RoadVitals

1982 Mercedes-Benz 380 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.
2
Latest Sep 22, 2006
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
2
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

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1982 Mercedes-Benz 380, 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

  • Electrical150.0%
  • Suspension150.0%

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

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID 8016871 · filed Aug 21, 2002

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

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

MY MB 380 SL HAD A LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION FAILURE AS I WAS ENTERING MY GARAGE. ON THE INTERNET I FOUND "KEITH MARTINS SPORTS CAR MARKET" THAT EXPLAINED MERCEDES HAS A STANDING RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR CRACKS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNTING POINTS AND THAT ANY MB DEALER CAN TELL IF IT HAS BEEN PERFORMED AND UPDATED. MINE IS NOT ONLY CRACKED BUT BROKEN ALL THE WAY SO THAT THE WHEEL IS NOT SUPPORTED. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A DEADLY ACCIDENT HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY. BARIER MOTORS AND PHIL SMART MOTORS IN BELLEVUE AND SEATTLE REFUSE TO DO THE REPAIR FOR FREE AND SAY THERE IS NO RECALL. A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN SEATTLE SAYS THIS DESIGN ERROR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE 380 SL WAS DESIGNED. I HAVE TRIED TO GET AN ANSWER FROM THE MERCEDES COMPANY AND HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING. PLEASE HELP. *NM

NHTSA ID 10168980 · filed Sep 22, 2006

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 .