1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Mercedes has acknowledged and agreed to repair at their cost the defect in the subframe connections to the wheel control arms. This structural weakness, once snapped, results in the loss of control, wheels falling off and suspension components dropping to the ground. Mbz agreed to fix this issue…”
“Mercedes has acknowledged and agreed to repair at their cost the defect in the subframe connections to the wheel control arms. This structural weakness, once snapped, results in the loss of control, wheels falling off and suspension components dropping to the ground. Mbz agreed to fix this issue…”
“Mercedes has acknowledged and agreed to repair at their cost the defect in the subframe connections to the wheel control arms. This structural weakness, once snapped, results in the loss of control, wheels falling off and suspension components dropping to the ground. Mbz agreed to fix this issue…”
“Engine fire, consumer stated that he had just got the muffler replaced that day. (ohio traffic crash report). Mjs”
“Engine fire, consumer stated that he had just got the muffler replaced that day. (ohio traffic crash report). Mjs”
“The timing chain failed, and the whole engine had to be replaced. At the time, in 1987, I believed mercedes that the problem was a one time issue, and that the problem was due to a poor driver who had owned the car previously. Last week, a fried of mine, had a 1986, 380 sl fail with the same…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.