Mercedes-Benz is a German carmaker founded in 1926, now part of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. The cars themselves are another matter: across 9 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 2 countries — Germany 83%, the United States 17%. 40 models are tracked here (1981–2026). Reliable? yes, on balance — 4.1 out of 5 across 40 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German luxury automaker headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, and is the flagship brand of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Founded in 1926 through the merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (founded by Gottlieb Daimler in 1890) and Benz & Cie. (founded by Karl Benz in 1883), Mercedes-Benz traces its heritage to the 1885 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, generally recognized as the world's first automobile. Mercedes-Benz produces passenger cars, commercial vans and electric vehicles at 30 plants worldwide. The S-Class has defined the luxury sedan segment continuously since 1972, the AMG performance division produces hand-built engines under the One Man One Engine principle, and Mercedes-EQ is the dedicated electric sub-brand. The G-Class, in production since 1979, remains one of the longest-running passenger-vehicle nameplates without a redesign of its core architecture. Mercedes-Benz Group AG trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under MBG. Recall data for every Mercedes-Benz VIN is reported to NHTSA, and EPA fuel-economy ratings, IIHS crash-test scores and J.D. Power dependability studies provide independent benchmarks. ForCar.org decodes any Mercedes-Benz VIN against NHTSA's dataset to reveal trim, factory options, open recalls and original Monroney sticker MSRP.
Karl Benz patented the first internal-combustion automobile, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, on January 29, 1886. Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach independently built their first automobile the same year. The two competing companies — Benz & Cie. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft — merged in 1926 to form Daimler-Benz AG and adopted the Mercedes-Benz brand name. Mercedes was originally the daughter of Daimler distributor Emil Jellinek, who used the name on his 1900 racing entries.
| Mercedes-Benz | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founded by | Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler |
| Headquarters | Stuttgart, Germany |
| Owned by | Mercedes-Benz Group AG |
| Slogan | «The Best or Nothing» |
| Models tracked here | 36 (1981–2026) |
| Assembled in | 2 countries |
Technology it is known for: MBUX infotainment with Hey Mercedes, 4MATIC all-wheel drive, AIRMATIC adaptive air suspension, AMG hand-built engines, DRIVE PILOT Level 3 conditional autonomy.
This page covers the Mercedes-Benz automobile brand within Mercedes-Benz Group AG — not the separate Daimler Truck Holding (commercial trucks) spun off in 2021.
Where Mercedes-Benz cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 15,903 vehicles on record, 9 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | WDD, WDB, WDC, W1K | 1981–2026 | |
| the United States | 4JG, 55S | 2002–2023 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Mercedes-Benz beginning WDD was assembled in Germany.
All Mercedes-Benz models 40
Every Mercedes-Benz model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Mercedes-Benz Cars & sedans 33
Mercedes-Benz More models 7
Mercedes-Benz by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Mercedes-Benz | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 1,913 campaigns | Most recalled: Electrical System:software |
| Owner complaints | 15,572+ filed | Most reported: C-Class |
| Fuel economy | 126 mpg best | Leader: CLA-Class |
| Crash safety | ★★★★★ top rated | 6 models tested by NHTSA |
| Insurance | $2,070/yr typical | Cheapest: Metris |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Mercedes-Benz hybrids & electric models
Mercedes-Benz's electrified lineup — 15 hybrids and 9 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Mercedes-Benz hybrids 15
Mercedes-Benz electric & plug-in 9
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Mercedes-Benz window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Mercedes-Benz's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Mercedes-Benz window stickers →How to read a Mercedes-Benz VIN
Every Mercedes-Benz built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Mercedes-Benz and the country it was built in (real Mercedes-Benz codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- GermanyW1H · W1K · W1N · W1W · W1Y · W1Z
- USA1MB · 4JG · 55S · WD0 · WD8 · WDW
- Argentina8BR · 8BT · 8BU
- Brazil9DB
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. The whole position-by-position breakdown — year codes 2001–2026, country codes, stamping locations — lives in our VIN decoder tool.
Who owns Mercedes-Benz, and what you get
Mercedes-Benz belongs to Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Mercedes-Benz competes in the global luxury and ultra-luxury segments against BMW, Audi, Lexus and Genesis, with the Maybach sub-brand reaching into Bentley and Rolls-Royce price territory. The S-Class introduces technology — airbags, ABS, ESC, Level 3 autonomy — that subsequently propagates through the lineup. AMG variants compete with BMW M and Audi RS for performance buyers, with prices typically 50-100% above the base model.
| Mercedes-Benz | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Ownership | Mercedes-Benz Group AG |
| Basic warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | Germany, United States |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 4 years / 50,000 miles. See when Mercedes-Benz models actually start to break →
Mercedes-Benz — frequently asked
Is Mercedes-Benz german?
Mercedes-Benz is a German company, headquartered in Stuttgart and founded in 1926. The cars are a separate question: 83% of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles in our records were assembled in Germany.
Where are Mercedes-Benz cars made?
Across 9 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: Germany (83%), the United States (17%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Mercedes-Benz?
Mercedes-Benz is part of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
How many Mercedes-Benz models are there?
We track 40 Mercedes-Benz models spanning 1981–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Mercedes-Benz warranty?
New vehicles come with 4 years / 50,000 miles basic cover and 4 years / 50,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Mercedes-Benz reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Mercedes-Benz model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.