IllustrationWHILE DRIVING HEATER CORE BLEW, CAUSING HOT COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S LEGS, CAUSING THIRD DEGREE BURNS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
1985 Mercedes Benz 190
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 190 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 10 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Visibility complaints
2 reportsWAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN HOT ANTI-FREEZE & WATER LEAKED ONTO GAS PEDAL AND DRIVER'S FOOT, BURNING IT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT HEATER CORE CRACKED & WAS LEAKING. WAS INFORMED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT OF FOOT.*AK
Official recalls
291V137000 · Parking Brake:conventional:mechanical
Aug 20, 1991
THE DESIGN OF THE PARKING BRAKE GRIP MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO DISTORT THE GRIP AND PINCH THE BRAKE RELEASE KNOB. IF THE RELEASE KNOB STICKS IN A PARTIAL ENGAGE/RELEASE POSITION BECAUSE OF THE PINCHED GRIP, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE LEVER TO RELEASE UNINTENTIONALLY WITH A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN PARKING BRAKE FORCE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT PROPERLY PARKED WITH THETRANSMISSION IN THE CORRECT POSITION, AND IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A GRADE,REDUCTION IN PARKING BRAKE FORCE COULD LEAD TO UNINTENTIONAL ROLLAWAY AND ANACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE GRIP WITH A NEW GRIP TYPE.
87V104000 · Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers
Jul 13, 1987
IN CASE OF ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHICH BLOWS FUSE NO. 9, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT OPERATE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROLWOULD NOT FUNCTION AS INTENDED.
Remedy: USE TWO FUSES IN COMBINATION SO THAT IN CASE OF A FUSE FAILURE, THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM WILL NOT OPERATE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
4EA90040 · Parking Brake Levers
Opened Aug 29, 1990 · Closed Aug 30, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake
There is no summary currently available
EA88034 · Sudden Acceleration
Opened Jul 15, 1988 · Closed Jul 31, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY PETITIONED NHTSA TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTOSUDDEN ACCELERATION ON VARIOUS MERCEDES-BENZ MODELS.THE PETITION WASGRANTED WITH RESPECT TO THE 1986-1987 300E MODEL AND ENGINEERING ANALYSISEA88-003 WAS OPENED COVERING JUST THE 1986 AND 1987 300 E VEHICLES.SUBSEQUENTLY, CFAS REPETITIONED NHTSA TO EXPAND ITS INVESTIGATION TO COVERALL 1984 THROUGH 1987 MERCEDES GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLES.DEFECT PETITIONNUMBER DP88-013 WAS THEN ASSIGNED.ON JULY 14, 1988, THE CFAS WAS ADVISEDTHAT PETITION DP88-013 HAD BEEN GRANTED AND THAT A NEW ENGINEERING ANALYSIS(EA88-034) HAD BEEN OPENED.THE PRECEDING PETITIONS AND THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAVE BEEN MERGED INTOEA88-034.===
PE88032 · Abs Failures
Opened Mar 10, 1988 · Closed May 2, 1988
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
DP87019 · Sudden Acceleration
Opened May 22, 1987 · Closed Oct 29, 1987
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available