What breaks most · 1991 to 2003 model years
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz problems by year
Owners have filed 71 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz across model years 1991 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2002 for equipment and infotainment complaints, 1995 for exterior lighting complaints and 1999 for tires complaints. The quietest years are 1993, 1994 and 1996.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 1995, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 1993, 1994, 1996
- Complaints on file
- 711991 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200212 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 43 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 39kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (2) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Equipment and infotainment (3) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment and infotainment | 25% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
3 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 25% |
3 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 17% |
2 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 17% |
2 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 17% |
2 | 0 | Shop all latches and locks parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 8% |
1 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
1 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The instrument cluster in my 2002 clk55 amg started not displaying random leds in the temperature, time and drive/reverse/1/2/3 gear. The random loss of leds is constant. I can no longer see the time, temperature or which gear the car is in based on the led.
-
Shortly after being hit on the left front of the vehicle at 35 to 40mph the vehicle caught on fire. No one has seen vehicle. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 1995, 1999 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz. The 2002 alone has 12 complaints, led by equipment and infotainment.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is equipment and infotainment with 3 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz complaints that include mileage is about 39,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.