AI DamageMercedes-Benz 170: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mercedes-Benz 170 across 2 model years: 3 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- Visibility: 3 complaints (100% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The mirror contained a fluid which leaked out causing the self-dimming mirror to fail to provide dimming against rear approaching headlights resulting in the driver to either be blinded or to have to turn the mirror away which greatly eliminates rear view capability in the interior.
I have a auto dimming rearview mirror on my 2003 slk 230 that has become blurry to look into due to a leakage of a chemical agent inside the mirror. The technology in the mirrors seem to be defective as there are many documented cases on this problem online by other mercedes owners.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.