AI Damage1987 Mercedes-Benz 560: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 25% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 25% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 25% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 5.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 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.
Vehicle suddenly accelerated forward, resulting in impact with the house. Tt
Frontal collision impact 12:00 position, speed 65mph, air bag did not deploy. Tt
Tl contact owns a 1987 mercedes benz 560sl. The contact stated that the driver side sun visor broke and fell; the plastic that held the visor broke. The contact called the dealer who stated that the contact would be responsible for repair costs. The manufacturer had not been notified.
Faulty fuel pump relay caused vehicle to stall intermittently.
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 15,524 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 560 has 5 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, fuel system, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (25%), fuel system, fuel smell (25%), stalls while driving (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560?
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 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560 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 1987 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.