1995 Mercedes-Benz 300 Series

VEHICLE WIRING HARNESS BURNS AND SHORTS DUE TO INSULATION ON WIRING DEGRADING CAUSING FAILURE OF NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10482062

Incident

Oct 1, 2012

Mileage

170,000 mi

ENGINE OF 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 STATION WAGON MISFIRED AND STALLED. INVESTIGATING THE PLUGS AND WIRING HARNESS FOUND THE HARNESS HAD DISINTEGRATED AND SHORTED OUT. *KB

NHTSA ID

10425358

Incident

May 3, 2011

Mileage

260,300 mi

1995 MERCEDES BENZ, E-300D EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: NONE, NORMAL USE OF THE VEHICLE THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, ITS CONSEQUENCES: WIRING AND GLOW PLUG HARNESS FAILURE, CAUSED BY BAD INSULATION ON THE WIRES THE INSULATION ON BOTH HARNESSES WAS PEELING/COMING OFF EXPOSING BARE COPPER WIRE, CAUSING SHORTS AND HARD COLD STARTS. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ DIRECT AND THEY "HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE"OF THIS PROBLEM ON THESE CARS. I THEN FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON 1990-1995 300 SERIES VEHICLES AND HAS CAUSE FIRES IN THE PAST. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: I HAD A LOCAL INDEPENDENT REPAIR FACILITY REPLACE BOTH HARNESSES AT MY EXPENSE. THE OLD HARNESSES WERE THROWN OUT. MERCEDES BENZ STILL SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HARNESSES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10246761

Incident

Apr 15, 2005

Mileage

165,000 mi

VEHICLE NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, BLOWING FUSES, WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON, ENGINE COOLING FAN NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, AND ENGINE OVERHEATING. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE INSULATION IS SEVERELY DETERIORATED ON THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS (MERCEDES BENZ PART NUMBER 124-440-32-32). THE INSULATION ON ALMOST ALL OF THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED OPEN AND LARGE PORTIONS OF THE INSULATION HAVE FALLEN OFF LEAVING BARE WIRES EXPOSED WHICH ARE CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS AND GROUND CIRCUITS. THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT OPERATING A VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL, LOSE POWER, CATCH ON FIRE, OR CAUSE OR RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE HAS INQUIRED WITH THE MERCEDES DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATES THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A VERY HIGH NUMBER OF THESE ENGINE WIRE HARNESSES. THE OWNER SHALL ORDER THE CORRECT PART AND A QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN SHALL REMOVE AND REPLACE IT. THE OWNER SHALL SAVE THE OLD WIRE HARNESS. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE INSULATION THAT CAUSES IT TO FAIL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10229755

Incident

Jun 2, 2008

Mileage

177,900 mi

1995 MERCEDES-BENZ E300D WIRING HARNESS: TEMPERATURE READING NOT ACCURATE, THOUGH ON THE HIGH SIDE SO I FEEL LIKE THE CAR IS OVERHEATING BUT REALLY NOT ENGINE IDLE SENSOR INACCURATE LEADING TO READING OF LOW RPM AT IDLE AND TACHOMETER NOT ALWAYS WORKING OTHER CONSEQUENCES: AUXILIARY FANS MOTORS BLOWN DUE TO FANS RUNNING AT HIGH SPEED ALWAYS INSTEAD OF VARIABLE AND INTERMITTENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND WAS GIVEN THE BAD NEW ABOUT THE WIRING HARNESS. COST TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AND OTHER INCIDENTALS: $2,250. *TR

NHTSA ID

10226574

Incident

Feb 8, 2008

Mileage

299,000 mi

THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND EA/CC/ISC WIRING INSULATION HAS BADLY DETERIORATED ON MY 1995 E300 DUE TO HEAT FATIGUE FROM POOR MANUFACTURING. THE DECAY HAS REACHED THE POINT OF LEAVING BARE EXPOSED WIRE WITHIN THE HARNESS. THESE WIRES MAKE CONTACT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL, SURGE, A/C COMPRESSOR NOT TO WORK, AND SET MISC. ENGINE CODES. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES AS EVIDENCED BY CONVERSATION THREADS ON SEVERAL WELL REGARDED FORUMS. THE GENERAL UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MERCEDES WAS ATTEMPTING TO CREATE ECO-FRIENDLY WIRE INSULATION THAT WOULD DEGRADE IN THE LANDFILL. IT WAS A GREAT IDEA, BUT HAS FAILED MISERABLY. IN MY OPINION SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RESOLVED WITH A RECALL. NOW. THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS OF ENGINE FIRES FROM THIS WIRING FAILURE. THIS IS NOT BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION A PART THAT IS PRONE TO FAILURE. MY FEELING IS THAT BY WAITING IT OUT MERCEDES IS HOPING THESE CARS WILL JUST GO AWAY. QUITE FRANKLY IT IS OUTRAGEOUS. THE COST OF A NEW HARNESS AND INSTALLATION IS RIDICULOUS NOT TO MENTION I WOULD END UP WITH A HARNESS THAT WILL DO THE SAME THING UNLESS THEY HAVE CHANGED THE MANUFACTURING OF THE WIRE INSULATION. HERE ARE THE FORUMS I MENTIONED ABOVE. HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESSHOP.COM/SHOPFORUM HTTP://WWW.BENZWORLD.ORG/FORUMS HTTP://FORUMS.MBWORLD.ORG/FORUM. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERVISOR AT MB, I ASKED HER IF THE VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE AND KILLING THE PASSENGERS WOULD BE A COMMON DETERIORATION OF A VEHICLE. SHE TOLD ME THAT ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MILES, IT IS THE CONSUMERS RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN IT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT A COMPANY KNOWN FOR A HIGH QUALITY LONG LASTING PRODUCT WOULD DUCK OUT OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221013

Incident

Mar 10, 2008

Mileage

190,000 mi

ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS WIRING INSULATION UNDER HOOD IS DETERIORATED, CRACKED, TURNED TO POWDER AND IS FALLING OFF COPPER WIRES. GLOW PLUG WIRING HAS CRACKED AND EXPOSED COPPER CAUSING MALFUNCTION TO GLOW PLUG RELAY. AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WIRING FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10214284

Incident

Apr 4, 2005

Mileage

146,900 mi

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SHEATHING/INSULATION IS BRITTLE, CRACKING, DISINTERGRATING AND BARE WIRES ARE EXPOSED CAUSING ELECTRICAL AND FUEL DELIVERY MALFUNCTIONS. VEHICLE LOSSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AND LOW, CAUSING CHALLENGING DRIVABILITY OF THE AUTOMOBILE WITH SPORADIC DOWNSHIFTING ANOMALIES. ERRONEOUS DASH LIGHTS EG. ENGINE, ASC FLUTTER ON AND OFF AND FUEL MILEAGE HAS DROPPED TREMENDOUSLY. MERCEDES DEALER QUOTES THE REPAIR ABOVE $1000 AND ACKNOWLEDGES THIS A COMMON AND DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10212919

Incident

Dec 10, 2007