The 1988 Mercedes-Benz 190 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 96,541 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
PARKING BRAKE91V1370001991-08-2096,541 affected
Defect
THE DESIGN OF THE PARKING BRAKE GRIP MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO DISTORT THE GRIP AND PINCH THE BRAKE RELEASE KNOB. IF THE RELEASE KNOB STICKS IN A PARTIAL ENGAGE/RELEASE POSITION BECAUSE OF THE PINCHED GRIP, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE LEVER TO RELEASE UNINTENTIONALLY WITH A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN PARKING BRAKE FORCE.
Consequence
IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT PROPERLY PARKED WITH THETRANSMISSION IN THE CORRECT POSITION, AND IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A GRADE,REDUCTION IN PARKING BRAKE FORCE COULD LEAD TO UNINTENTIONAL ROLLAWAY AND ANACCIDENT.
Remedy
REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE GRIP WITH A NEW GRIP TYPE.
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
1
Total complaints10
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I have had problems with the wiring harness. First, the windows wouldn't roll up or down, then the radio began shorting out when I drove over a bump in the road or opened the glove compartment. Next the a/c, heater & economy event all ceased working and the radio would turn on only 1-2 per week…”
“1988 190e mercedes benz--no warning while driving car will turn completely off or acceleration will stop and car will accelerate after brief pause (all while driving at very low speed). Not accelerator cable or fuel injection problem. Very dangerous as there is no warning & no lights illuminate. *ak”
“The vehicle is experiencing on-going problems with the engine stalling while driving, dealer and the manufacturer were notified. Nlm”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
“No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA88034 Opened 1988-07-15 · closed 1990-07-31
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY PETITIONED NHTSA TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTOSUDDEN ACCELERATION ON VARIOUS MERCEDES-BENZ MODELS.THE PETITION WASGRANTED WITH RESPECT TO THE 1986-1987 300E MODEL AND ENGINEERING ANALYSISEA88-003 WAS OPENED COVERING JUST THE 1986 AND 1987 300 E VEHICLES.SUBSEQUENTLY, CFAS REPETITIONED NHTSA…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 190 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.