AI Damage1998 Mercedes-Benz 280: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Mercedes-Benz 280 filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 33% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 33% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 33% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Visibility: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
The driver heard a ping noise, not very loud and subsequently a small star like mark on the windshield appeared, within a couple hours long freeform crack lines on the windshield had emanated from that small star like ping earlier on, the consumer believes this is a design defect, the winshield had to be replaced. Nlm
All 4 tires need to be replaced even before 20,000 miles or the car 2 yrs old. ( dot number: tire size: 205/60 15 )
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 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 280 has 12 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Mercedes-Benz 280?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, tires, visibility. Total complaints: 3.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Mercedes-Benz 280?
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 1998 Mercedes-Benz 280 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 1998 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.