IllustrationTHE HEATER CORE IN THE VEHICLE RUPTURED, CAUSING BOILING HOT COOLANT TO POUR ONTO THE DRIVER'S FEET. THE BOILING COOLANT CAUSED SEVERE BURNS TO THE DRIVER'S FOOT, ANKLE AND LEG. THE ESCAPING COOLANT ALSO CAUSED THE CAR TO FILL UP WITH STEAM AND ELLIMINATED VISIBILITY.
1986 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: 0 of 8 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.
- Air Bags. 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 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Parking Brake. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
Visibility complaints
1 reportsOfficial 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
5EA90040 · 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
DP90009 · Parking Brake
Opened May 9, 1990 · Closed Aug 30, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Parking Brake
PARKING BRAKE
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