MERCEDES-BENZ 300 · model year

1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 300

6 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

The 1985MERCEDES-BENZ300 carries 6 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1985 300 is tires with 3 filings, followed by structure:frame and members (1) and power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch (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 300. 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.

6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 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
TIRES3
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1

Recent Complaints

20091214TIRES

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1985 MERCEDES BENZ 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWO REAR TIRES AND ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE FAILED. ONE TIRE BLEW OUT AND THE OTHER TWO EXPERIENCED TREAD FAILURE. THEY ARE REPLACEMENT TIRES AND THE TIRE SIZE IS 195/70R14. THE TIRE COMPANY IS TBC CORPORATION AND THE BRAND NAME IS CENTERED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT HAS OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 18 MONTHS. THE TIRE MILEAGE AND THE VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,000. *TR

Mileage: 140,000

20010717TIRES:TREAD/BELT

THE LEFT FRONT PIRELLI P400 TOURING TIRE HAD FAILED INTERNALLY, THE STEEL BELT HAD SEPARATED, A SECTION OF THE TREAD WAS GONE, AND THE BELT WAS SHOWING THROUGH, TIRE MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 27628, CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE PIRELLIS FELT MUSHY. *YH

20000613POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, UNLOCKED THE DOOR AND NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS WHILE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS IN PARK.*AK

19990328STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

RUST THROUGH OF STRUCTURAL MEMBER- DESCRIBED AS COMMON FAULT ON LEFT SIDE ONLY DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK

19960307TIRES

MICHELIN TIRE BLEWOUT. *SD

19960307TIRES

MICHELIN TIRE BLEWOUT. *SD

Compare 1985MERCEDES-BENZ300 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 have?
The 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 300?
The most-complained component for the 1985 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 is TIRES with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH.
Is the 1985 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 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 300; 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.