1985 Mercedes-Benz 380 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1985 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
- Driver assistance571.4%
- Body & structure228.6%
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS THROTTLE STICKS. ALSO, STICKS WHILE DRIVING. NO CONTACT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
CONSUMER STATES AFTER PRESSING THE ACCLERATOR, THE ENGINE RACED, THREW DRIVER FORWARD AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN REVERSE AT A HIGH SPEED. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE PARKED IN AN ADJACENT ROW. DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE BRAKE PEDAL SECONDS BEFORE THE IMPACT BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO OVERCOME THE ROARING ENGINE. MECHANIC REPLACED IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNIT AND IDLE VALVE. *TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
1985 380SL SUB FRAME DEFECT ACKNOWLEDGED BY MERCEDES BENZ WITH THEIR RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 191185120001. IS THIS REPAIR STILL A RESPONSIBILITY OF MERCEDES BENZ? *TR
THE MANUFACTURER OF THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED SUB FRAME (CAMPAIGN PROGRAM) ON THE BASIS OF AGE AND MILLAGE OF THE VEHICLE. YH
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .