1993 Mercedes-Benz 300 Series Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300 Series, 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
- Electrical1979.2%
- Engine28.3%
- Fuel system28.3%
- Transmission14.2%
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
BATTERY GOES DEAD, REPLACED BATTERY, IT GOES DEAD. CHARGED BATTERY , IT GOES DEAD. *TR
I HAVE TWO MERCEDES BENZ W124 CARS. BOTH CARS HAVE HAD THE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE AND THAT DESTROYED MANY VERY EXPENSIVE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ON THE CARS. 1993 300E 4 DOOR SEDAN, WIRING HARNESS FAILURE AND DESTROY MANY THINGS VERY EXPENSIVE ON THE CAR 1995 E320 CABRIOLET RARE COLLECTORS CONVERTIBLE MADE IN 1994 AND 1995 ONLY! PLEASE SEND ME TWO FORMS TO FILL OUT. *TR
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGH,AND SMELLING LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. *TR
I HAVE OWNED THREE PREVIOUS MBZ AUTOMOBILES. TODAY, I OWN A 1993 300SE WITH LESS THAN 46000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS CAR'S ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE WAS MORE THAN $72000. EVEN THOUGH I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS AUTOMOBILE, AND WHILE IT IS MOSTLY GARAGED AS IT IS MY WEEKEND SEDAN, OVER $7K HAS BEEN SPENT IN CORRECTING KNOWN PROBLEMS OF THIS MODEL. TO NAME JUST A FEW OF THE LARGER ITEMS CORRECTED, A LEAKING HEAD GASKET, BAD MOTOR MOUNTS, AND INOPERABLE PNEUMATIC SELF CLOSING DOORS. WILL I CONTINUE MY AFFAIR WITH MBZ, LEXUS MAY BE GETTING A CALL&& *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
I HAVE TWO MERCEDES BENZ W124 CARS. BOTH CARS HAVE HAD THE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE AND THAT DESTROYED MANY VERY EXPENSIVE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ON THE CARS. 1993 300E 4 DOOR SEDAN, WIRING HARNESS FAILURE AND DESTROY MANY THINGS VERY EXPENSIVE ON THE CAR 1995 E320 CABRIOLET RARE COLLECTORS CONVERTIBLE MADE IN 1994 AND 1995 ONLY! PLEASE SEND ME TWO FORMS TO FILL OUT. *TR
MY 1993 MERCEDES 300E EXPERIENCED SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH ITS WIRING IN THE HARNESS. AS A RESULT, I HAD IT TAKEN INTO A MECHANIC, WHO NOTICED THAT THE INSULATION ON THE FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED AND CAUSED THE WIRES TO RUB TOGETHER. IT APPEARS THAT THIS ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MANY MERCEDES (ESPECIALLY THE MODELS FROM THE 90'S), AND I AM SURPRISED THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAS NOT MADE ANY EFFORT TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM, OR AT LEAST TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. MY CAR ENDED UP BEING IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 3 MONTHS IN WHICH I HAD TO PURCHASE A BRAND NEW HARNESS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, HAD I NOT SENT IN MY VEHICLE TO BE CHECKED, A CHANCE OF ENGINE FIRE WAS MORE THAN LIKELY. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF MERCEDES BENZ WOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO HAVE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, AT LEAST FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHER FAITHFUL MERCEDES DRIVERS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
93 300SE PURCHASED IN 1999; TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN MONTH AND HALF; 11/22/04 TRANSMISSION STOPPED PULLING ON HIGHWAY HALFWAY BETWEEN MEMPHIS AND ST LOUIS. WHEN WE TURNED THE CAR OFF, IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN. LIGHTS, RADIO, HORN, ETC WORKED, BUT CAR WOULD NOT SAY ANYTHING. READ ARTICLE ON INTERNET REGARDING DEFECTIVE B2 PISTON AND 'T' SEAL IN 93 AND EARLIER TRANSMISSIONS (722.3,.4,.5). WE HAVE 722.502. MERCEDES (1-800 FOR MERC) DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. MERCEDES TRANS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO SIKESTON, MO. AND THEN WE TOWED IT BACK TO OUR SHOP IN EARLE, ARKANSAS, WHERE IT IS NOW. WE ARE TRYING TO GET INFO REGARDING THIS PISTON AND T SEAL BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. *AK
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .