RoadVitals

1996 Mercedes-Benz 220

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest Dec 2, 2013
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Mercedes-Benz 220, most frequently naming the heating & air conditioning, driver assistance and electrical categories. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Heating & air conditioning116.7%
  • Driver assistance116.7%
  • Electrical116.7%
  • Fuel system116.7%
  • Interior & seats116.7%
  • Visibility116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Dec 2, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES BENZ C220. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, HE ACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND ATTEMPTED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,000.

NHTSA ID
10554411
Incident
Nov 16, 2013
Mileage
173,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Sep 21, 2006

MY 1996 MERCEDES C220 HAS 190,000 MILES ON IT. THE WIRING HARNESS COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED AND I WAS TOLD BY MY REPAIR SHOP THAT THE FAULTY WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT THE COMPUTER. I CALLED MERCEDES CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SENT A LETTER TO PAUL HALATA. THEY WERE VERY SORRY, BUT THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE CAR IS SITTING IN MY GARAGE - NOT RUNNING. *NM

NHTSA ID
10168867
Incident
Dec 1, 2005
Mileage
190,000 mi
Interior & seatsVisibility
Filed Sep 19, 1997

POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED.

NHTSA ID
605009
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Apr 21, 1997

AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE.

NHTSA ID
603150
Incident
Dec 1, 1996
Fuel system
Filed Apr 10, 1997

FUEL PUMP FAILED TWICE.

NHTSA ID
603067
Incident
Nov 1, 1996

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

463040

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

FLOW NOISES FROM AREA OF POWER STEERING PUMP AND/OR FOAMING OF POWER STEERING OIL IN RESERVOIR. *TT

27/962C

WHEELS

REAR WHEEL RIMS WIDER THAN FRONT RIMS - DIFFICULTY IN ROTATING TIRES, *TW

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz 220 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2003000—
2002000—
2001100—
2000201—
1997000—
1996Viewing500—
1995140046.7
1994500—
1993000—
1988001—
1987001—
1986001—
1985001—
1984001—
1973010—
1972010—
1971010—
1968010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.