESIGN WHICH IS BOTH LIFE THREATENING AND EXTREMELY COSTLY TO RECTIFY. *JB
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
XENTRY : FAULT MESSAGE CODE SHOWING IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER "VEHICLE SYMBOL". *LJ
ENGINE
XENTRY( MERCEDES): COMPLAINT REGARDING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR DTC P04F000, PURGE LINE DAMAGED DURING ENGINE ASSEMBLY. *LJ
SEAT BELTS
XENTRY(MERCEDES) : COMPLAINT OF SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE AND CAUSING NOISES, WHICH IS DUE TO UNDERVOLTAGE AT ENGINE START. *LJ
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
XENTRY(MERCEDES): POWER STEERING MESSAGE DISPLAYED" AFTER ENGINE STARTUP. WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY : POWER STEERING/CONTROL FAULT OF ELECTRIC STEERING. *LJ UPDATED 05/04/15. *LJ
POWER TRAIN
XENTRY: MERCEDES BENZ: POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION MESSAGE SHOW IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. CONSUMERS MAY EXPERIENCE THE ES CONTROL UNIT IMPLAUSIBLE DATA. *LJ UPDATED 05/04/15 *LJ UPDATE 06/04/15 *TA UPDATED 08/05/2015*LJ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
XENTRY(MERCEDES): COMPLAINT FAULT ENTRY IN AIRMATIC OR ABC CONTROL UNIT. *LJ UPDATED 05/06/14. *LJ
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.