1993 Mercedes-Benz 300E

I HAVE BEEN AN ARDENT SUPPORTER OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ LINE FOR MANY YEARS AND MODELS. CURRENTLY I OWN A 1993 300SE AND MY "SUMMER CAR," A 1978 450SL. BOTH OF MY CARS ARE MAINTAINED TO THE HIGHEST OF STANDARDS, IT IS NOT A EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT YOU COULD EAT OFF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF EITHER CAR. WHICH IS WHY I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN THE FOLLOWING CHAIN OF EVENTS: PROBLEM: 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 300SE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND THROTTLE ACTUATOR WIRING . THE WIRE INSULATION USED ON THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR IN MY CAR HAS BADLY DEGRADED, AND IS CRUMBLING! THIS CAUSES SHORTS IN THE ELECTRONICS OF THE VEHICLE AND PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE SYSTEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS SITUATION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES (VIA THE INTERNET) AND I HAVE FOUND WEB FORUMS THAT ARE FULL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS. WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT FROM 1991-1997 MERCEDES BENZ USED A BIO-DEGRADABLE INSULATION ON THE WIRING OF THESE VEHICLES. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY BUT IT DIDNT STAND UP TO THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE BAY. EVERY ONE OF THESE CARS (91-97) WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THERE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DUE TO THIS "DESIGN FLAW" BUILT INTO THESE CAR'S. NOTHING HAS DONE BY MERCEDES TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM EXCEPT TO OFFER TO SELL ME A NEW WIRING HARNESS FOR $1000 DOLLARS!!!.. THIS VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE A MANUFACTURERS RECALL BY MERCEDES BEFORE SOMEBODY'S THROTTLE GETS STUCK AND THEY GET HURT/KILLED, OR BEFORE THEIR CAR AND THEY CATCH ON FIRE.

NHTSA ID

10851914

Incident

Mar 17, 2016

Mileage

123,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 300E (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE WHAT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STARTER AND THE REAR STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,690.

NHTSA ID

10808147

Incident

Jan 19, 1996

Mileage

46,690 mi

EARLY IN MORNING AS COLD TEMPERATURE, THE STATER NOT WORKING . LATER IN THE MORNING, ABOUT 1000 AM AS TEMPERATURE GET WARMER...IT WORK....MY GOD....

NHTSA ID

10806145

Incident

Nov 23, 2015

WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IN SHOP FOR REPAIRS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10705157

Incident

Jan 19, 2015

Mileage

134,344 mi

MY ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS HAS CRUMBLING INSULATION, AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. THIS OBVIOUSLY COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FIRES, STALLING, SUDDEN ACCELERATION, LOSS OF POWER, ETC. MY VEHICLE HAS STALLED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE FREEWAY AND IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS. THIS PROBLEM IS HEAVILY DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET WITH ALL 91-96 MERCEDES MODELS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10545187

Incident

Sep 24, 2013

Mileage

149,500 mi

CAR IS MIS-FIRING AND WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE ENGINE HARNESS JUST CRUMBLED WHEN HE TOUCHED IT. THE ENTIRE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10494386

Incident

Jan 22, 2013

Mileage

145,000 mi

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AS THE SECOND OWNER. THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO BE IN NEAR MINT CONDITION COSMETICALLY AS WELL AS MECHANICALLY. UPON INSPECTION MY LOCAL MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE AND BATTERY WIRING HARNESSES WERE DETERIORATING, CAUSING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS INCLUDING SURGING/ROUGH IDLE, SHORTING OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, INTERMITTENT POOR PERFORMANCE AND RISK OF FIRE/CRASH/INJURY. AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE QUIT RUNNING FOR A FEW DAYS AND SAT. AFTER FUMBLING WITH THE SHODDY HARNESS I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE RESTARTED, PURCHASE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER (JUST IN CASE) AND DRIVE 75 MILES IN LIMP MODE (REDUCED POWER) TO A MERCEDES SPECIALIST. THE SPECIALIST REPLACED THE SAID DEFECTIVE HARNESSES AT MY OWN EXPENSE OF $1,528.50. THE SPECIALIST ALSO REPLACED ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS THAT HAD BEEN DAMAGED FROM THE ELECTRICAL SHORTS AT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE I FIND THAT WIRING HARNESSES ARE A COMMON DEFECTIVE ITEM ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE. SURPRISINGLY NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I SAW MULTIPLE FAILURES IN VEHICLES NEWER AND WITH MUCH LESS MILEAGE THAN MINE. PEOPLE KEEP SUCH VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY RUN FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES, HOWEVER THEIR WIRING HARNESSES COMMONLY FAIL BEFORE THEY REACH 100K. I SAVED THE DEFECTIVE HARNESSES TO PROVE HOW SERIOUS THE CONDITION IS IF THE NEED ARISES TO PRODUCE THEM. THE SHEATHING AROUND THE COPPER WIRES HAD DETERIORATED ALLOWING MULTIPLE WIRES TO CONTACT THEREFORE RISKING A FIRE/CRASH/INJURY. SIMPLY TOUCHING THE SHEATHING CAUSES IT TO CRUMBLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10463852

Incident

Jun 9, 2012

Mileage

152,000 mi

PURCHASED 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 300E AND IT DEVELOPED ENGINE MISS. TOOK TO MECHANIC FOR TUNE UP AND WAS ADVISED THAT UNABLE TO TUNE UP DUE TO ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION DISINTEGRATION. A COMMON DEFECT WITH THESE MODELS SINCE THEY WERE NEW. THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. CALLED MERCEDES BENZ USA AND WAS ADVISED TO TOW CAR TO NEAREST MERCEDES DEALER ( ROMANO MERCEDES FAYETTEVILLE NY) FOR INSPECTION . THEY INSPECTED AND FOUND INSULATION IN HARNESS TO BE BAD, AND SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR $2600.00. WE THEN CALLED MERCEDES USA BACK AND THEY DENY PROBLEM AND HELP. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE,HAS BARE WIRES EXPOSED, FIRE HAZARD/RISK, RUNS INTERMITTENTLY/RUFF/STALLS, ACCIDENT HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10460188

Incident

May 30, 2012

Mileage

103,000 mi

MERCEDES MY-ALL MODELS 164.195 212.095, 221-195 222-163, 245.286 . VEHICLES MUST BE EXAMINED IMMEDIATELY AFTER AN ACCIDENT TO AVOID DAMAGE TO HV BATTERY. *LJ