Reliability & cost of ownership
Mercedes Benz 420 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Mercedes Benz 420? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Mercedes Benz 420 problems by model year
43 owner complaints on file across 4 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database. We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for those years — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 420 | Not confirmed | 5 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 1997 420 | Not confirmed | 22 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
| 1996 420 | Not confirmed | 1 | No overall rating on file | Recalls & complaints → |
| 1995 420 | Not confirmed | 15 | No overall rating on file | AI reliability outlook → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Mercedes Benz 420, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- suspension11 complaints
- electrical system8 complaints
- power train6 complaints
- fuel system, gasoline4 complaints
- visibility3 complaints
- seat belts2 complaints
- service brakes, hydraulic2 complaints
- steering2 complaints