RoadVitals

1990 Mercedes-Benz 300 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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 Dec 11, 2002
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
3
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.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine360.0%
  • Airbags120.0%
  • Visibility120.0%

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

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

300 SE, VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTANTLY. DEALER UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. MR

NHTSA ID 8024188 · filed Dec 11, 2002

I DROP MY CAR TO THE SERVICE STATION FOR SMOG CHECK, NEXT DAY I CALLED MECHANIC,TO SEE IF MY CAR IS DONE. HE SAID NO IT STILL HAVE A HIGH READING ON HYDRO EMISSION. HE SAID HE WILL TRY TO INJECT WATER AND OR SOME KIND OF CHEMICAL INTO THE ENGINE TO REJUVENATE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. NEXT DAY HE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HE SAID I CAN HAVE ONE PUT IN FOR $480.00. I SAID IT'S TOO HIGH. I TOLD HIM I WIL HAVE MY OTHER MECHANIC FROM CALIFORNIA MUFFLER INSTALL ONE ON IT. WHEN I WENT TO PICK MY CAR IN HIS SHOP I NOTICED THE VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I ASKED HIM WHAT IS THAT NOISE, HE SAID IT'S SOME KIND OF CARBON DESPOSITE LOGDE IN THE PISTON. IT SHOULD GO AWAY. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE CALIFORINA MUFFLER SHOP AND HAD A CATALYTIC CONVERTER INSTALLED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR RE-TEST AT TEXACO STATION, AND AGAIN IT FAILED. I INSISTED THAT HE SCREWED NU MY ENGINE AND SAID NO. HE ASKED ALL HIS MECHANIC FRIENDS THAT NOISE WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY. UPSET ABOUT THE SITUATION I TOLD THE MECHANIC. YOU OWE ME AN ENGINE, HE SAID HE CAN NOT HELP ME BECAUSE HE IS A COMMISION MECHANIC, I HAVE TO BRING MY COMPLAIN TO THE OWNER OF THE STATION. SO I CONFRONTED THE OWNER, HE TOLD MY YOU GOT PROBLEM, HAVE YOUR LAWYER TALK TO MY LAWYER. MEANTIME I HAD MY MERCEDES MECHANIC LOOK INTO HTE NOISE PROBLEM. HE WENT AND DROP THE OIL PAN AND FOUND ALL KINDS OF METAL FILINGS IN IT. HE ALSO TOLD ME #4 PISTON IS THE ONE MAKING THE NOISE. I HAD THEM DROP THE WHOLE ENGINE AND OPENED IT UP. SURE ENOUGH THE #4 PISTON PUSH ROD WAS BENT. PISTON SKIRT WAS HITTING THE CAM SHAFT MAKING THE LOUND NOISE, THAT BY NOW YOU CAN BARELY HEAR IT ANY EXCEPT IF YOU DRIVE THE CAR AND GO INTO TUNNEL OR NEXT TO CONCRETE WALL THAT YOU HEAR THE NOISE. NO WONDER IT WON'T PASS SMOG RE-TEST WHEN BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO HIS SHOP.MY CAR IS STILL AT THE MERCEDES BENZ MECH. IN TORRANCE AUTO HOUSE IN TORRANCE, CA. WAITING FOR AN ENGINE. IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE LAST DECEMBER LAST YEAR. *

NHTSA ID 761289 · filed Apr 28, 2002

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG HAS MELTED. TT

NHTSA ID 965673 · filed May 23, 1995

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

A/C HEATER CORE LEAKED ALLOWING THE TOXIC ANTI-FREEZE TO SPRAY INTO THE VEHICLE ONTO CONSUMER.

NHTSA ID 521722 · filed Sep 4, 1997

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .