Total Complaints
25 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 300 · model year
25 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992MERCEDES-BENZ300 carries 25 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 2 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 1992 300 is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (2) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (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 1992 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.
Total Complaints
25 filings
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND INTO THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. AFTER EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE THE CAR NO LONGER STARTED. UPON INSPECTION ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HAD MELTED. *TR
WHILE DRIVING MY BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. I HAVE REPLACED MY BATTERY TWICE IN A 2-YEAR PERIOD. INITIALLY, MY CAR WOULDN'T START. I WAS TOLD THAT EVEN WHILE MY CAR WAS OFF, SOMETHING WAS CONSANTLY RUNNING CAUSING MY BATTERY TO FAIL. I HAD MY NEW BATTERY REPLACED AND MY INIGNITION CHECK AND THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BATTERY REPLACED. THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING AGAIN. CAR IS SLOW TO START AND BATTERY LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF AT INTERVALS.*AK
Mileage: 109,000
FAILURES OF GOODYEAR AQUATRED TIRES.*MR WHILE ON A TRIP THE TREAD OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE CAME LOOSE FROM THE STEEL CORD. THIS CAUSED A WOBBLE WHILE DRIVING. THE NEXT DAY THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEWOUT AT THE SIDEWALL. *NM
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, I SLOWED TO TURN OFF HIGHWAY. AFTER COMPLETING TURN TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OFF ROADWAY AT IDLE RPM ONLY. CAR TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP. A PLASTIC PIECE ON THE END OF THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD DISINTEGRATED CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR CABLE TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE ENGINE THROTTLE LEVER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED. THE PLASTIC PIECE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE OF METAL. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A SIX LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED?
Mileage: 130,000
FAILURE OF VEHICLE PART ON 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 300D.*MR THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL REGARDING THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARM (VISIBILITY). *TS *JB *CB
FAILURE OF VEHICLE PART ON 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 300D.*MR THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL REGARDING THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARM (VISIBILITY). *TS *JB *CB
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED. A MECHANIC AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE. AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE, STATING COULD CAUSE SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION IF BROKEN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WAS REPLACED, WHICH INCLUDED THE MOTOR.*JB PH
Mileage: 118,152
WIRING HARNESS IS EXPOSED OUTSIDE OF HOOD AREA. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER STATED THAT INSULATION IS CRACKING AND FALLING OFF ALL WIRING AROUND THE ENGINE. *YD
WHILE DRIVING WOULD HEAR METAL CLANKING NOISES. HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY MECHANIC. WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE BLOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LOSING COMPRESSION FOR DIESEL. *AK
THERE ARE MULTIPLE MODELS OF THE SAME CAR THAT HAVE THE SAME FAILURE, PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL ASAP, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCEDENT. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK
THIS IS THE SECOND 1992 300SD THAT I KNOW OF THAT HAS HAD THE SAME FAILURE, IN THE RELATED CASE MBZ REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE DUE TO FAILED HEAD GASKET AND CRANKSHAFT BEING TOO SOFT, OR NOT STRONG ENOUGH, BUT THEY REFUSE TO HELP US, HE OTHER CASE WAS AN ACQUAINTANCE FROM CONNETICUT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
FRONT PADS REPLACED EVERY 10000 MILES AND ROTORS EVERY 20000 MILES. *AK
INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP MECHANIC IS REPORTING AN OVERHEATED RESISTOR FROM THE COOLING FAN WHICH MAY CAUSE A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK
DESIGN OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ALLOWS FOR VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARD WHILE ON INCLINE.
DURING FRONTAL IMPACT AT 25-30 MPH, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVEWAY IT CAUGHT FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON PASENGER'S COMPARTMENT 8-10 HOURS AFTER IT WAS DRIVEN.CAUSE OF FIRE APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30-60 MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *AK *SLC
WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE BATTERY EXPLODED. *AK
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.