IllustrationTHE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING ON-GOING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING, DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. NLM
1988 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: 1 of 5 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 2 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 →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. 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.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
2 reportsWITHOUT ANY WARNING OR FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON AT ANY GIVEN SPEEDS. WHILE THE LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR STARTS TO CHOKE OR BUCK, LIKE NO GAS IS GETTING THRU. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN NUMEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS, FROM STOPPING FOR A LIGHT, TO DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY. A…
Read full complaint
WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON AT ANY GIVEN SPEEDS. WHILE THE LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR STARTS TO CHOKE OR BUCK, LIKE NO GAS IS GETTING THRU. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN NUMEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS, FROM STOPPING FOR A LIGHT, TO DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY. AFTER CAR BUCKS, OR "CHOKES" THE VEHICLE STALLS. IT STARTS RIGHT UP AGAIN, WITH NO PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OF A HIGHWAY NUMEROUS TIMES, TO AVOID STALLING, WITH CONTINUOUS TRAFFIC COMING BEHIND ME. LIKE I STATED PREVIOUSLY, THERE IS NO REASON, NOR DO I GET ANY WARNINGS THAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE. I HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT BRANDS OF GAS, SO I DON'T THINK THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE CAR TO NUMEROUS MECHANICS AMD DEALERS, AND NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM ACCURATELY.
Official recalls
191V137000 · 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.
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
1EA88034 · 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.===