Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (80 kW, 107 hp), 2.0 petrol (87 kW, 117 hp) and 2.6 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 80 kW 107 hp | 135 |
| 2.0 petrol | 87 kW 117 hp | 76 |
| 2.6 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 25 |
| 2.3 petrol | 97 kW 130 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
288 first registered in 1990 are on Dutch roads; 42% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde57
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen45
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm34
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld24
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af22
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm20
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast17
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse14
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 420 of these cars first registered in 1990 took their annual MOT test. 76% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1990 the figure was 71%.
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
107 of these cars first registered in 1990 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 293,000 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
76 1990 cars are on the New Zealand register; 88% arrived as used imports, 9% 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 190E.
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 190E: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10136029 | SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)