MERCEDES-BENZ · vehicle model
MERCEDES-BENZ 280
124 NHTSA complaints and 0 safety recalls across model years 1994–2000.
- Complaints
- 124
- Recalls
- 0
- Model years
- 7
The MERCEDES-BENZ280 appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 124 consumer safety complaints and 0 recall campaigns across 7 model years (1994–2000). That averages roughly 18 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.
Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.
NHTSA has 15 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.
Complaints by Year
Complaint Filing Trend
NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).
Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).
Compare MERCEDES-BENZ280 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Malfunction Indicator Light / No-Start
C300 Wrist-pin allegation
Vehicle Rolls Away While in Park
Front Roof Panel Detachment
Rear brake line failure
Recall Administration Concerns
Low Pressure Fuel Supply Hose Leak
Engine Compartment Fire
Driver Air Bag Circuit High Resistance
POWER STEERING HOSE LEAK
Frequently Asked Questions
How reliable is the MERCEDES-BENZ 280?▼
What years of MERCEDES-BENZ 280 are available?▼
Does the MERCEDES-BENZ 280 have safety ratings?▼
What are the most common MERCEDES-BENZ 280 complaints?▼
How do I check if my MERCEDES-BENZ 280 has been recalled?▼
Data sources
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. MERCEDES-BENZ 280 totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; 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.