AI Damage1997 Mercedes-Benz 420: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420 filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 50% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
- 6 Latches, locks, linkages 5% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 5% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 5% of all complaints
- Suspension: 11 complaints (50% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (9% of all).
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 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 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 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.
During impact, front seat belt on driver's side failed to restrain driver. Also, caused driver's breast implants to rupture. Other passenger failed to wear seat belt. But, air bag deployed.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e420. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, he heard a loud pop near the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact pulled the vehicle over and saw that metal was hanging from under the vehicle.
There were no warning signs - no sounds, rattles, etc. Luckily, she was driving at a slow speed of 35mph and that the cars around her stopped, allowing her to maneuver the car to the shoulder of the road. As a result, she avoided any accident and was not hurt.
Headlight wiring harness is disintegrating, and looks identical to pictures sent to nhtsa by other owners and is a fire hazard that is undetectable until shorts or fires develop.
The contact stated that rust encompasses the entire area where the coil spring cracked. He inspected the coil spring on the passenger side and it too has rust, but it is not as noticeable as the driver side coil spring. The coil spring was replaced at the cost of $666. The failure and current mileages were 88,300.
I recently had a gas tank pressure sensor replaced on my 1997 e model mercedes. Upon inspection of the interior of the gas tank, it was discovered that the return lines inside the tank had become disconnected which could result in loss of tank pressure, leakage, and /or improper emission system sensor readouts.
While driving 65 mph, the consumer noticed the steering wheel vibrating hard. The consumer looked under vehicle and noticed the frame well was broken. Please provide further details. Metal on frame well was replaced due to fatigue. Also, front shock absorbers were replaced.
Consumer feels this is not safe because consumer can hardly see out window, and this is unsafe way to drive.
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 7,906 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 420 has 7 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 22, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, powertrain, fuel system. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (9%), seat belts (9%), headlights and tail lights (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz 420?
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 420 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 2026-11-06.