AI Damage1991 Mercedes-Benz 300: common problems
Owners of the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300 filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 21% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 4 complaints (21% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (21% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 2.5 L · diesel · turbo · 5 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 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 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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's side air bag did not deploy. Passenger's side shoulder belt did not retract, resulting in an injury.
,vehicle involved in a frontal collision, impact 12:00 position, spped 25mph, dual airbags did not deploy.
My 1991 300sl benz has had to have the engine wiring harness replaced per mb dealer because it's going bad and decomposing causing a potential fire problem. This after a no start problem and a month in the shop. And they not being able to find the cause.
The drive train on the consumers 1991 mercedes benz 300 locked up. The problem had been totally isolated to the control unit. The total lock up occurred intermittently or the problem may be elsewhere caused by a certain set of conditions.
While traveling at approximately 65 mph in 1991, mercedes benz, 300d 2.5 turbo, right rear goodyear road handler voyager lx tire size p195/60r15, dot pjunyblr319 experienced a blowout in sidewall of tire. There was approximately 10,000 miles on the tires, and they were not original equipment on vehicle.
Engine dies while driving after about the first 5 minutes when the engine dies it cannot be restarted without turning the key off which locks the steering while your still moving. The car is unsafe to drive because you can be hit from behind by another car.
While driving about 65-70 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power. The thermostat housing erroded through, causing coolant to leak, resulting in loss of power. The dealer has inspected vehicle.
Consumer had to put vehicle into another gear to get vehicle to stop also, brake system caught on fire.
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 8,437 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 300 has 9 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 19, 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.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (16%), smoke, burning smell, fire (16%), loss of power / limp mode (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300?
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 300 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.