Total Complaints
12 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 190 · model year
1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 190
12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986MERCEDES-BENZ190 carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 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 1986 190 is air bags:frontal with 3 filings, followed by parking brake:conventional (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (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 1986 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.
12
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 3 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110104AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WAS IN A SHOPPING CENTER AND WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON AT ALL. SOMEONE HAD JUST GONE OVER THE BUMP BEFORE ME.HAND WAS HURT IN THE PROCESS AND HAD TO GET SURGERY ON THE HAND. CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. *TR
20020912SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
LEFT BALL JOINT SPLIT AS CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS LEAVING DRIVEWAY. ALSO, CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED. *TT
20020912SUSPENSION:REAR
LEFT BALL JOINT SPLIT AS CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS LEAVING DRIVEWAY. ALSO, CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED. *TT
20020912SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
LEFT BALL JOINT SPLIT AS CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS LEAVING DRIVEWAY. ALSO, CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED. *TT
20020912STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
DEALER FOUND THAT THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER IS ROTTED. *TT
20020912SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
DEALER FOUND THAT THE FRONT BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TT
20001023VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
THE HEATER CORE IN THE VEHICLE RUPTURED, CAUSING BOILING HOT COOLANT TO POUR ONTO THE DRIVER'S FEET. THE BOILING COOLANT CAUSED SEVERE BURNS TO THE DRIVER'S FOOT, ANKLE AND LEG. THE ESCAPING COOLANT ALSO CAUSED THE CAR TO FILL UP WITH STEAM AND ELLIMINATED VISIBILITY.
19990927CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION WITH THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, RESULTING IN VEHICLE ROLLING INTO A WALL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
19970912ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING AT HWY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK
19970505AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
19950301CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CUSTOMER HAD OPTIONAL AIR BAG INSTALLED BY MFG, AND IN A HEAD ON COLLISION AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
19950206PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
PULLED UP HAND BRAKE; LET HANDLE GO; DROPS OUT OF EMERGENCY BRAKE SET ON IT OWN. TT
Compare 1986MERCEDES-BENZ190 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 have?▼
The 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 has 12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 190?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1986 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.