RoadVitals

1997 Mercedes-Benz 280

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest Oct 22, 1999
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 280, most frequently naming the transmission, driver assistance and seat belts categories.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Transmission233.3%
  • Driver assistance116.7%
  • Seat belts116.7%
  • Steering116.7%
  • Visibility116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Seat belts
Filed Oct 22, 1999

THE MERCEDES BENZ 280 CAN NOT HAVE A CHILD CAR SEAT TETHER INSTALLED. THE TETHERS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SOLD WITH CAR SEATS AFTER SEPT 99, BUT MERCEDED WILL NOT INSTALL THESE. IN CANADA, THE TETHER ATTACHMENTS ARE FACTORY INSTALLED OR THERE IS A RETROFIT KIT BECAUSE CARS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THESE ATTACHMENTS. TOYOTA, GM, AND OTHERS ALL INSTALL AFTER-MARKET TETHER KITS AT NO CHARGE. MERCEDES WILL NOT. PLEASE HELP. ALL CARS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THIS ATTACHMENT FACTOR-INSTALLED BY YEAR 2002. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CAR SEATS TELL YOU TO INSTALL THE ATTACHMENT AFTER MARKET.

NHTSA ID
713698
Visibility
Filed Oct 17, 1999

WINDSHIELD WIPERS CONSTANTLY BANG WHEN IN USE. MERCEDES CAN'T FIX. ON 2 OCCASIONS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FROZE AND SO DID THE FLUID. *AK

NHTSA ID
713431
Incident
Dec 1, 1997
Transmission
Filed Feb 1, 1999

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA ID
608166
Incident
Jun 4, 1998
Steering
Filed Feb 1, 1999

LINKAGE BUSHINGS FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID
607263
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Sep 3, 1997
Crash reported

WHILE IN REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF IN REVERSE ABOUT 20 MPH, CAUSING $3200 DAMAGES ON THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
815232
Incident
Aug 7, 1997

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz 280 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000600—
1999300—
1998300—
1997Viewing500—
1996130037.7
1995470040.7
1994180045.7
1988001—
1987001—
1986001—
1985001—
1984001—
1976010—
1973020—
1972010—
1971030—

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.