Model year record
The 1990 Mercedes-Benz 420 has 1 safety recall and 3 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is equipment (2 complaints).
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 2 | — |
| Child seatTether › Connector/clip | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
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 ARE NEEDED TO PROPERLY ATTACH MY FORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT. MERCEDES-BENZ-USA AND MERCEDES-BENZ OF EUGENE, OR STATE THAT THIS VEHICLE DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH THE TETHER ANCHORAGES. WERE/ARE TETHER ANCHORAGES REQUIRED TO BE ATTACHED TO THIS VEHICLE FOR THIS VEHICLE TO BE SOLD IN THE USA AT TIME OF SALE PER FEDERAL STANDARDS AND/OR BECAUSE THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND SERVICE BULLETINS STATE THAT…
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 OF USA. ALSO, MB OF EUGENE HAS NOT, APPARENTLY, BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OR ATTACH THE ANCHORS THAT ARE TO HAVE BEEN ALREADY INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE, ACCORDING TO THE "OWNER'S MANUAL". MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ANCHORS WERE/ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS VEHICLE TO BE IMPORTED AND SOLD IN THE USA. APPARENTLY, THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN MBNA 91/4B PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE. I NEED THE EVENFLO…
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 FAXES AND A VISIT TO THE DEALER, NEITHER THE EUGENE DEALER, MERCEDES BENZ OF EUGENE, OR THE MERCEDES-BENZ OF USA, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL/SHOW ME THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE ANCHORAGES. ALSO, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT MERCEDES BENZ OF EUGENE AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT MERCEDES-BENZ OF USA TOLD ME THAT THE 1990 420 SEL DOES NOT HAVE THE ANCHORAGES. ON MY OWN RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.