Total Complaints
4 filings
Mercedes-Benz 190e · model year
1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 4
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 40th pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1985Mercedes-Benz190e carries 4 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, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1985 190e is unknown or other with 2 filings, followed by structure:body:door (1) and visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1985 190e. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20041103VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THE HEATER CORE BLEW OUT, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK ONTO CONSUMER'S LEG AND FOOTTHAT CAUSED BURNING INJURIES TO THE CONSUMER. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 148,000
20001023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE HEATER CORE IN THE VEHICLE RUPTURED, CAUSING BOILING HOT COOLANT TO POUR ONTO THE DRIVER'S FEET. THE BOILING COLLANT CAUSED SEVERE BURNS TO THE DRIVER'S FOOT, ANKLE AND LEG. THE ESCAPING COOLANT ALSO CAUSED THE CAR TO FULL UP WITH STEAM AND ELLIMINATED VISIBILITY.
20000911STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
PART OF THE DOOR PANEL CAME OFF SEVERAL TIMES. NLM
20000911UNKNOWN OR OTHER
DASHBOARD FAILED. NLM
Compare 1985Mercedes-Benz190e to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e have?▼
The 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e?▼
The most-complained component for the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR and VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE.
Is the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e 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.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.