FaultScore report
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1985 Mercedes Benz 190 with NHTSA between 1995 and 2011. The largest single group is the acceleration & cruise control.
11
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 180,000 miles
Median failure at 105,496 miles
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
PARKING BRAKE LEVERS
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
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...
ABS FAILURES
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Brakes
THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RELEASE KNOB COULD STICK, CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR THE LEVER TO RELEASE UNINTENTIONALLY WITH A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN PARKING BRAKE APPLICATION FORCE. CORRECTION: PARKING BRAKE LEVER GRIP WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE OF A NEWER DESIGN.
Electrical
AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE COULD BLOW A FUSE AND RESULT IN THE FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. ALSO, AN ENGAGED CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT BE DISENGAGED AUTOMATICALLY BY JUST TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. DISENGAGEMENT WOULD BE TRIGGERED EITHER BY BRAKING AND DECELERATING TO BELOW 40KM OR SHUTTING THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF. CORRECTION: REMEDY WILL BE THE COMBINATION OF TWO FUSES SUCH THAT IN THE CASE OF A FUSE FAILURE THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT FUNCTION ANYMORE.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ON 05-03-2011 WHILE DRIVEING MY MERCEDES BENZ190 SERIES /1985- THE HEATING COIL BURST POURING &SPRAYING HOT RADIATOR COOLANT FROM UNDER THE DASH/OVER THE FIRE WALL ONTO MY LEGS AND FEET. BURNING AND BLISTERING 2ND DEGREE BURNS OVER MY LEGS AND FEET. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM ,THIS JUST HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE. THE CAR HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEM WITH OVER HEATING OR GAUGES. FIRST TIME. I HEARD A HISSIING LIKE SOUND 3 OR 4 SECOUNDS BEFORE MY LEGGS STARTED BURNING. THANKFULLY MY KIDS AND GRANDCHILD WHERE NOT INJURED OR ANY OTHER DRIVER ON THE ROAD -THIS HAS BEEN A HORRIBLE EXPERIANCE AND NOT ABLE TO WORK-MEDICAL BILLS-NO CAR-AND THE PAIN-HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. WHAT I'VE LEARNED SINCE THIS IS ,APARENTLY THIS YEAR CAR AND MAKE 1985 THE HEATING COIL SITS UP AGAINST THE DASH WALL-SO ANYONE ELSE BETTER BE PAPAIRED FOR THE WORST ,I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANY ONE ELSE-ITS HORRABLE *WAITING ON RESPONSE FROM MERCEDES BENZ TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX PROBLEM. AND IF THERE WILL BE A RECALL.* THE DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM SAID ANOTHER MAN CAME INTO EMERGENCY ROOM THE MONTH BEFORE ,HIS MERCEDES DID THE SAME THING AND THE MAN WAS BURNT SEVERLY LIKE ME.
NHTSA complaint #10401372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING HEATER CORE BLEW, CAUSING HOT COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S LEGS, CAUSING THIRD DEGREE BURNS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10082141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN HOT ANTI-FREEZE & WATER LEAKED ONTO GAS PEDAL AND DRIVER'S FOOT, BURNING IT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT HEATER CORE CRACKED & WAS LEAKING. WAS INFORMED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT OF FOOT.
NHTSA complaint #872246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
ON 05-03-2011 WHILE DRIVEING MY MERCEDES BENZ190 SERIES /1985- THE HEATING COIL BURST POURING &SPRAYING HOT RADIATOR COOLANT FROM UNDER THE DASH/OVER THE FIRE WALL ONTO MY LEGS AND FEET. BURNING AND BLISTERING 2ND DEGREE BURNS OVER MY LEGS AND FEET. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM ,THIS JUST HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE. THE CAR HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEM WITH OVER HEATING OR GAUGES. FIRST TIME. I HEARD A HISSIING LIKE SOUND 3 OR 4 SECOUNDS BEFORE MY LEGGS STARTED BURNING. THANKFULLY MY KIDS AND GRANDCHILD WHERE NOT INJURED OR ANY OTHER DRIVER ON THE ROAD -THIS HAS BEEN A HORRIBLE EXPERIANCE AND NOT ABLE TO WORK-MEDICAL BILLS-NO CAR-AND THE PAIN-HOW COULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. WHAT I'VE LEARNED SINCE THIS IS ,APARENTLY THIS YEAR CAR AND MAKE 1985 THE HEATING COIL SITS UP AGAINST THE DASH WALL-SO ANYONE ELSE BETTER BE PAPAIRED FOR THE WORST ,I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANY ONE ELSE-ITS HORRABLE *WAITING ON RESPONSE FROM MERCEDES BENZ TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX PROBLEM. AND IF THERE WILL BE A RECALL.* THE DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM SAID ANOTHER MAN CAME INTO EMERGENCY ROOM THE MONTH BEFORE ,HIS MERCEDES DID THE SAME THING AND THE MAN WAS BURNT SEVERLY LIKE ME.
NHTSA complaint #10401372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING HEATER CORE BLEW, CAUSING HOT COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S LEGS, CAUSING THIRD DEGREE BURNS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10082141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE VEHICLE SURGED INTO A BRICK WALL. WHILE IN PARK, CONSUMER WENT TO PUT THE VEHILCE INTO TEH DRIVE GEAR FROM PARK. WIHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THIS TYPE OF SURGING ACTION WOULD HAPPEN WHILE IN MOTION ALSO. CONSUMER FEELS SOME RETRIBUTION IS OWED.
NHTSA complaint #8012140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN HOT ANTI-FREEZE & WATER LEAKED ONTO GAS PEDAL AND DRIVER'S FOOT, BURNING IT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, MECHANIC INDICATED THAT HEATER CORE CRACKED & WAS LEAKING. WAS INFORMED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. WENT TO EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT OF FOOT.
NHTSA complaint #872246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND WITHOUT A COLLISION OCCURRING, AIR BAG SENSOR WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE VEHICLE EXPLODED, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #836812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #702925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #533394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #533394 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
THE REAR SUBFRAME IS CRACKED IN THE MIDDLE. WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, A METAL TO METAL SOUND IS EXPERIENCED.
NHTSA complaint #803564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN CAR IS ON CRUISE CONTROL THE CAR ACCELERATES SOMETIMES . TT
NHTSA complaint #974397 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
PLASTIC CLIP ON ACCELERATOR CABLE WEARS OUT PREMATURELY, FALLS OUT ONTO GROUND; HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IDLING SPEED. TT DEALER REPLACED ENTIRE ACCELERATOR CABLE THE FIRST TIME THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, THE SEOND TIME, JUST THE CLIP WAS REPLACED. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #972797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.