1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 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 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560, 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 assistance337.5%
- Engine225.0%
- Airbags112.5%
- Brakes112.5%
- Electrical112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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
WHILE BACKING OUT OF GARGE IN REVERSE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ACCELERATED OUT INTO STREET. DRIVER HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. VEHICLE WAS IN DEALER SHOP ON ONE OCCASION, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
THROTTLE IS DEFECTIVE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE, CONSUMER STATED THAT THAT THREE COLLISIONS HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE SOURCE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VALVE COVER GASKET LEAKS, CAUSING OIL FUMES TO ENTER INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *DSH
HEAD GASKET LEAKING OIL, DUE TO HIGH OIL PRESSURE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
WARNING LIGHT ON DASH (SRS) WOULD LIGHT UP AND STAYED LID A FEW MINUTES. CURRENTLY ON PERMANENTLY. DEALER SOLD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT INSISTS CONSUMER USE OLD PARTS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL, BRAKE DID NOT RESPOND, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
MANY OF THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ARE ABOUT EARLY 1990 W124, W126,W140,W201 AND W202 MODELS. MY COMPLAINT WAS REGARDING AN ELECTRICAL MELTDOWN THAT OCCURRED ON THE 1989 560 SEL W126 LAST FRIDAY. I RECENTLY BOUGHT A SECOND CAR AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE HAD A LUMP OR A SURGE AT IDLE AND AT OPERATING SPEED. I THOUGHT SINCE THE CAR SAT FOR A WHILE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT THE PROBLEM WAS FUEL RELATED. I TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR SHOP FOR A NEW FUEL FILTER. TWO DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE CAR WAS RETURNED AND IT WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL I STARTED GETTING THE LUMPY IDLE AND SURGE AT SPEED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE DRIVEN. I DID JUST THAT, AND TOOK THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM. I NOTICED THAT WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR SEEMED TO BLACK OUT TEMPORARILY, CUTTING IGNITION AND FUEL, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE AND CONTINUED DRIVING. WHEN MAKING A TURN LATER INTO THE GAS STATION THE CAR BLACKED OUT COMPLETELY AND SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE WIRING WAS ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY PUT OUT THE BLAZE AND HAD THE CAR TAKEN BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP. AS OF NOW MY MECHANIC WAS GETTING A WIRING DIAGRAM OF THE CAR, AND WILL BE INVESTIGATING WHAT HAPPENED SO I COULD REPORT THIS TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE CAUSE E WAS, BUT WE WERE LEANING TOWARD A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS. ALTHOUGH IT HAD OVER 150,000 MILES, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. ONE WOULD AN ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, BUT NOT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IF I WERE ON THE INTERSTATE, WHERE I WAS DRIVING PRIOR TO THE FIRE, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND I COULD HAVE LOST THE CAR ALTOGETHER. I AM NOT SURE IF STATE FARM WILL COVER THIS, BUT I PLAN TO USE THIS DATA WHEN TALKING TO THE CLAIM REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD I NEED TO FILE A CLAIM, WHICH I WILL KNOW AFTER SEEING AN ESTIMATE OF THE REPAIRS. *AK
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 .