Total Complaints
27 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 320 · model year
1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 320
27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997MERCEDES-BENZ320 carries 27 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, 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 1997 320 is exterior lighting:headlights with 3 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (3) and suspension (3). 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 1997 320. 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.
27
Complaints
3
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 3 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 3 |
| SUSPENSION | 3 |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| VISIBILITY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120403SUSPENSION
4/3/2012 FOR 2 DAYS RATTLE FROM LEFT FRONT END. HAD IT CHECKED AT INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER. SAID STRUT BUSHING DRY. LUBED IT. A FEW HOURS LATER NOSE INTENSIFIED AND SPRING AND OTHER PIECES FELL ONTO ROAD AS I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO CONDO DRIVEWAY. HAVING IT TOWED TO DEALER. HAD I BEEN AT SPEED AND/OR IN TRAFFIC THINGS COULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY BAD. ALL 97 E320'S SHOULD HAVE THIS AREA INSPECTED. *TR
20070109STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MERCEDES 320. THE CONTACT'S SPRING PERCH THAT HOLDS THE SPRING IN FOR THE FRONT SUSPENSION WELL TIP BROKE AND CAME APART FROM THE FRAME. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MILES PER HOUR. PER THE CONTACT, IT SEEMD TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM BY MERCEDES AND A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED OF THE RISK AND DANGER INVOLVED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MERCEDES WILL REPAIR SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL MERCEDES. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THEREWAS NO RECALL. THE CONTACTWAS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW OF THE WELD STRUCTURAL PART OF THE FRAME WHICH CAME APART.
Mileage: 190,000
20041101SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS WERE CORRODED. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FRONT END WILL COLLAPSE WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
20030411ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
"BLACK ELECTRICAL JUNCTION/HARNESS BOX" WAS FOUND WITH A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL OF ELECTRICITY BURNING THROUGH PART OF THE BOX.*AK. ALSO THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK.*JB *TS
20030411ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
"BLACK ELECTRICAL JUNCTION/HARNESS BOX" WAS FOUND WITH A STRONG ELECTRICAL SMELL OF ELECTRICITY BURNING THROUGH PART OF THE BOX.*AK. ALSO THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK.*JB *TS
20010406CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH FRONTAL DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AND SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
20010406CrashAIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH FRONTAL DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AND SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
20010312SUSPENSION
SINCE PURCHASE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PULLING TO RIGHT. TOOK TO DEALER 4- 5 TIMES, DID WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND CHANGED TIRES. VEHICLE WILL NOT RETAIN A WHEEL ALIGNMENT, CONSTANTLY PULLS TO RIGHT. *AK
20000120SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
20000120EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
20000120ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20000120EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
20000120POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MBZ REPLACED TRANSMISSION & ELECTRONIC SENDING UNIT AT WHICH POINT I BECAME AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAD HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PROBLEMS AND IT JUST SEEMED TO BE ESCALATING. I TURNED THE CAR IN FOR VOLUNTARY REPOSSESSION AND PAID A $15,000 PENALTY.
20000120ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
MBZ REPLACED TRANSMISSION & ELECTRONIC SENDING UNIT AT WHICH POINT I BECAME AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAD HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PROBLEMS AND IT JUST SEEMED TO BE ESCALATING. I TURNED THE CAR IN FOR VOLUNTARY REPOSSESSION AND PAID A $15,000 PENALTY.
19991110AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE AIR BAG ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DEPLOYED.VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING AT THE TIME. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19991110AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE AIR BAG ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DEPLOYED.VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING AT THE TIME. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19990927SUSPENSION
WHEN DRIVING AT 40 THE VEHICLE IS SHAKING AND THE RUBBER IS PULLING AWAY FROM THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. *AK
19990823EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR FAILED. *YC
19990507VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
POOR PERFORMANCE OF WINDSHILED CAUSES LACK OF VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHILED WHEN IT RAINS.
19990312STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
HATCH DOOR RELEASE FAILED.
Compare 1997MERCEDES-BENZ320 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 have?▼
The 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 has 27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 320?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and SUSPENSION.
Is the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 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.