MERCEDES-BENZ 450 · model year

1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1977MERCEDES-BENZ450 carries 3 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 1977 450 is electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor (1) and structure:frame and members (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 1977 450. 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

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

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1

Recent Complaints

20000725STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THIS MERCEDES MDL FROM 1972 TO 1982 (SL MODEL) ON THE ROAD. HELP SAVE SOMEONES LIFE!, MY AUTO WAS NEVER IN A CRASH OR BODY DAMAGE! NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK

19981020ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

BATTERY FAILED.

19981020ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED.

Compare 1977MERCEDES-BENZ450 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450 have?
The 1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450?
The most-complained component for the 1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450 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.