Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags1
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
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500 failed the safety check 0.61% of the time — 20% less often than the average 1985 passenger car (0.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 107,982 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
121 first registered in 1985 are on Dutch roads; 93% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen21
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm12
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af12
- Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij9
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan8
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde7
- Band onvoldoende profiel6
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld5
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
88 cars built in 1985 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 259 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, 103 of these cars first registered in 1985 took their annual MOT test. 76% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1985 the figure was 72%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1985 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.7% | 15.6% |
| Brakes | 7.8% | 9.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.8% | 7.2% |
| Visibility | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 3.9% | 0.7% |
| Suspension | 3.9% | 8.1% |
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
5 of these cars first registered in 1985 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 201,000 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
38 1985 cars are on the New Zealand register; 37% arrived as used imports, 50% 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 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500.
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
NHTSA investigations
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation