Total Complaints
6 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 560 · model year
1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 560
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990MERCEDES-BENZ560 carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 4 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 1990 560 is tires with 1 filings, followed by air bags:frontal (1) and electrical system (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 1990 560. 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.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
4
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120724FireFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2001 MERCEDES BENZ S600 - OIL LEAK AND CAR FIRE - THAT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A DEATH OR INJURY BEFORE MERCEDES IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM. JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT AS MANY OF THESE CARS ON THE ROAD, IS THAT THE REASON THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL? I WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WHILE PARKED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, PICKING UP MY GRANDSON FROM SCHOOL. WITHIN MINUTES I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE AROUND THE CAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS EXHAUST FROM THE CAR EITHER IN FRONT OR IN BACK OF ME, AS THEY WERE BOTH WAITING FOR CHILDREN, MOTORS IDLEING AS MINE WAS. SUDDENLY, MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND I COULD SMELL SOMETHING AND THOUGHT IT WAS COMMING FROM MY CAR AND THAT I SHOULD GET OUT AND SEE FOR SURE WHERE IT WAS COMMING FROM. AT THAT MOMENT, BEFORE I COULD EXIT THE CAR, FLAMES SHOT OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD OF MY CAR. STILL SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, THEY SHOT UP HIGHER THAN I COULD SEE. I FLEW OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN FAR FROM IT, AS TH
Mileage: 97,000
20120724FireENGINE
2001 MERCEDES BENZ S600 - OIL LEAK AND CAR FIRE - THAT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A DEATH OR INJURY BEFORE MERCEDES IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM. JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT AS MANY OF THESE CARS ON THE ROAD, IS THAT THE REASON THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL? I WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WHILE PARKED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, PICKING UP MY GRANDSON FROM SCHOOL. WITHIN MINUTES I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE AROUND THE CAR. I THOUGHT IT WAS EXHAUST FROM THE CAR EITHER IN FRONT OR IN BACK OF ME, AS THEY WERE BOTH WAITING FOR CHILDREN, MOTORS IDLEING AS MINE WAS. SUDDENLY, MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND I COULD SMELL SOMETHING AND THOUGHT IT WAS COMMING FROM MY CAR AND THAT I SHOULD GET OUT AND SEE FOR SURE WHERE IT WAS COMMING FROM. AT THAT MOMENT, BEFORE I COULD EXIT THE CAR, FLAMES SHOT OUT OF THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD OF MY CAR. STILL SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, THEY SHOT UP HIGHER THAN I COULD SEE. I FLEW OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN FAR FROM IT, AS TH
Mileage: 97,000
20120319FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
CAR WAS IDLING AT A STOP SIGN, I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE AND THOUGHT IT WAS EXHAUST FROM THE CARS IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND ME. I SUDDENLY BECAME ENGULFED IN SMOKE AND SAW IT SPEWING FROM THE FRONT OF MY CAR. AS I REACHED TO TURN OFF MY ENGINE, FLAMES SOARED FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR, HIGHER THAN I COULD SEE, FROM SITTING INSIDE. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND RAN AWAY FROM IT, AS I HAD A FULL TANK OF GAS AND WAS AFRAID OF AN EXPLOSION. FROM A SAFE DISTANCE I COULD SEE THE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE THE ENGINE AND SHOOTING ABOUT 15 FEET INTO THE AIR FROM MAINLY THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND TOOK A CHAINSAW TO THE HOOD. WHEN THEY OPENED THE HOOD THE ENGINE WAS A MELTED MASS OF METAL. UPON 'GOOGLING" MERCEDES ENGINE FIRES, I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY ARE A HAZARD IN S600'S DUE TO OIL LEAKS. THERE WERE PICTURES OF SOME OF THOSE FIRES ON U-TUBE AND LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ON DIFFERENT FORUMS. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD BY MERCEDES MECHANICS THAT THERE WAS A BIG DES
Mileage: 90,000
20120206FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND INTO THE VEHICLE. THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM DEVELOPED SEVERE SHORTS, STALLED THE ENGINE, DISABLED THE ABS AND THE OTHER ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEMS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, OPENED THE HOOD, AND SAW FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. AFTER EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE, THE CAR NO LONGER STARTED. UPON INSPECTION, MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HAD MELTED, WHILE THE SHORT HAS IRREVERSIBLY DAMAGED THE CAR'S COMPUTER, WHICH DOES NOT OPERATE AND IT SMELLS BURNED. IT CAN BE SEEN THE TIME ALTERED WIRE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS. THIS CAUSES ALL KINDS OF SHORTS WITHIN THE ELECTRONICS OF THE VEHICLE AND PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE SYSTEM IN THIS CAR. THE CAR DOS NOT RUN. *TR
Mileage: 118,000
20030822AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH BOTH OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER WAS INJURED BY THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG ON DRIVER'S SIDE. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED ON THE LEFT ARM/STOMACH AND THE PENIS.*AK
Mileage: 110,000
20000605TIRES
THE VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL TIRES (PIRELLI P6-205/65/R15) WERE ALL REPLACED AFTER A TIRE BLOWOUT, CONSUMER REPLACED TIRE TO AVOID FURTHER PROBLEMS, TIRES HAVE PERFORMED POORLY AND EXPERIENCED PREMATURE WEAR. *MJS
Compare 1990MERCEDES-BENZ560 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 have?▼
The 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 560?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 is TIRES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS:FRONTAL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1990 MERCEDES-BENZ 560 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.