MERCEDES-BENZ 190 · model year

1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 190

10 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990MERCEDES-BENZ190 carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 0 fires, 4 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 1990 190 is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (2) and air bags (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 1990 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.

10
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
AIR BAGS1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY1
POWER TRAIN1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE1

Recent Complaints

19990331POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

AT LIGHT & STARTED FORWARD. HEARD WHINNING NOISE & VEHICLE NOT ACCELERATING. SPEED ABOUT 30MPH. HAD COASTED VEHICLE HOME. TOWED TO DEALER & INFORMED BY MECHANIC THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY (NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR). TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACING. *AK

19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE OVERHEATS. *SD

19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES FAILED. *SD

19960425POWER TRAIN

ODOMETER INOPERATIVE/FRAUD. *SD

19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

COMPUTER INOPERATIVE. *SD

19950323CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIRBAG DURING ABOVE ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN INJURY. "DUP 950515: 958735".

19950323CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

FRONT BRAKES FAILED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SKD

19950117CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

THE BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL/ACCIDENT.

19950117CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION FAILED. TT

19950117CrashAIR BAGS

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN AN INJURY. "DUP: SEE 480212". *AK

Compare 1990MERCEDES-BENZ190 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 have?
The 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 190?
The most-complained component for the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 190 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and AIR BAGS.
Is the 1990 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.