IllustrationVERY PREMATURE BRAKE PAD AND ROTER REPLACEMENT REQUIRED, I HAVE SPOKEN TO DOZENS OF OWNERS OF THIS SAME VEHICLE AND WE ALL HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT. WHERE BRAKES TRADITIONALLY LAST 30,000 MILES +/- THIS MODELS BRAKES LAST 8,000-12,000 MILES. TECHNICIAN AT
1998 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 →2Owner complaints
Model-year median: 5
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1998 Mercedes Benz 300
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 2 owner complaints · 0 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)
- Fuel System, Gasoline: 1 reports
- Service Brakes, Air: 1 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
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
Compare all 300 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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: 0 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.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Air. 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 reportsFRIDAY MORNING - 9:30 A.M. - 4/23/99 I DROVE FROM MY HOME (2368 BURMA HILLS DRIVE ) TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ON MICHIGAN AVENUE. AND PARKED IN THEIR PARKING LOT. AFTER I HAD BEEN THERE APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES I WAS NOTIFIED MY GAS TANK WAS LEAKING BADLY. WITHTHE HELP OF CLUB EMPLOYEES WE SECURED THE AREA, AND PUT A LARGE CO…
Read full complaint
FRIDAY MORNING - 9:30 A.M. - 4/23/99 I DROVE FROM MY HOME (2368 BURMA HILLS DRIVE ) TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ON MICHIGAN AVENUE. AND PARKED IN THEIR PARKING LOT. AFTER I HAD BEEN THERE APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES I WAS NOTIFIED MY GAS TANK WAS LEAKING BADLY. WITHTHE HELP OF CLUB EMPLOYEES WE SECURED THE AREA, AND PUT A LARGE CONTAINER UNDER THE VEHICLE TO CATCH THE GAS. AAA WAS CALLED TO TKE MY VEHICLE TO MCCONNELL AUTOMOTIVE . THE MANUFACTURER (MERCEDES) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THE GAS TANK WAS NOT GUARANTEED AGAINST ROAD HAZARDS. I THINK THIS COMPLETELY EXPOSED PLASTIC TANK IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS ON A SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLE WHICH IS ADVERTISED FOR OFF THE ROAD USEAGE. I THINKTHE TANK SHOULD BE PROTECTED BY A STEEL GLIDE PLATE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT I COUD NOT INSTALL A PROTECTIVE PLATE OR IT WOULD VOID MY VEHICLE WARRANTY. FRANKLY I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOW THAT I SEE HOW VULNERABLE THE FUEL TANK IS TO DAMAGE. *AK
Recall campaigns
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 ↗
Defect investigations
0No 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.