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 1995 Mercedes-Benz 320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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
CAR WAS CRUISING AT 10MPH BEFORE GETTING INTO OUR HOUSE DRIVEWAY, WHEN SMOG CAME UNDER THE HOOD, OPEN HOOD IMMEDIATELY AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL HARNESS WAS MELTING DOWN, SHUT OFF ENGINE AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY. *TR
DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, MISSING INSULATION WAS DISCOVERED ON WIRING TO A SENSOR IN THE AIR TUBE, VISIBLE OUTSIDE OF TAPE WRAP. I MADE SURE THAT WIRES WERE NOT TOUCHING AND INSULATED THE EXPOSED AREAS AT THE CLIP-ON CONNECTOR TO THE SENSOR. ENGINE MISSFIRE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO FUEL DELIVERY AND INJECTOR CLEANER WAS ADDED TO TANK. DRIVEABILTY CONTINUED TO WORSEN, AS ENGINE MISSFIRE BEGAN TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN. I WAS RECENTLY MADE AWARE OF THE WIRING ISSUES, SO I DECIDED TO REMOVE THE TAPE WRAP ON THE LEAD TO THE SENSOR. THE ENTIRE LENGTH THAT I EXPOSED, HAS CRACKED AND MISSING INSULATION. I THEN STOPPED, AS DISTURBING ANY ADDITIONAL WIRING WILL WORSEN THE PROBLEM. I CHECKED WITH MY LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT MERCEDES ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TOWARD FIXING THE DEFECTIVE WIRING, AND THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE DISPOSED OF THEIR VEHICLES OR JUST QUIT DRIVING THEM RATHER THAN SPEND THE MONEY TO HAVE REPAIRS MADE. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 90,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT. DUE TO THE RISK OF FIRE, NOW IT JUST SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY UNTIL I DECIDE IF I WANT TO HAVE IT HAULED AWAY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ 320SL. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED AUTOMOTIVE CENTER WHERE THE COMPUTER WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 50,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ 320SL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND HAVE IT TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000.
THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS IN THE CAR IS KNOW NOT GOOD THAT COULD CAUSE FIRE IN THE CAR. BENZ SHOULD REPAIR IT AT NO CHARGE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER. I WAS TOLD THE LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO A "BAD" WIRING HARNESS. COST TO REPAIR WAS $1,500.00. WAS TOLD IF THE REPAIRS WERE NOT DONE THE VEHICLE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PROBLEMS. PRIOR TO SPENDING THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND FIND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING 1991-1996 WIRING HARNESSES. I BELIEVE AN IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE VAST NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS WOULD CLEARLY INDICATE MERCEDES SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR
WIRING HARNESS WAS NOTICED TO BE DAMAGED DURING SERVICE AT MERCEDES SERVICE CENTER AND WAS REPLACED. EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE PART AND WAS TOLD BY REPAIR FACILITY THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. HFM CONTROL UNIT IS NOW DAMAGED, ANOTHER VERY EXPENSIVE PART, AND WAS TOLD THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS. *TR
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF CAUSING UNEVEN IDLE AND ENGINE SPEED. *TR
FAILURE OF ENGINE WIRE HARNESS ON 1995 E320 MERCEDES BENZ. APPARENTLY DUE TO INFERIOR WIRE. HEAT DESTROYED SOME BUT NOT ALL WIRES. TOTAL ELECTRONIC FAILURE AND NO USE OF THE VEHICLE! QUOTES TO REPAIR (MERCEDES) FROM $2,000 TO $3,700. *TR
HIGH STATIC ELECTRICITY SHOCK. VEHICLE SHOCKS AFTER ENGINE IS TURNED OFF WHEN BODY CHASSIS IS TOUCHED. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES SL 320. DURING 60,000 MILE MAINTENANCE CHECK THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.*AK UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB
FAULTY(PREMATURE DETERIORATION) OF WIRING WITHIN MAIN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS; KNOWN ISSUE BY MANUFACTURER(MERCEDES BENZ) CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO RELATED ENGINE COMPONENTS AND COMPROMISING OVERALL SAFETY AND DRIVEABILITY OF VEHICLE, 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 SEDAN.
1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320; MY CAR HAS BEEN HESITATING AT IDLE, WORST WHEN A/C IS ON, WHEN ACCELERATING, MAKING TURNS, BACKFIRES CONSTANTLY WHICH FRIGHTENS ME THAT MY CAR COULD CATCH FIRE AND INJURE THE KIDS IN THE CAR AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SHOULD BE REPLACED FIRST BEFORE HE COULD TROUBLESHOOT ANY PROBLEMS AND THIS WOULD COST ME $1000-1600 FOR THE PART PLUS LABOR. I FEEL THAT THIS IS TOO MUCH TO PAY FOR A BUNCH OF WIRES AND I FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT RIGHT MERCEDES BENZ CARS AREN'T SUPPOSE TO DETERIORATE LIKE THIS, IT SHOULD LAST FOREVER. WHEN HAVING TO PAY MORE THAN 50K DOLLARS FOR A CAR, THESE THINGS AREN'T SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN. PLS. APPROVE THIS IMPORTANT RECALL. *NM
WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1995 MERCEDES E320 HAS DETERIORATED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT MY EXPENSE AS PER MERCEDES DEALER. THE CAR STALLS AND IS A SAFETY AND FIRE HAZARD. ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS ARE RENDERED USELESS. IT IS AN OBVIOUS MATERIALS OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN BY MECHANICS, BUT DENIED BY DEALER SERVICE MANAGER. *JB
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THERE WAS A POWER SURGE IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAUSED A FIRE TO START. *AK *YH
I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND MY SERVICE TECH ADVISED ME OF A DETERIORATED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION. I CONTACTED OUR PARTS SUPPLIER AND WAS TOLD THAT MERCEDES WAS HAVING A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE HARNESSES IN 1994 AND 1995 E CLASS MODELS. AT THAT POINT I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE A FACTORY REP LOOK AT MY CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FACTORY REP SAID MERCEDES WAS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF RECONDITIONING CARS. I THEN ASK TO SPEAK TO THE FACTORY REP MYSELF. THE FACTORY REP CALLED AND SAID HE KNEW OF NO SUCH PROBLEM. HE SUGGESTED I TAKE MY CAR TO ATLANTA SINCE THEY HAD EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR REGION. AFTER CALLING SEVERAL DEALERS INSIDE HIS REGION AS WELL AS OTHERS I FOUND THAT ALL DEALERS WERE AWARE OF THIS FIRE HAZARD AND MOST WERE REPLACING THE HARNESS AT NO COST. THE PART NUMBER IS 124 440 5632 AND IS STOCKED AT MOST MAJOR DEALERS BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING PROBLEM. MY FEELING IS , IF MERCEDES-BENZ KNOWS OF THIS SAFETY PROBLEM, WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW OF YOUR FINDINGS. SINCERELY KEITH B. KINGAN. *AK
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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