Total Complaints
9 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 500 · model year
1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500
9 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997MERCEDES-BENZ500 carries 9 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, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 500 is equipment:appliance:air conditioner with 2 filings, followed by steering:hydraulic power assist:power steering fluid (1) and visibility:power window devices and controls (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1997 500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
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 |
|---|---|
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000706AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG EXPLODED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER. YH
20000322EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
A/C VENT IN REAR LEAKS. YH
20000203TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. SPARE TIRE IN THE TRUNK APPEARED BENT AS IF VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
19991004AIR BAGS
PASSENGER AIRBAG SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. NO ACCIDENT OR OTHER EVENT CAUSED DEPLOYMENT; ENGINE WAS OFF, VEHICLE NOT MOVING, VEHICLE NOT STRUCK.
19990823UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CLOCK FAILED. *YC
19990609ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
REPEATED TIME ENGINE WON'T START NO POWER FOURTH TIME @ DEALERSHIP SAME PROBLEM. *AK
19990512EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR FAILED. *YC
19970717STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID
THE STEERING FLUID DRAINED COMPLETELY OUT.
19970717VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW FAILED TWICE.
Compare 1997MERCEDES-BENZ500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 have?▼
The 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 is EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:POWER STEERING FLUID and VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS.
Is the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ 500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.