The Mercedes-Benz 500 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1990–1993. On average a defect was admitted 3 years after the car was built, the slowest took 6 years. The most recalled system is Visibility (1 campaigns). Owners also filed 1 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Mercedes-Benz 500
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Visibility 1 Read
What's wrong. If one of the headlamp wiper arms becomes misaligned, the wiper balde can lodge in the groove under the headlamp. If the washers are activated with the wiper blade in the misaligned and lodged position, the washer pump will run continuously expelling all available fluid
Risk. Pump operation in the absence of fluid can cause the pump to overheat and cause a vehicle fire
Fix. Dealers will replace the headlamp washer pump on these vehicles
What's wrong. If one of the headlamp wiper arms becomes misaligned, the wiper balde can lodge in the groove under the headlamp. If the washers are activated with the wiper blade in the misaligned and lodged position, the washer pump will run continuously expelling all available fluid
Risk. Pump operation in the absence of fluid can cause the pump to overheat and cause a vehicle fire
Fix. Dealers will replace the headlamp washer pump on these vehicles
What's wrong. If one of the headlamp wiper arms becomes misaligned, the wiper balde can lodge in the groove under the headlamp. If the washers are activated with the wiper blade in the misaligned and lodged position, the washer pump will run continuously expelling all available fluid
Risk. Pump operation in the absence of fluid can cause the pump to overheat and cause a vehicle fire
Fix. Dealers will replace the headlamp washer pump on these vehicles
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. During the removal and installation of the air filter housing while servicing the vehicle, it is possible to misroute the preformed vacuum hose and damage the check valve in the vacuum hose. If the check valve is damaged, loss of sufficient brake power assist will occur
Risk. Lack of sufficient brake power assist will increasestopping distance and could result in a vehicle accident
Fix. Replace the preformed vacuum hose with a newly designed preformed hose with a relocated check valve which will eliminate the possibility of the check valve being damaged
What's wrong. During the removal and installation of the air filter housing while servicing the vehicle, it is possible to misroute the preformed vacuum hose and damage the check valve in the vacuum hose. If the check valve is damaged, loss of sufficient brake power assist will occur
Risk. Lack of sufficient brake power assist will increasestopping distance and could result in a vehicle accident
Fix. Replace the preformed vacuum hose with a newly designed preformed hose with a relocated check valve which will eliminate the possibility of the check valve being damaged
What's wrong. During the removal and installation of the air filter housing while servicing the vehicle, it is possible to misroute the preformed vacuum hose and damage the check valve in the vacuum hose. If the check valve is damaged, loss of sufficient brake power assist will occur
Risk. Lack of sufficient brake power assist will increasestopping distance and could result in a vehicle accident
Fix. Replace the preformed vacuum hose with a newly designed preformed hose with a relocated check valve which will eliminate the possibility of the check valve being damaged
Tires 1 Read
What's wrong. Left front and left rear tires may have been damaged by a worn chain drive of the conveyor system
Risk. Damaged or cut tires could fail during use and result in an accident with possible injuries
Fix. Replace damaged tires with tires of the same brand name
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 3 years |
| Slowest campaign | 6 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 25% |
| Campaigns on record | 3 |
Which 500 years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Visibility | |
| 1992 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 1991 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 1990 | Tires |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Mercedes-Benz 500 have?
3 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1990–1993. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my 500 still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 3 years, and the slowest campaign came 6 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.