IllustrationAUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, WHILE DOWNSHIFTING TO CONTROL DOWNHILL SPEED SHIFT LEVER MOVED BETWEEN ALL SHIFT POSITIONS WITHOUT ENGAGING IN ANY GEAR, AND VEHICLE WAS FREEWHEELING. *AK
1998 Mercedes Benz 320
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 320 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: 6 of 39 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.
- Visibility. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports
Power Train complaints
3 reportsTRNSMISSION FAILURE. ALSO, REPEATED FAILURE OF WINDOWS AND ELECTRIC SEATS REAR ENTRY AND BRAKE LIGHTS, INDICATE SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. WARRANTY COVERS THE REPAIRS, BUT THE PROBLEMS PERSIST. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A CAR HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE 1998 320 CLK? WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?
DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, ENGINE SPEED INCREASED BUT THE DRIVE SYSTEM HAD NO POWER GOING TO THE WHEEL (AS IF IN NEUTRAL.) DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO A CRIMPED O-RING IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH BECAME TORN WITH USE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURERS ASSEMBLY OF THE TRANSMISSION…
Read full complaint
DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, ENGINE SPEED INCREASED BUT THE DRIVE SYSTEM HAD NO POWER GOING TO THE WHEEL (AS IF IN NEUTRAL.) DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO A CRIMPED O-RING IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH BECAME TORN WITH USE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURERS ASSEMBLY OF THE TRANSMISSION. *SLC
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.