MERCEDES-BENZ 300 · model year

1983 MERCEDES-BENZ 300

10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983MERCEDES-BENZ300 carries 10 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, 0 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 1983 300 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (1) and vehicle speed control (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 1983 300. 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
POWER TRAIN1
TIRES1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
SUSPENSION1
STEERING1

Recent Complaints

20140419SUSPENSION

BROKEN SWAY BAR IN FRONT OF CAR. *TR

20140419STEERING

BROKEN SWAY BAR IN FRONT OF CAR. *TR

20020312ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

TONY STATED HE HAD REPLACED PARTS BUT PRIOR TO BRINGING THE CAR TO HIM I HAD A DEPUTY SHERIFF MARK MY ENGINE PARTS! AFTER GETTING CAR BACK ALL PARTS HAD MARKS ON THEM! HAD TO BE FIXED AGAIN NOW TONY WANTS 2000.00 MORE BUT I ALREADY PAID $2500.00 THE FIRST TIME! *AK

20010626ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

UNABLE TO TUNE ENGINE PROPERLY - TIMING CHAIN STRETCHED AND COULD BREAK.*AK

20000925TIRES:TREAD/BELT

P195/70R14 SIZE DOT#: W2RW4FR234. TREAD ON THE REAR LEFT TIRE HAS WORN OUT. *AK THE VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED VIBRATION AND THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS FOUND WORN OUT ON INSIDE WITH A METAL BELT COMING OUT AT A BULGE. RECENTLY THE RIGHT REAR TIRE FAILED AND THE CUSTOMER HAS REPLACED TWO OF THEM. *YH

20000905TIRES

WITH ONLY 20,000MI ON TIRE, THE ENTIRE TREAD PEELED OFF NEARLY CAUSING A FLIP OVER( DOT NUMBER: Y7T9 TIRE SIZE: 16R )

19990106EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

CLIMATE CONTROL BLOWER FAILED.

19990106ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TIMING CHAIN FAILED RESULTING IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE.

19990106VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED.

19990106POWER TRAIN

SPEEDOMETER/TACHOMETER FAILED.

Compare 1983MERCEDES-BENZ300 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 have?
The 1983 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 MERCEDES-BENZ 300?
The most-complained component for the 1983 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1983 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 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.