AI DamageMercedes-Benz 380: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mercedes-Benz 380 across 6 model years: 23 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 35% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 22% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 8 complaints (35% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 5 complaints (22% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (13% of all).
- Suspension: 3 complaints (13% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 8 cyl 1984–1985
- automatic, 4-speed 1984–1985
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 23 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
Put on seat belt, restarted car, put foot on brake, & shifted into drive. Vehicle took off like a rocket, smashed through garage door, through structural beams & out the side of the building landing on the ground with front of car.
Car was idling into driveway, consumer put car in reverse, and it took off in reverse, like pedal was stuck. Consumer tried everything to stop vehicle, and consumer could not. Consumer landed in between two trees.
Going 35mph when vehicle hit pool of water & hydroplaned. Returned to ground in correct lane; vehicle hit 2 more pools of water & hydroplaned into embankment, front first & then hit a pole w/driver's side door. Spun around into a fence & neither air bags deployed. Have police report. Vehicle totaled.
Owner states that while starting the vehicle and placing foot on brake the engine had very high revs which caused the vehicle to accelerate, owner hit a sign. Dealers could not find anything wrong with the vehicle.
Vehicle suddenly accelerated causing frontend collision at high unknown speed crashing into 2 vehicles and median strip. Please describe details. Tt
Mercedes has acknowledged and agreed to repair at their cost the defect in the subframe connections to the wheel control arms. This structural weakness, once snapped, results in the loss of control, wheels falling off and suspension components dropping to the ground.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
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.