Transmission
Filed Oct 6, 2008
CAR LOOSING POWER WHEN DRIVING. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10244498
- Incident
- Sep 28, 2008
- Mileage
- 260,000 mi
1996 Mercedes-Benz 300
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.
8
Latest Oct 6, 2008
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview
Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Mercedes-Benz 300, most frequently naming the engine, exterior lighting and suspension categories.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| May 1998 | 1 | 2 |
| Sep 2003 | 1 | 3 |
| Nov 2003 | 1 | 4 |
| Apr 2004 | 1 | 5 |
| Aug 2004 | 1 | 6 |
| Jan 2008 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2008 | 1 | 8 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine212.5%
- Exterior lighting212.5%
- Suspension212.5%
- Electrical212.5%
- Transmission212.5%
- Tires & wheels16.3%
- Fuel system16.3%
- Heating & air conditioning16.3%
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
Electrical
Filed Jan 2, 2008
CAR STALLS AT 40+ MPH IN TRAFFIC APPARENTLY CHOKED FOR FUEL. AFTER 5 TO 10 MINUTES AT REST - THE CAR CAN BE STARTED ALTHOUGH THE KEY MUST BE HELD IN THE START POSITION FOR 30 TO 40 SECONDS. THIS IS A 1996 300D MERCEDES BENZ 4-DOOR SEDAN. IT WAS DIAGNOSED BY A CERTIFIED MERCEDES BENZE REPAIR CENTER, CUMMINS AUTOMOTIVE, WHICH VERIFIED THRU FAULT CODES THAT HE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS BAD. UPON INSPECTION THEY HAVE FOUND INSULATION WEAR THAT HAS CAUSED THE FAULT (WIRES TOUCHING EACH OTHER) THAT HAS CAUSED THE STALLS.*CN
- NHTSA ID
- 10213383
- Incident
- Dec 17, 2007
- Mileage
- 205,650 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system+3 more
Filed Aug 27, 2004
DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL AND ELECTRONICS ON FRONT DASH WENT BLANK, CAR DECELERATED, AND I HAD TO GET OFF THE ROAD BEFORE IT STOPPED. CAR WOULD NOT START FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES. WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND DRIVE TO SAFETY. DROVE CAR HOME AFTER A FEW DAYS - IN AREA AWAY FROM HOME AND HAD TO USE RENTAL. ON RETURN HOME WITH VEHICLE, IT AGAIN STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 40MPH ON A DRAWBRIDGE AT NIGHT! AGAIN, CAR WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY GET RESTARTED AND DRIVEN TO SAFETY. I HAVE HAD CAR AT MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND TWO OTHER CAR REPAIR CENTERS THAT WERE ENDORSED. NO ONE CAN FIX THE DEFECT. I HAVE SPENT OVER $12,000 OVER LESS THAN 2 YEARS TO NO AVAIL. WE JUST CONTINUE TO GET MILKED FOR MONEY. THE CAR DOES HAVE 156K MILEAGE ON IT, BUT IS A DIESEL AND HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR DESPITE THE MILEAGE WITH MAINTENANCE CHECKS AS WARRANTED BY THE DEALER.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10088701
- Incident
- Aug 10, 2004
- Mileage
- 159,600 mi
Suspension
Filed Apr 1, 2004
THE WELDED BRACKET RUSTED, AND IN APRIL 2003, THE LEFT HAND COIL SPRING BRACKET FAILED. ALSO, IN FEBUARY 2004, THE RIGHT HAND COIL SPRING BRACKET FAILED. *AK THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE JUMPED INTO THE AIR, MADE NOISES, AND A BLACK OBJECT HAD FLOWN OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. EVERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED. THE "EARS" OF THE BRACKET THAT WERE WELDED ALONG THE BODY CAPTURED WATER WHICH CAUSED THE BRACKET TO SHEAR OFF AND THE SPRING(S) TO FAIL. *SC *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10062908
- Incident
- Apr 18, 2003
- Mileage
- 160,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 5, 2003
PROBLEMS WITH WRONG SIZE TIRE ON VEHICLE.*MR CONSUMER RETURNED VEHICLE TO PURCHASING DEALER WHO REPLACED THE TIRES WITH THE CORRECT SIZE AT NO CHARGE. *PH
- NHTSA ID
- 10048204
Suspension
Filed Sep 29, 2003
WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE, THEN A BANG, THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING UPPER CRADLE FAILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10041827
- Mileage
- 100,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed May 15, 1998
HEADLIGHT BULBS CONTINUE TO FAIL.
- NHTSA ID
- 535585
Body & structureHeating & air conditioningDriver assistance+1 more
Filed Jun 10, 1997
RATTLE IN ONE OF THE DOORS.
- NHTSA ID
- 518437
Compare model years
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.