RoadVitals

1986 Mercedes-Benz 560

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 Dec 25, 2010
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.
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.
4
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560, most frequently naming the brakes, driver assistance and engine categories. 2 NHTSA investigations name it.

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

  • Brakes323.1%
  • Driver assistance323.1%
  • Engine215.4%
  • Exterior lighting17.7%
  • Other / unspecified17.7%
  • Suspension17.7%
  • Transmission17.7%
  • Visibility17.7%

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.

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA88034ClosedEngineering Analysis

SUDDEN ACCELERATION

Opened Jul 15, 1988
Closed Jul 31, 1990

THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY PETITIONED NHTSA TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTOSUDDEN ACCELERATION ON VARIOUS MERCEDES-BENZ MODELS.THE PETITION WASGRANTED WITH RESPECT TO THE 1986-1987 300E MODEL AND ENGINEERING ANALYSISEA88-003 WAS OPENED COVERING JUST THE 1986 AND 1987 300 E VEHICLES.SUBSEQUENTLY, CFAS REPETITIONED NHTSA TO EXPAND ITS INVESTIGATION TO COVERALL 1984 THROUGH 1987 MERCEDES GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLES.DEFECT PETITIONNUMBER DP88-013 WAS THEN ASSIGNED.ON JULY 14, 1988, THE CFAS WAS ADVISEDTHAT PETITION DP88-013 HAD BEEN GRANTED AND THAT A NEW ENGINEERING ANALYSIS(EA88-034) HAD BEEN OPENED.THE PRECEDING PETITIONS AND THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAVE BEEN MERGED INTOEA88-034.===

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
PE88032ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

ABS FAILURES

Opened Mar 10, 1988
Closed May 2, 1988

There is no summary currently available

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Recent owner complaints

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

Other / unspecifiedVisibility
Filed Dec 25, 2010

1986 MERCEDES BENZ 560SL. THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR BROKE AND FAIL TO MY FACE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM TO 560SL OWNER. THIS IS DUE TO THE WORN OUT / DEFECT OF THE PLASTIC HOLDER THAT HOLD THE VISOR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10372402
Incident
Nov 24, 2010
Brakes
Filed Apr 12, 2005
Crash reported

CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE, PLACED IT INTO DRIVE AND VEHICLE WENT FORWARD. CONSUMER COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, AND IT CRASHED INTO A POLE AND ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA ID
10117787
Incident
Jan 22, 2005
Mileage
62,400 mi
BrakesExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Dec 4, 2001

BRAKES WERE SQUEAKING AND FRONT END VIBRATED. ALL OF THE FLEX DISCS WERE CRACKED, AND BRAKES WERE WARPED. ALSO, BACK UP LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE, AND BALL JOINTS TORE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
899851
Incident
Nov 12, 2001
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jun 22, 1999
Crash reported1 injury reported

EA88034; WHILE IN REVERSE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEED. OCCUPANT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY DID NOT WORK, CAUSING A CRASH AND INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA ID
840679
Incident
Jun 21, 1999
Engine
Filed Mar 30, 1998
1 injury reported

RADIATOR FAILED CAUSING INJURIES.

NHTSA ID
533314
EngineTransmission
Filed Jun 4, 1997

CONSUMER HAS NOTICED LEAKING OIL FROM THE LEFT HEAD GASKET, CAUSING FUMES/ ODOR TO ENTER INSDIE THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER THERE IS TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. *AK

NHTSA ID
810124
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 3, 1996
Crash reported

THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE SUDDLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
982268
Incident
Mar 27, 1996
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 13, 1995
Crash reported

SUDDEN ACCELERATION INTO REVERSE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
961771
Incident
Mar 9, 1995

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz 560 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1994100—
1991300—
1990510—
1989700—
1988132166.6
1987422—
1986Viewing802—
1985102—
1984001—

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.