1981 Mercedes-Benz 380: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1981 model year. Data snapshot: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Steering | 1 |
| Suspension | 1 |
| Wheels | 1 |
Steering: 1; Suspension: 1; Wheels: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 |
2023: 1
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11522934 · 2023-05-19 (May 19, 2023)
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 on all R107 and C107 cars (US Models 450SL/SLC) from 1973 thru 1980- Mercedes Recall#191185120001, SIL 33/001 Subframe Modification Dated 11/1/85 - but did not include the R107 and C107 between 1981-1985 (US Model 380SL/SLC) that developed the same pote…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11522934 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.