1997 Mercedes-Benz 320 problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 5 | 26% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 16% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 16% |
| Visibility | 3 | 16% |
| Power Train | 2 | 11% |
| Structure | 2 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“4/3/2012 for 2 days rattle from left front end. Had it checked at independent tire dealer. Said strut bushing dry. Lubed it. A few hours later nose intensified and spring and other pieces fell onto road as I was turning left into condo driveway. Having it towed to dealer. Had I been at speed and/or in traffic things…”
Suspension · filed Apr 3, 2012
“Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 mercedes 320. The contact's spring perch that holds the spring in for the front suspension well tip broke and came apart from the frame. The contact was driving 10 miles per hour. Per the contact, it seemd to be a known problem by mercedes and a catastrophic failure. The contact was very…”
Structure · filed Jan 9, 2007
“The consumer stated the front coil springs were corroded. The consumer was concerned that the front end will collapse while driving. Please provide additional information. *jb”
Suspension · filed Nov 1, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320 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 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320?
- · 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.