1997 Mercedes-Benz 420 problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420. Last verified Aug 9, 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 components.
1 complaint report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension → | 11 | 50% |
| Power Train | 3 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Structure | 1 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility | 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
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e420. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, he heard a loud pop near the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over and saw that metal was hanging from under the vehicle. The contact stated the vehicle was able to be driven but was unsafe…”
Power Train · filed Jun 14, 2012
“I am filing a complaint regarding after warranty support for the above referenced vehicle. The spring seat detached from the body of the automobile causing the suspension to fail while the vehicle was in motion at 45 mph on a downhill grade. As the suspension detached from the car, the left front side dragged on the…”
Suspension · filed Sep 12, 2011
“I am a victim of a dangerous safety design flaw in my 1997 mercedes benz e420. Last week, my wife was driving the car in a straight line on a local street near our home, when the passenger side coil spring flew out of the car, resulting in her completely losing control of the vehicle. There were no warning signs - no…”
Suspension · filed Jul 21, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420.
Tires - directional tread pattern. *tw
27/962D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1996
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 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420 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 420?
- · 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.