The 1990 Mercedes-Benz 420 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 594 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the equipment. Last updated July 5, 2026.
BOLTS USED FOR THE BRAKE STRUT SUPPORT DO NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY BREAK.
THE FAILURE OF THE BOLTS MAY RESULT IN A DETERIORATION OF VEHICLE STEERING AND BRAKING WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
REPLACE HEX NUT BOLTS WITH BOLTS THAT MEET SPECIFICATIONS.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“On oct. 20, 2005, I asked mercedes benz of usa and mercedes benz of eugene(or), to show/tell me specifically where the tether anchors are in my 1990 420 sel mercedes. Also,on oct. 21, 2005, I filed a similar complaint, by email, at this site of nhtsa. To date, I have received no response from mbna…”
“The owner's manual for my 1990 420 sel, on page 46, states:"this vehicle is equipped with tether anchorages for use with child restraints that have a top tether strap. Consult your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for the exact location of these anchorages." after repeated phone calls, emails and…”
“No tether anchorages are present on this vehicle and no tether anchorages have ever been present on this vehicle. The owner's manual and mbna service bulletins state that this vehicle is equipped with tether anchorages for use with child restraints that have a top tether strap. Tether anchorages…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 420 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.