1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class Recalls, Complaints & Specs
4 safety recalls list the 1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class, and owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
4 safety recalls for the 1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Hose, piping, and connections (steering)
Mercedes-benz is recalling 125,228 my 1998-2004 m-class vehicles. The hose clamp used to secure the power steering fluid cooling hose to the power steering fluid cooler may not provide sufficient clamping force for this connection.
Remedy: An earlier recall repair performed on these vehicles may not be sufficient to prevent a future leakage or failure of the power steering hose connection (please see 03v121). Since it is not possible through inspection…
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Hose, piping, and connections (steering)
On certain passenger vehicles, the hose clamp used to secure the power steering fluid cooling hose to the power steering fluid cooler may not provide sufficient clamping force for this connection.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new hose clamp on the power steering hose to the power steering cooler. During clamp replacement, the power steering cooling hose will be inspected and replaced as necessary. Owner notification…
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Anchorage (seat belts)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The latching mechanism on the seat belt assembly was not assembled correctly. If the plastic cover is loose during the engagement of the buckle tongue to the latch mechanism, the buckle could unlatch.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat belt buckles. If either the driver or front passenger seat belt buckle is found to be defective, it will be replaced.
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Labels (equipment)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The certification label on these vehicles fail to comply with the labeling requirements of part 567, "certification."
Remedy: Dealers will send a representative to the owner's home and remove the non-compliance label and replace this with a label which is in compliance.
5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 71,700 miles. Complaints peaked in 2004 with 2 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“While pulling into a parking spot in a shopping center and going about 5 miles per hour, suddenly the accelerator went to the floor and i crashed into 2 cars. Luckily, i was not hurt and the damage to”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 18, 2009 · Power train
“No power steering while driving which is hard to steer that might cause into an accident. The harmonic balancer failed. *ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 3, 2004 · Engine and engine cooling
Compare Mercedes-Benz M Class model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercedes-Benz M Class model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class
How do I know if my 1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 4 campaigns currently list the 1998 Mercedes-Benz M Class; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 03V121000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
- C3003,469 complaints
- E3502,170 complaints
- E3201,164 complaints
- ML350952 complaints
- GLK350904 complaints
- ML320742 complaints
- C250726 complaints
- C230657 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.