NHTSA Data Explorer

Mercedes-Benz 300SEL

Data refreshed May 30, 2026

Select a model year to filter results to that year of the Mercedes-Benz 300SEL.

Complaints

412

Active records

Recalls

21

Active records

TSBs

54

Active records

Filing history

Monthly totals over the last 20 years. Click a legend item to show or hide that series.

Reported severity

Based on consumer complaints filed since 2000. Recalls and TSBs do not include severity data.

Deaths

0

Injuries

17

Crashes

15

Fires

16

Top reported issues — Mercedes-Benz 300SEL

Click a category to expand its values.

Condition issue

141

Operating state

103

Reporting mechanism

71

Engine behavior

60

Electrical issue

43

Safety restraint issue

42

Ride/handling behavior

31

Thermal issue

29

Performance issue

26

Fluid issue

23

Safety restraint behavior

22

Starting behavior

18

Transmission/drivetrain behavior

16

Noise

15

Access/entry issue

13

Braking behavior

13

Lighting behavior

13

HVAC behavior

10

Powering on/off behavior

10

Steering behavior

10

Vibration/harshness

10

Driver assistance issue

8

Smell

8

Recent change

4

Infotainment behavior

3

Wiper/washer behavior

3

Recent filings

The 10 most recent filings for each type.

1996 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed May 6, 2014


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES S420. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STEER TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A CONNECTOR FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE HAD FAILED CAUSING TRANSMISSION FLUID TO FLOOD THE CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS…

2003 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Apr 1, 2014


THE SRS SYSTEM (AIRBAGS) HAVE BEEN DEEMED INOPERABLE BY THE DEALER AND MAY EITHER DEPLOY AT ANY TIME OR NOT DEPLOY AT ALL IN A COLLISION. THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SEATBELT BUCKLE AND A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER RECOGNITION SENSOR PAD LOCATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHICH DISABLES/ENABLES THE AIRBAGS FUNCTIONALITY. BOTH A VERY COMMON DEFECT IN THE 2000 TO 2006 MODEL YEAR MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS VEHICLES. THE SEATBELT BUCKLE CONTAINS A SENSOR THAT EVENTUALLY FAILS FOR NO APPARENT REASON OR WARNING…

2004 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Mar 27, 2014


SRS SYSTEM NOT OPERATING ON PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

1999 MERCEDES BENZ 300

Filed Mar 24, 2014


TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND TRIED TO LOCK THE DOORS BUT NOTICED THAT THE KEY WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT USED THE SPARE KEY AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE MAIN KEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE KEY WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

1993 MERCEDES S CLASS

Filed Mar 12, 2014


THE FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS HAS INSULATION THAT IS BADLY CRACKED AND FLAKING OFF CAUSING FAULT CODES AND POOR RUNNING. THE BODY HARNESS HAS CRACKED INSULATION AS WELL. WHILE THIS IS AN OLDER CAR IT IS LOW MILES AND HAS SPENT ITS LIFE STORED INDOORS. I HAVE A 1968 MODEL AMC CAR. THE WIRING IS FINE STILL. THIS WAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW FROM DAY ONE. IT WOULDN'T BE SO BAD IF THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT SO EXPENSIVE - 750 DOLLARS. *TR

1995 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Sep 3, 2013


Fire

WIRE HARNESS SHORTED OUT DUE TO NAKED WIRES WITH NO INSULATION CAUSING THE HARNESS TO CATCH FIRE BURNING HARNESS AND FRYING THE ALTERNATOR. THE CAUSE WAS SAID TO BE WIRE HARNESS DETERIORATED. IMPROPER INSULATION ON THE HARNESS. *JB

2003 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Apr 25, 2013


1 injured

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S55. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT PROPERLY WHENEVER THERE WERE WARMER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LID WOULD EITHER BECOME RESISTANT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE HATCH, OR IT WOULD CLOSE INDEPENDENTLY. ON ONE OCCASION, THE TRUNK LID CLOSED UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE CONTACT AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM…

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 300

Filed Apr 10, 2013


THE ENGINE HARNESS PROBLEM AFTER OWNING MY CAR SINCE 1993. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE ENGINE HARNESS WAS MADE WITH BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL WHICH HAS NOW LOST IT'S PLASTIC COVERING OVER THE METAL WIRES. WITH WIRES EXPOSED AFTER THE ENGINE HARNESS DEGRATION, THE CAR WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST ME FOR A LONG TIME, HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO USE. WITHOUT THE PROPER HARNESS REPLACEMENT, THE CAR IS TOTALLY USELESS. UPON CHECKING INTO THIS PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT EVERY E300 BUILT BETWEEN 1992 AND 1997…

2002 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Feb 14, 2013


INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ALL LIGHTING FOR INSTRUMENT DARK/UNREADABLE (SPEEDOMETER,TACH,ODOMETER,FUEL,TEMP,TURN SIGNAL ETC). TAKEN TO DEALER AND I PAID FOR REBUILD TO UNIT. IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURED AGAIN AFTER APPROX 3 MONTHS. *TR

2002 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

Filed Sep 25, 2012


THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ISSUE I AM EXPERIENCING BEGAN APPROXIMATELY JULY, 2012. INITIALLY, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER BRIEFLY AND THEN ILLUMINATE AGAIN. SUBSEQUENT TO THE FREQUENT FLICKERING INCIDENTS, THE CLUSTER LIGHTING DIDN'T ILLUMINATE AT ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SMALL DIAGNOSTIC VIEWER. CURRENTLY, ALL LIGHTING, GAUGES, AND ANY DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTS, INCLUDING THE CONTROL BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT FUNCTION. IN ADDITION TO THE FOREMENTIONED, THE…

Data sourced from NHTSA's public datasets. Issue classifications are generated by Repair Surge. About this data.

Updated May 30, 2026. Refreshed nightly.