Airbags
Filed Apr 4, 2000
1 injury reported
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG EXPLODED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER. YH
- NHTSA ID
- 551702
1997 Mercedes-Benz 500
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 Apr 4, 2000
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.
0
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
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 500, most frequently naming the airbags, heating & air conditioning and engine categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
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 |
| Feb 1999 | 3 | 4 |
| Jun 1999 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 1999 | 1 | 6 |
| Feb 2000 | 1 | 7 |
| Apr 2000 | 1 | 8 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags225.0%
- Heating & air conditioning225.0%
- Engine112.5%
- Steering112.5%
- Tires & wheels112.5%
- Visibility112.5%
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
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 3, 2000
VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. SPARE TIRE IN THE TRUNK APPEARED BENT AS IF VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 856116
Airbags
Filed Oct 4, 1999
PASSENGER AIRBAG SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. NO ACCIDENT OR OTHER EVENT CAUSED DEPLOYMENT; ENGINE WAS OFF, VEHICLE NOT MOVING, VEHICLE NOT STRUCK.
- NHTSA ID
- 712780
- Incident
- Jun 23, 1999
Engine
Filed Jun 9, 1999
REPEATED TIME ENGINE WON'T START NO POWER FOURTH TIME @ DEALERSHIP SAME PROBLEM. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 707358
- Incident
- May 2, 1999
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Feb 1, 1999
A/C VENT IN REAR LEAKS. YH
- NHTSA ID
- 608999
- Incident
- Oct 1, 1996
Filed Feb 1, 1999
CLOCK FAILED. *YC
- NHTSA ID
- 608988
- Incident
- Oct 1, 1996
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Feb 1, 1999
AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR FAILED. *YC
- NHTSA ID
- 607490
- Incident
- Jul 3, 1998
SteeringVisibility
Filed Jun 23, 1997
THE STEERING FLUID DRAINED COMPLETELY OUT.
- NHTSA ID
- 519054
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
27/962B
WHEELS
REAR WHEEL RIMS WIDER THAN FRONT RIMS - DIFFICULTY IN ROTATING TIRES. *TW
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
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.