IllustrationDRIVING THROUGH DOWNTWN AT 5 MPH, CAR WAS FILLED WITH STEAM BECAUSETHE HOSE BROKE.CONSUMER NOTIFIED DEALER AND MANUFACTUR. *AK
1987 Mercedes Benz 420
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 420 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 3 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
3 reportsDUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE RADIATOR, IT CRACKED AND CAUSED WATER TO LEAK. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP. COMMON PROBLEM. MERCEDES BENZ CAME WITH A NEW DESIGN OF RADIATOR, AND CLAIMS THAT THERE WAS NOT A DEFECT IN THE OLD ONE. *AK *ML
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING TRYING TO TURN A CURB THE ABS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAIL LOST CONTROL WAS IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT CAR WAS TOTALED. TT
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA88034 · Sudden Acceleration
Opened Jul 15, 1988 · Closed Jul 31, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY PETITIONED NHTSA TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTOSUDDEN ACCELERATION ON VARIOUS MERCEDES-BENZ MODELS.THE PETITION WASGRANTED WITH RESPECT TO THE 1986-1987 300E MODEL AND ENGINEERING ANALYSISEA88-003 WAS OPENED COVERING JUST THE 1986 AND 1987 300 E VEHICLES.SUBSEQUENTLY, CFAS REPETITIONED NHTSA TO EXPAND ITS INVESTIGATION TO COVERALL 1984 THROUGH 1987 MERCEDES GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLES.DEFECT PETITIONNUMBER DP88-013 WAS THEN ASSIGNED.ON JULY 14, 1988, THE CFAS WAS ADVISEDTHAT PETITION DP88-013 HAD BEEN GRANTED AND THAT A NEW ENGINEERING ANALYSIS(EA88-034) HAD BEEN OPENED.THE PRECEDING PETITIONS AND THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS HAVE BEEN MERGED INTOEA88-034.===