AI Damage1997 Mercedes-Benz 320: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320 filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 26% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 16% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 16% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 16% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 11% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- Suspension: 5 complaints (26% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Visibility: 3 complaints (16% of all).
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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.
Vehicle involved in a 40 mph frontal collision in which frontal driver's and passenger's and side air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. Please give any further details.
4/3/2012 for 2 days rattle from left front end. Had it checked at independent tire dealer. Said strut bushing dry. Lubed it. A few hours later nose intensified and spring and other pieces fell onto road as I was turning left into condo driveway. Having it towed to dealer.
Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 mercedes 320. The contact's spring perch that holds the spring in for the front suspension well tip broke and came apart from the frame. The contact was driving 10 miles per hour. Per the contact, it seemd to be a known problem by mercedes and a catastrophic failure.
The consumer stated the front coil springs were corroded. The consumer was concerned that the front end will collapse while driving. Please provide additional information.
"black electrical junction/harness box" was found with a strong electrical smell of electricity burning through part of the box.. Also the vehicle had an oil leak.
Mbz replaced transmission & electronic sending unit at which point I became afraid to drive the vehicle. I had had numerous electrical and electronic problems and it just seemed to be escalating. I turned the car in for voluntary repossession and paid a $15,000 penalty.
For no apparent reason the air bag on driver's side door deployed.vehicle was in drive, but the vehicle was not moving at the time. Dealer was notified about the problem. Please provide any further information.
When driving at 40 the vehicle is shaking and the rubber is pulling away from the tires on the vehicle.
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 320 has 23 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 19, below average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (11%), vibration (11%), A/C or heater (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320?
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 1997 Mercedes-Benz 320 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 1997 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.