Total Complaints
9 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 500 · model year
1999 MERCEDES-BENZ 500
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999MERCEDES-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, 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 1999 500 is equipment:appliance:air conditioner with 2 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (2) and structure:body:roof and pillars (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 1999 500. 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.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST | 1 |
| VISIBILITY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20060425VISIBILITY
PLASTIC REAR VIEW WINDOW OF CONVERTIBLE TOP IS DISTORTED, HAZY AND IMPAIRS VISION. DEALER STATED THE MFG'S REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED 5 YEARS WARRANTY. DEALER SOLD ME A "DO IT YOURSELF" KIT TO RESTORE BUT DOES NOT WORK. FAULTY DESIGN. *JB
Mileage: 10,894
20031219SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE DRIVER'S SIDE BELT RETRACTOR WAS NOT WORKING. THE PART WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE OF $425.00. THE DEALER INDICATED, THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK *SC
Mileage: 62,000
20030623SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
THE ELECTRICAL SEAT CONTROLLER LOCATED UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT, SHORTED OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. NO FUSE WAS BLOWN. THIS WAS CAUSED BY CORROSION DUE TO THE FACT THE UNIT WAS NOT SEALED FROM MOISTURE.*AK TOXIC FUMES AND SMOKE WERE INSTANTANEOUS. WHEN IT SHORTED OUT, TURNING THE KEY DIDN'T STOP ELECTRICITY FLOW. THE CONSUMER HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. *PH *JB
Mileage: 35,000
20030115SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEAT BELT PROBLEM WITH 1999 MERCEDES S500. SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ TECHNICAL SUPPORT (TWICE) TO ASK IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEAT BELTS. THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT SEAT BELT FAILURE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN MERCEDES BENZ ONLY, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY REPLACE MANY SEAT BELTS. LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO DINNER WITH FRIENDS WHO WERE DRIVING A 1994 SE MERCEDES - WHEN WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WAS NOT RETRACTING AND WAS HANGLNG LOOSELY IN THE SEAT (THE SAME WAY MINE WAS BEFORE I HAD IT REPLACED LAST WEEK). IT COST ME $375 TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT REPLACED - IF IT HAD BEEN SOME OTHER FAILURE ON THE CAR, I WOULD NOT FEEL SO BADLY. BUT I FEEL THAT A SEAT BELT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 3 TO 4 YEARS!! WE HAVE A 1981 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE THAT WE BOUGHT NEW - THE SEAT BELT IS STILL WORKING JUST FINE. IN FACT, I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS AND NEVER HA
Mileage: 71,000
20000816VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
PLASTIC REARVIEW WINDOW HAS A DISTORTION IN IT WHICH CAUSES POOR DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. WINDOW WAS LOOKED AT BY A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. THIS WAS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH ALL MERCEDES BENZ CONVERTIBLES. REAR WINDOW HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED. *AK
19990921EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND IS STILL EXPERIENCING FAILURES. MJS
19990921STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
CONVERTIBLE SOFT TOP REAR WINDOW IS HAZY CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. MJS
19990921STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
WATER GETTING ON THE DOOR MOLDING OF THE MAIN CAR PANEL , WHICH IS ABSORBED BY THE CLOTH ON THE DOOR PANEL AND HAS CREATED HOLES IN THE CLOTH OF THE DOOR PANEL AS WELL AS THE CLOTH OVER SPEAKERS. MJS
19990823EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
A HOSE IS MISSING FROM AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAUSING SYSTEM TO BLOW WARM AIR, IT NEVER GETS COLD. *YC
Compare 1999MERCEDES-BENZ500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 have?▼
The 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ 500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 is EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS.
Is the 1999 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 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.