Known Recalls

Model year record

1988 MERCEDES BENZ 190

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 10 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 91V137000

Parking brake: conventional: mechanical

Component
Parking brake: conventional: mechanical
Manufacturer
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.
Vehicles affected
96,541
Reported to NHTSA
1991-08-20
Owners notified
1991-10-10

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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.

Manufacturer remedy

REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE GRIP WITH A NEW GRIP TYPE.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline2—
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel1—
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers1—
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system1—
Fuel system, other: storage: fuel gauge system1193,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission1—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip1—
Unknown or other1—
Visibility: power window devices and controls1—

The 1987 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 1989 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.