MERCEDES-BENZ 400 · model year

2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 400

3 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001MERCEDES-BENZ400 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 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 2001 400 is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 2001 400. 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.

3
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1

Recent Complaints

20011025CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE ENGAGING TO A COMPLETE STOP, BRAKE ENGAGED- AT THE RATE OF 5 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD BECOMING AIRBORNE THROUGH A STORE WINDOW, LANDING HALFWAY INTO THE STORE AND THE REAR OF THE CAR HANGING IN THE AIR OUTSIDE OF THE STORE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FOREWARNING, SUCH AS A JOLT OR A FEELING OF ACCELERATIONS TO THE OCCUPANTS.*AK

20011025CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE ENGAGING TO A COMPLETE STOP, BRAKE ENGAGED- AT THE RATE OF 5 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD BECOMING AIRBORNE THROUGH A STORE WINDOW, LANDING HALFWAY INTO THE STORE AND THE REAR OF THE CAR HANGING IN THE AIR OUTSIDE OF THE STORE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FOREWARNING, SUCH AS A JOLT OR A FEELING OF ACCELERATIONS TO THE OCCUPANTS.*AK

20010214ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WANT CAR REPLACED. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

Compare 2001MERCEDES-BENZ400 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 400 have?
The 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 400 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 400?
The most-complained component for the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 400 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ 400 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.