Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300 Series submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
THE GUY SOLD TO ME WITH IT NOT RUNNING HE SAID HE HAD THE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED AND IT STILL DON'T RUN 700 WAS SPENT I HAVE RECITE ITS A 1992 300SE THIS IS SICK THIS IS WHAT [XXX] TOLD HIM AND IT STILL DON'T RUN SO NOW WHAT? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
1992 MERCEDES BENZ 300SE THE ISSUE IS FROM THE RESULTS OF A DRYROTTED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. DURING THE TIME PERIOD THIS CAR WAS MANUFACTURED MERCEDES BENZ USED A BIODEGRATABLE MATERIAL FOR THE WIRE COVERINGS. THIS MATERIAL THROUGH THE YEARS COULD NOT WITHSTAND THE HEAT PRODUCED BY THE ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MERCEDES KNOW ABOUT AND HAS SINCE CHANGED THE WIRING HARNESS COVER MATERIAL A FEW YEAR LATER. ALL THEIR MECHANICS KNOW THIS AND IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON EVERY MERCEDES FORUM THAT I HAVE FOUND. I AM TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS OF OCCURRENCES RECORDED. THE REDESIGNED HARNESS IS A $600.00 ITEM WHICH IS WHY MERCEDES TENDS TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND REFUSES TO ACCEPT THIS AS A RECALL ITEM. THIS ITEM MUST BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE IF GONE UNATTENDED IT BECOMES A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD WHICH IS ALSO WELL DOCUMENTED AND WAS MENTIONED BY MY MECHANIC. HE ALSO STATED THAT MOST DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT WORK ON THESE CARS UNLESS THE ENGINE HARNESS IS REPLACED FIRST. THIS IS BECAUSE THE CAR IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DIAGNOSIS IF THE WIRING IS NOT IN A GOOD WORKING CONDITION DUE TO THE FACT THAT FALSE SIGNALS ARE SENT TO THEIR DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. MY MECHANIC ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM HIS MERCEDES BENZ PRELIMINARY INSPECTION & ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES MANUAL. IT IS RETYPED AND QUOTED EXACTLY AS THE MERCEDES BENZ DOCUMENTATION STATES. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION & DOCUMENTATION VISUAL INSPECTION 1) VISUALLY INSPECT ALL ELECTRICAL WIRING, LOOKING FOR CHAFTED, STRETCHED, CUT OR PINCHED WIRING. ENSURE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS FIT TIGHTLY AND ARE NOT CORRODED. CHECK FOR LOOSE OR DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON STARTER MOTOR. ENSURE ALL VACUUM HOSES ARE PROPERLY? NOW I ASK YOU; IF THIS IS NOT KNOWN BY MERCEDES BENZ TO BE AN ISSUE THEN WHY IS IT THE VERY FIRST THING IN THEIR PRELIMINARY INSPECTION THAT THEY HAVE ALL OF THEIR TRAINED MECHANICS LOOK FOR? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 300SE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IDLING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHILE AT A STOP SIGN AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT HE NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY CLAIMED TO NEVER HAVE HEARD OF THE FAILURE AND COULD NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 100,500. UPDATED 05/19/09 *BF THE ISSUE WAS A DRY ROTTED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. DURING THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED, MERCEDES BENZ USED A BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL FOR THE WIRE COVERINGS. THE MATERIAL THROUGH OUT THE YEARS COULD NOT WITHSTAND THE HEAT PRODUCED BY THE ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD. UPDATED 05/27/09.*JB
ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS OF THE 1992 W140 MERCEDES BENZ 300SD SHORTED OUT AND CAUSE A FIRE INSIDE MY VEHICLE. I SHUT OF THE POWER SOURCE AND NOW MY CAR IS WORTHLESS SINCE THE WIRING IS BAD. *TR
I BOUGHT THE CAR USED.... I NOW KNOW WHY THE MAN WAS SO EAGER TO SELL AT SUCH A REASONABLE PRICE. CAR CONTINUES TO STALL ON ME, AFTER LETTING IT SIT AND COOL FOR APPROX. 20+ MINS IT WILL USUALLY START. ON ONE OCCASION THE CAR SEEMED TO BE ON FIRE, BY THE TIME I GOT PULLED OVER, THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF SMOKE. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR ANYTHING OVER 5-10 MINS IT SMELLS AS IF IT WERE ON FIRE. *TR
RADIO, ALARM, BACKUP WARNING, MOON ROOF, QUIT WORKING. BATTERY DIED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR HAD DIFFICULTIES STARTING AND RUNNING ROUGH. BOTH WIRING HARNESSES HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB
1992 MERCEDES 300E, ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILING CAUSING CAR TO SHORT OUT, STALL, NOT DRIVABLE. *NM
I HAVE A 1992 300CE AND I WAS INFORMED LAST WEEK BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRACKING AND PEELING. AFTER READING THE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR WIRING HARNESS CAUSING A FIRE I AM CONCERN. THE PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING IS THE CAR ALARM, RADIO, AND LEFT HEADLIGHT SOCKET PLUG IS DAMAGE DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAULT. I AM CONSIDERING REPLACING THE WIRE HARNESS. *JB
I HAVE A 1992 300CE MERCEDES BENZ. THE WIRING HARNESS IS BAD AND I'M TOLD THAT THE PLASTIC WAS MADE OF WHAT HAS BEEN OUTLAWED. THIS MATERIAL MAY CAUSE A FIRE. WHAT IF ANYTHING CAN I DO TO REMEDY THIS WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY AN ARM AN LEG, AS FAR AS THE MERCEDES COMPANY IS CONCERNED? HELP!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE NOTE THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENT BUT IN ORDER TO PROCEED I HAD TO PUT IN A DATE. THANK YOU. *JB
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.
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