IllustrationAFTER JUST GETTING MY CAR FROM DEALERSHIP 6 DAYS PRIOR, MY WIFE AND I WERE COMING DOWN A HILL WHEN MY BRAKING SYSTEM STARTED TO MALFUNCTION AND AS WE CAME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND COSTED TO A STOP THE BRAKING SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN.
2004 Mercedes Benz 208
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 208 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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 2 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. 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
What owners actually said
2 reportsAT 2 AM WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 OUTSIDE OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FL. THE DRIVE SHAFT FLY WHEEL BROKE FROM THE ENGINE DAMAGING AND MAKING INOPERATIVE ACCESSORIES SUCH AS POWER STEERING AND WATER PUMP COOLING ACTION. FORTUNATELY, THE CRANK SHAFT APPARENTLY WAS NOT DAMAGED NOR DID THE ENGINE SEIZE AS GENERALLY HAPPENS WITH THIS FREQUENT OC…
Read full complaint
AT 2 AM WHILE DRIVING ON I-95 OUTSIDE OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FL. THE DRIVE SHAFT FLY WHEEL BROKE FROM THE ENGINE DAMAGING AND MAKING INOPERATIVE ACCESSORIES SUCH AS POWER STEERING AND WATER PUMP COOLING ACTION. FORTUNATELY, THE CRANK SHAFT APPARENTLY WAS NOT DAMAGED NOR DID THE ENGINE SEIZE AS GENERALLY HAPPENS WITH THIS FREQUENT OCCURRENCE ON THE MERCEDES BENZ INSTALLED ENGINES OF THE DODGE SPRINTER. FOUR SPRINTER CERTIFIED MECHANICS AND TWO SERVICE MANAGERS SUBSEQUENTLY ATTESTED TO THE REGULAR OCCURRENCE OF THIS POORLY ENGINEERED DESIGN WHICH IS BOTH LIFE THREATENING AND EXTREMELY COSTLY TO RECTIFY. *JB
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.