AI Damage1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 20% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 10% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- Air bags: 2 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 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.
Upon impact, driver's sid air bag did not deploy. Contacted dealer, and dealer was just aware that airs bag did not deploy.
1991 mercedes 190e idled out of control. Cant find anyone who knows what is wrong with this car or how to fix it. Its a hazard and dangerous to drive. When it idles up so high, the car actually peels out if you let your foot off the brake. It is almost impossible to bring it to a full stop.
When I activated ignition there was a loud explosion under the hood which blew off most of the insulation lining and ignited a fire around the air intake cover. I was told that the fuel pump relay switch failed.
While driving and without any warning vehicle cuts off, causing loss of power. Dealer has been contacted, and has replaced three head gaskets. Please provide further details.
Plastic neck for upper radiator hose fractured with complete loss of coolant.
Engine stalls. Stalling occurs out in traffic. The auto is either making a turn at an intersection or stalls while stopped in traffic. When first the problem was encountered, we took it to the dealer and they replaced components, but to no avail.(we paid for these) when we returned to the dealer we were told that they…
The heater core in the vehicle ruptured, causing boiling hot coolant to pour onto the driver's feet. The boiling coolant caused burns to the driver's foot ankle and leg.
While transporting four children to school, I heard a long banging noise underneath the car. The car traveled about 6 feet and stopped. After the car stopped, the driverside airbag deployed causing severe brusing, abrasions, and burns to my left arm.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 190E has 4 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 10, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (10%), A/C or heater (10%), fuel system, fuel smell (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1991 models
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 2026-11-05.