Total Complaints
18 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 300 · model year
1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 300
18 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986MERCEDES-BENZ300 carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 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 1986 300 is air bags:frontal with 6 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (2) and air bags (2). 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 1986 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.
18
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 6 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030109TIRES
WHILE DRIVING RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE NEXT DAY IT WAS NOTED THAT OTHER 3 TIRES HAD TREAD SEPARATION. INSPECTION REVEALED TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. *TT *NLM
19990820AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE VEHCLE WAS IN MOTION ,RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES.VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A COLLSION. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19990514AIR BAGS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19970102STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCK THE DOORS. *AK
19961205AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, WITHOUT ANY REASON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19961029SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT BOLTS 'FIRED', CAUSING HEARING LOSS.
19961029AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS AIR BAG, CAUSING INJURY.
19960723AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT REASON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960708CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CUSTOMER WAS DRIVING AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED, PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19960601CrashAIR BAGS
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED 11 TIMES, ONCE RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION. NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG DURING ACCIDENT. *SD
19960601ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *SD
19960601CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION/LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *SD
19960318CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN THE DRIVER PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE IT ROLLED BACKWARD VERY FAST THAT THE DRIVER WAS PUSHING HER BRAKES AND THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. *AK
19960216AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DRIVESHAFT FAILURE, CAUSING AIR BAG TO BLOW UP. *AK
19960216SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT LOCKED UP. *AK
19960216POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 35 MPH, DRIVESHAFT BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO A STOP. *AK
19950518VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE BUSHING FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL (93V-095), CAUSING INOPERABLE GAS PEDAL. *SKD
19950517VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
VEHICLES THROTTLE LINKAGE BROKE WHILE DRIVING 2 TIMES DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION. TT
Compare 1986MERCEDES-BENZ300 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 have?▼
The 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 has 18 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 300?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and AIR BAGS.
Is the 1986 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.