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CarsLore / Mercedes-Benz / 300 / 1986

1986 Mercedes-Benz 300

13 owner complaints — #6 of 19 300 model years, 2.2× the typical year. 0 recalls, 1 service bulletin.

13complaints · 3 crashes, 0 fires
0recalls
1manufacturer bulletins
—median mileage at failure

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

  • Air bags8
  • Vehicle speed control3
  • Seat belts2
  • Electrical system1
  • Service brakes, hydraulic1
  • Power train1
  • Tires1
  • Structure1

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

’82’85’86’88’91’94’97’0213’82’85’86’88’91’94’97’0213
198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300 failed the safety check 2.61% of the time — 241% more often than the average 1986 passenger car (0.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 140,351 miles.

230first inspections
2.61%failed on safety
140,351 mimedian odometer
0.0%1.0%2.0%’81’83’85’86’87’89’91’932.6%0.0%1.0%2.0%’81’84’86’87’90’932.6%

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Engines

The most common engines in 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300 cars on Dutch roads are the 3.0 petrol (138 kW, 185 hp), 3.0 petrol (132 kW, 177 hp) and 3.0 diesel (65 kW, 87 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.

EnginePowerCarsShare
3.0 petrol138 kW 185 hp8245%
3.0 petrol132 kW 177 hp5430%
3.0 diesel65 kW 87 hp2413%
3.0 diesel83 kW 111 hp2112%

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

298 first registered in 1986 are on Dutch roads; 87% arrived later as imports.

30.9%had an APK defect recorded since June 2022
39.1%logical odometer history
0.0%with a recall still open

Most common APK defects

Colours

Grey 34%Blue 16%Black 16%Red 9%White 8%Brown 6%

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

171 cars built in 1986 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 315 more were declared off the road (SORN).

171licensed, end of 2025
35%of those still registered are on the road

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, 168 of these cars first registered in 1986 took their annual MOT test. 81% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1986 the figure was 71%.

81%passed first time
71%all cars from 1986
96,400 miaverage mileage at the test (all cars 87,300 mi)
Failed onThese carsAll cars from 1986
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment9.5%16.2%
Suspension6.0%8.2%
Brakes4.8%9.0%
Noise, emissions and leaks4.2%5.3%
Visibility3.0%6.8%
Body, chassis, structure2.4%6.9%

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

9 of these cars first registered in 1986 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 225,000 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

10 1986 cars are on the New Zealand register; 70% arrived as used imports, 30% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Recalls in Canada

1 Transport Canada recall for the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300.

1987056
28 May 1987		Seats And Restraints
ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM, AN ELECTRICAL PLUG ON THE AIR BAG MODULE MAY HAVE AN INSUFFICIENT PUSH/PULL FORCE. IF THIS IS THE C…

Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

No recall campaigns cover the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300.

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 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300: known faults, fixes and updates.

BulletinSummary
52431MODELS WITH DIESEL ENGINES EQUIPPED WITH TRAP OXIDIZERS REPLACEMENT OF THE TRAP OXIDIZER WITH AN OXIDATION CATALYST. *TW

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)

NHTSA investigations

PE88032 · Service brakes, hydraulicopened 10 Mar 1988 · closed 2 May 1988

ABS FAILURES

EA88003 · Vehicle speed control:linkagesopened 29 Oct 1987 · closed 31 Jul 1990

SUDDEN ACCELERATION

DP87019 · Vehicle speed control:linkagesopened 22 May 1987 · closed 29 Oct 1987

SUDDEN ACCELERATION

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation