Total Complaints
5 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 300 · model year
1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 300
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990MERCEDES-BENZ300 carries 5 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 1990 300 is air bags:frontal with 1 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 1990 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20021211ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
300 SE, VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTANTLY. DEALER UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. MR
20020429ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
I DROP MY CAR TO THE SERVICE STATION FOR SMOG CHECK, NEXT DAY I CALLED MECHANIC,TO SEE IF MY CAR IS DONE. HE SAID NO IT STILL HAVE A HIGH READING ON HYDRO EMISSION. HE SAID HE WILL TRY TO INJECT WATER AND OR SOME KIND OF CHEMICAL INTO THE ENGINE TO REJUVENATE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. NEXT DAY HE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT MY CAR NEEDS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. HE SAID I CAN HAVE ONE PUT IN FOR $480.00. I SAID IT'S TOO HIGH. I TOLD HIM I WIL HAVE MY OTHER MECHANIC FROM CALIFORNIA MUFFLER INSTALL ONE ON IT. WHEN I WENT TO PICK MY CAR IN HIS SHOP I NOTICED THE VERY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I ASKED HIM WHAT IS THAT NOISE, HE SAID IT'S SOME KIND OF CARBON DESPOSITE LOGDE IN THE PISTON. IT SHOULD GO AWAY. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE CALIFORINA MUFFLER SHOP AND HAD A CATALYTIC CONVERTER INSTALLED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR RE-TEST AT TEXACO STATION, AND AGAIN IT FAILED. I INSISTED THAT HE SCREWED NU MY ENGINE AND SAID NO. HE ASKED ALL HIS MECHANIC FRIENDS THAT NOISE WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY.
19991230ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE DUE TO THE REAR MOTOR MOUNTS DROPPING. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
19980610VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
A/C HEATER CORE LEAKED ALLOWING THE TOXIC ANTI-FREEZE TO SPRAY INTO THE VEHICLE ONTO CONSUMER.
19950523AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG HAS MELTED. TT
Compare 1990MERCEDES-BENZ300 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 have?▼
The 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 300?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1990 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.