RoadVitals

1974 Mercedes-Benz 450SL

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.
1
Latest Oct 3, 2017
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.
1
Latest Feb 23, 1977
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.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1974 Mercedes-Benz 450SL, most frequently naming the steering category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year.

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

  • Steering1100.0%

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

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
77V027000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Feb 23, 1977
18,000 units potentially affected
The defect: ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, CORROSION COULD DEVELOP IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM SERVO UNIT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM MAY NOT RESPOND TO ATTEMPTS TO RELEASE IT BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT COULD BEGIN TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE FROM THE SET SPEED (ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH).
The remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A REPLACEMENT ACTUATOR UNIT INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, FREE OF CHARGE.
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Steering
Filed Oct 3, 2017

AS THE SECOND, AND RELATIVELY NEW, OWNER OF A LOW MILEAGE VINTAGE MERCEDES, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED IN JUNE 2017 THAT THERE IS AN OPEN SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS MODEL DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW THAT CAUSES CRACKS IN THE SUBFRAME, LEADING TO A POTENTIAL "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE" OF THE STEERING SYSTEM. I HAVE TAKEN ALL THE STEPS RECOMMENDED, INCLUDING TAKING THE CAR FOR ASSESSMENT AT A MERCEDES DEALER IN JULY OF 2017 TO BE TOLD THAT THIS SPECIFIC CAR DOES HAVE A CRACKED SUBFRAME, YET MERCEDES BENZ US IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE OPEN RECALL CAMPAIGN, SAYING THAT NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO OFFER ASSISTANCE. THIS REFUSAL HAS LEFT ME BOTH UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY, OR TO ETHICALLY SELL IT TO ANOTHER COLLECTOR DUE TO THE HIGH RISK INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FULL LOSS OF THE STEERING MECHANISM AS THE WHOLE SUBFRAME HAS BEEN KNOWN TO DROP OUT OF THESE CARS WHILE MOVING. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE RECALL WAS ISSUED IN DECEMBER OF 1985 WITH THE RECALL NUMBER OF 1985120001- 851211. ANY ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED SINCE THE MANUFACTURE IS REFUSING TO SUPPLY A NEW SUBFRAME (AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING AT AN EARLIER DATE FOR THE SAME MODEL), COVER THE COSTS OF A USED SUBFRAME, OR SUGGEST AN OTHER OPTIONS FOR REPAIR.

NHTSA ID
11031449
Incident
Jul 7, 2017
Mileage
19,305 mi

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz 450SL by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1976020—
1975010—
1974Viewing110—
1973010—

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.