1987 Mercedes-Benz 300 problems & reliability
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300. Last verified Aug 8, 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.
6 complaints report injuries (6 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300 vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 24% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 21% |
| Power Train | 4 | 14% |
| Tires | 3 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 10% |
| Child Seat | 1 | 3% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving home from work (it's a ten mile drive one way) when the car started to go faster and faster until it reached about 110 mph. I couldn't get it to stop. I forced it to slow down enough to exit the freeway, leaving skid marks in the road, and was able to turn the car off. I waited for a friend to come and…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Dec 1, 2015
“After being hit from the front passenger side, the throttle stuck in a full throttle mode. The ignition switch did not stop the vehicle, which remained in full throttle mode after turning to the off position, and the brakes were impaired to the point that I could not overpower the acceleration, causing me to be forced…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 13, 2012
“Additional space is needed to provide a copy of the complaint and experts' opinions which contain the requested information. Please provide me an e-mail address, a mailing address and/or a fax number. Thank you. *tr the consumers 4 old son was inside the vehicle. As the mother was removing the child from the vehicle…”
Power Train · filed Apr 23, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ABS FAILURES
Preliminary Evaluation PE88032 · opened Mar 10, 1988 · closed May 2, 1988
- SUDDEN ACCELERATION
Engineering Analysis EA88003 · opened Oct 29, 1987 · closed Jul 31, 1990
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300.
Models with diesel engines equipped with trap oxidizers replacement of the trap oxidizer with an oxidation catalyst. *tw
359A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1997
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300 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 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300?
- · 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.