1992 Mercedes Benz 300

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

22Owner complaints

Model-year median: 5

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1992 Mercedes Benz 300

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 22 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Electrical System: 5 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling: 5 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 3 reports
Vehicle Speed Control: 3 reports
Visibility: 2 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

96V175000 — Visibility

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all 300 years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Electrical System

5 Engine And Engine Cooling

5 Service Brakes, Hydraulic

3 Vehicle Speed Control

3 Visibility

All reported categories

Air Bags

1 Fuel System, Gasoline

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: 3 of 22 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 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 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 reports2 fire reports0 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

5 reports

Clear category filter

130,000 miles · Jul 18, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

Read full complaint

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, I SLOWED TO TURN OFF HIGHWAY. AFTER COMPLETING TURN TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR OFF ROADWAY AT IDLE RPM ONLY. CAR TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP. A PLASTIC PIECE ON THE END OF THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD DISINTEGRATED CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR CABLE TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE ENGINE THROTTLE LEVER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED. THE PLASTIC PIECE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE OF METAL. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A SIX LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED?

NHTSA ODI #10081294

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2001

Engine And Engine Cooling

WHILE DRIVING WOULD HEAR METAL CLANKING NOISES. HAD VEHICLE CHECKED BY MECHANIC. WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE BLOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO LOSING COMPRESSION FOR DIESEL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #888867

Mileage unknown · Apr 23, 2001

Engine And Engine Cooling

THERE ARE MULTIPLE MODELS OF THE SAME CAR THAT HAVE THE SAME FAILURE, PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL ASAP, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCEDENT. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #744412

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2000

Engine And Engine Cooling

THIS IS THE SECOND 1992 300SD THAT I KNOW OF THAT HAS HAD THE SAME FAILURE, IN THE RELATED CASE MBZ REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE DUE TO FAILED HEAD GASKET AND CRANKSHAFT BEING TOO SOFT, OR NOT STRONG ENOUGH, BUT THEY REFUSE TO HELP US, HE OTHER CASE WAS AN ACQUAINTANCE FROM CONNETICUT

NHTSA ODI #732846

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 1999

Engine And Engine Cooling

INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP MECHANIC IS REPORTING AN OVERHEATED RESISTOR FROM THE COOLING FAN WHICH MAY CAUSE A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ODI #833227

Recall campaigns

96V175000 · Visibility

Sep 19, 1996

IF ONE OF THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARMS BECOMES MISALIGNED, THE WIPER BALDE CAN LODGE IN THE GROOVE UNDER THE HEADLAMP. IF THE WASHERS ARE ACTIVATED WITH THE WIPER BLADE IN THE MISALIGNED AND LODGED POSITION, THE WASHER PUMP WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY EXPELLING ALL AVAILABLE FLUID.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: PUMP OPERATION IN THE ABSENCE OF FLUID CAN CAUSE THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP WASHER PUMP ON THESE VEHICLES.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Defect investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.