RoadVitals

1999 Mercedes-Benz 500 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
7
Latest Apr 25, 2006
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
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jul 6, 1999

What this page shows

Our database holds 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Mercedes-Benz 500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–7 of 7

Visibility
Filed Apr 25, 2006

PLASTIC REAR VIEW WINDOW OF CONVERTIBLE TOP IS DISTORTED, HAZY AND IMPAIRS VISION. DEALER STATED THE MFG'S REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED 5 YEARS WARRANTY. DEALER SOLD ME A "DO IT YOURSELF" KIT TO RESTORE BUT DOES NOT WORK. FAULTY DESIGN. *JB

NHTSA ID
10156079
Incident
Nov 23, 2005
Mileage
10,894 mi
Seat belts
Filed Feb 19, 2004

THE DRIVER'S SIDE BELT RETRACTOR WAS NOT WORKING. THE PART WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE OF $425.00. THE DEALER INDICATED, THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK *SC

NHTSA ID
10051812
Incident
Dec 19, 2003
Mileage
62,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Aug 7, 2003

THE ELECTRICAL SEAT CONTROLLER LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT, SHORTED OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. NO FUSE WAS BLOWN. THIS WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION DUE TO THE FACT THE UNIT WAS NOT SEALED FROM MOISTURE.*AK TOXIC FUMES AND SMOKE WERE INSTANTANEOUS. WHEN IT SHORTED OUT, TURNING THE KEY DIDN'T STOP ELECTRICITY FLOW. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. *PH *JB

NHTSA ID
10024649
Incident
Jun 12, 2003
Mileage
35,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jan 15, 2003

SEAT BELT PROBLEM WITH 1999 MERCEDES S500. SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ TECHNICAL SUPPORT (TWICE) TO ASK IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEAT BELTS. THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SEAT BELT FAILURE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN MERCEDES BENZ ONLY, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY REPLACE MANY SEAT BELTS. LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO DINNER WITH FRIENDS WHO WERE DRIVING A 1994 SE MERCEDES - WHEN WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS NOT RETRACTING AND WAS HANGLNG LOOSELY IN THE SEAT (THE SAME WAY MINE WAS BEFORE I HAD IT REPLACED LAST WEEK). IT COST ME $375 TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT REPLACED - IF IT HAD BEEN SOME OTHER FAILURE ON THE CAR, I WOULD NOT FEEL SO BADLY. BUT I FEEL THAT A SEAT BELT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 3 TO 4 YEARS!! WE HAVE A 1981 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE THAT WE BOUGHT NEW - THE SEAT BELT IS STILL WORKING JUST FINE. IN FACT, I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND NEVER HAD A SEAT BELT FAILURE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ID
10002755
Incident
Jan 1, 2003
Mileage
71,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 16, 2000

PLASTIC REARVIEW WINDOW HAS A DISTORTION IN IT WHICH CAUSES POOR DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. WINDOW WAS LOOKED AT BY A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH ALL MERCEDES BENZ CONVERTIBLES. REAR WINDOW HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED. *AK

NHTSA ID
867911
Body & structureHeating & air conditioning
Filed Aug 31, 1999

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND IS STILL EXPERIENCING FAILURES. MJS

NHTSA ID
548280
Incident
Aug 20, 1999
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Jul 6, 1999

A HOSE IS MISSING FROM AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAUSING SYSTEM TO BLOW WARM AIR, IT NEVER GETS COLD. *YC

NHTSA ID
546554
Incident
Mar 22, 1999

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .