Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Air bags2
- Electrical system1
- Engine and engine cooling1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 failed the safety check 0.00% of the time — 100% less often than the average 1990 passenger car (1.16%). Median odometer at inspection: 137,122 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
104 first registered in 1990 are on Dutch roads; 45% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde22
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm14
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen10
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm9
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld8
- Band beschadigd7
- Roestschade van 1,5 t/m 2,0E of meer dan 15% dikteafname5
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast4
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
323 cars built in 1990 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 854 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 101 of these cars first registered in 1990 took their annual MOT test. 78% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1990 the figure was 71%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1990 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 62.4% | 15.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 35.6% | 7.8% |
| Suspension | 35.6% | 8.4% |
| Brakes | 30.7% | 9.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 22.8% | 4.7% |
| Visibility | 16.8% | 6.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
35 of these cars first registered in 1990 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 316,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
22 1990 cars are on the New Zealand register; 91% arrived as used imports, 5% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 601453 | EMISSION TESTING ON DYNAMOMETER. *YC |
| 601449 | UPDATED INFORMATION TO REFLECT ADDITON OF APPROVED TIRES. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)