1995 Mercedes-Benz 280 problems & reliability
47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 280. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 31 | 66% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 17% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% |
| Engine | 2 | 4% |
| Structure | 2 | 4% |
| Suspension | 2 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 18 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 32 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 125,500 miles (middle 50% between 83,645 and 146,250 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The lower control arm on the passenger side where the the ball joint is attached broke detaching the wheel and causing the tire to collapse. A mercedes-benz specialist in my area who repairs only mercedes-benz advised me that this is all too common with this series of mercedes-benz has ranging from 1994 to 1998 in…”
Suspension · filed Apr 1, 2014
“While traveling, car gradually lost power until completely shut-off. Middle of a busy roadway. Vehicle would not turn on again. No power at all. Could not even turn on hazards. Thankfully, a good samaritan pulled up behind me with their flashers on and provided me with a boost that powered up my vehicle and I was able…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 24, 2012
“Car has been a good running car fro several thousand miles, however today it started, what seem to be a misfire. I checked the spark plugs, wires, igniters and they were all in good condition since they have been replaced recently. As I was driving the car at 35 miles an hour the car suddenly jerked and smoke filed…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 23, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 280 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1995 Mercedes-Benz 280?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 125,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.