Total Complaints
11 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 190 · model year
1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 190
11 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1985MERCEDES-BENZ190 carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1985 190 is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core (2) and vehicle speed control:cables (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1985 190. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110517ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ON 05-03-2011 WHILE DRIVEING MY MERCEDES BENZ190 SERIES /1985- THE HEATING COIL BURST POURING &SPRAYING HOT RADIATOR COOLANT FROM UNDER THE DASH/OVER THE FIRE WALL ONTO MY LEGS AND FEET. BURNING AND BLISTERING 2ND DEGREE BURNS OVER MY LEGS AND FEET. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM ,THIS JUST HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE. THE CAR HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEM WITH OVER HEATING OR GAUGES. FIRST TIME. I HEARD A HISSIING LIKE SOUND 3 OR 4 SECOUNDS BEFORE MY LEGGS STARTED BURNING. THANKFULLY MY KIDS AND GRANDCHILD WHERE NOT INJURED OR ANY OTHER DRIVER ON THE ROAD -THIS HAS BEEN A HORRIBLE EXPERIANCE AND NOT ABLE TO WORK-MEDICAL BILLS-NO CAR-AND THE PAIN-HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. WHAT I'VE LEARNED SINCE THIS IS ,APARENTLY THIS YEAR CAR AND MAKE 1985 THE HEATING COIL SITS UP AGAINST THE DASH WALL-SO ANYONE ELSE BETTER BE PAPAIRED FOR THE WORST ,I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANY ONE ELSE-ITS HORRABLE *WAITING ON RESPONSE FROM MERCEDES BENZ TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX PRO
Mileage: 105,496
20040716VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING HEATER CORE BLEW, CAUSING HOT COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S LEGS, CAUSING THIRD DEGREE BURNS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 180,000
20020619VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE VEHICLE SURGED INTO A BRICK WALL. WHILE IN PARK, CONSUMER WENT TO PUT THE VEHILCE INTO TEH DRIVE GEAR FROM PARK. WIHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THIS TYPE OF SURGING ACTION WOULD HAPPEN WHILE IN MOTION ALSO. CONSUMER FEELS SOME RETRIBUTION IS OWED. *JG
20001004VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN HOT ANTI-FREEZE & WATER LEAKED ONTO GAS PEDAL AND DRIVER'S FOOT, BURNING IT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT HEATER CORE CRACKED & WAS LEAKING. WAS INFORMED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT OF FOOT.*AK
19990416AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND WITHOUT A COLLISION OCCURRING, AIR BAG SENSOR WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE VEHICLE EXPLODED, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19990204SUSPENSION:FRONT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
19980329POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
19980329ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILURE.
19961015STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE REAR SUBFRAME IS CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE. WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, A METAL TO METAL SOUND IS EXPERIENCED. *AK
19951102VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN CAR IS ON CRUISE CONTROL THE CAR ACCELERATES SOMETIMES . TT
19951002VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
PLASTIC CLIP ON ACCELERATOR CABLE WEARS OUT PREMATURELY, FALLS OUT ONTO GROUND; HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IDLING SPEED. TT DEALER REPLACED ENTIRE ACCELERATOR CABLE THE FIRST TIME THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, THE SEOND TIME, JUST THE CLIP WAS REPLACED. *SLC
Compare 1985MERCEDES-BENZ190 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 have?▼
The 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 190?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES.
Is the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.