RoadVitals

1994 Mercedes-Benz 280 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
18
Latest Jul 4, 2011
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
8
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.
6

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1994 Mercedes-Benz 280, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Electrical1047.6%
  • Driver assistance314.3%
  • Engine29.5%
  • Brakes29.5%
  • Visibility14.8%
  • Body & structure14.8%
  • Suspension14.8%
  • Airbags14.8%

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

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

10
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

1994 C280 MERCEDES CAUGHT FIRE AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. MERCEDES WAS DESTROYED AND CAR NEXT TO IT TOTALED AS WELL. HOUSE DAMAGED (CARS WERE IN DRIVEWAY). FIRE INSPECTOR SAID FIRE STARTED UNDER HOOD, APPEARS IT WAS PROBABLY THE WIRING HARNESS. FIREMEN HAD TO USE SPECIAL FOAM TO PUT FIRE OUT BECAUSE OF MAGNESIUM PARTS ON MERCEDES, CAN'T USE WATER BECAUSE IT WILL CAUSE AN EXPLOSION. IT BURNED FOR OVER AN HOUR AND TOOK THE FIREMEN AT LEAST HALF AN HOUR TO PUT IT OUT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY MERCEDES BENZ. *TR

NHTSA ID 10410371 · filed Jul 4, 2011

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS BRITTLE INSULATION; HAS HUNDREDS OF CRACKS; INSULATION IS FALLING OFF OF WIRES; IS SHORT CIRCUITING, MOTOR IS RUNNING ROUGH; MISSING SOME; SOUNDS LIKE ITS NOT RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS. WIRING HARNESS IS HEATING WHERE IT IS SHORT CIRCUITING. I HAVE SEEN SOME SMOKING; WAS ON FIRE ONCE SO FAR. *TR

NHTSA ID 10340330 · filed Jun 27, 2010
All 10 reports naming electrical →

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A STOP LIGHT AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE FORWARD FOR A SECOND. DRIVER HAS TO PRESS HARDER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR VEHICLE TO STOP. *AK

NHTSA ID 828934 · filed Oct 14, 1998

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SURGED FOWARD, HIT A WALL IN GARAGE, CAUSING PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, WHILE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID 822480 · filed Apr 16, 1998

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

MY 1994 MERCEDES BENZ WOULD STOP IN TRAFFIC FOR NO REASON. *TR

NHTSA ID 10226079 · filed Apr 29, 2008

THIS VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A LEAKING HEAD GASKET AND FAILED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE OIL LEAK HAD BEGUN OVER THREE YEARS AGO, BUT WAS MINOR AND I WAS LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS A MINOR SEAL OR GASKET. UPON CONTACTING OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE, I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS GENERALLY KNOWN BY MANY OWNERS OF C280'S THAT THE HEAD GASKETS LEAK OIL AND THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESSES GO BAD. THE TERM MOST USED WAS "IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF IF IT WILL FAIL BUT WHEN IT WILL FAIL". UPON LEARNING THIS INFORMATION I INSPECTED THE WIRING IN THE CAR AND IN AREAS WHERE THE WIRES WERE NOT WRAPPED TOGETHER, I COULD SEE THE INSULATION CRACKING AND WHERE THE WIRING LOOKED FINE, ALL I HAD TO DO IS LIGHTLY MOVE THE WIRES AND A NEW CRACK WOULD DEVELOP. WHERE THE CRACKS EXISTED YOU COULD SEE THE WIRE STRANDS BELOW. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE CAN LEAD TO EQUIPMENT FAILURE AND POTENTIALLY AN ENGINE FIRE. IN MY OPINION AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR, DEFINITELY LONGER THAN 50K MILES AS SHOULD A HEAD GASKET THAT HASN'T BEEN STRESSED IN AN OVER HEAT SITUATION. IT IS ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE HEADGASKET HAS BEEN REVISED IN LATER VERSIONS. DT

NHTSA ID 769109 · filed Oct 30, 2002

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED ABS FAILURE, UPON BRAKING PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, BRAKES SEEMED INEFFECTIVE IN STOPPING, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE.*AK

NHTSA ID 802873 · filed Sep 24, 1996

ABS BRAKES; FAILURE ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK. *AK

NHTSA ID 980701 · filed Mar 14, 1996

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

WINDSHIELD WIPER IS INADEQUATE CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

NHTSA ID 515359 · filed Feb 26, 1997

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

PROBLEM WITH ROOF. *AK

NHTSA ID 479147 · filed Jan 9, 1995

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

VEHICLE SHIMMEYS. *SD

NHTSA ID 505755 · filed Jun 23, 1996

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SURGED FOWARD, HIT A WALL IN GARAGE, CAUSING PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY, WHILE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID 822480 · filed Apr 16, 1998

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .