RoadVitals

1992 Mercedes-Benz 400

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jul 7, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1992 Mercedes-Benz 400, most frequently naming the electrical, airbags and brakes categories.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical562.5%
  • Airbags112.5%
  • Brakes112.5%
  • Transmission112.5%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed Jul 7, 2008

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD IS ROTTING AWAY. I HAVE A/C PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRES AND HAVE HAD LOSS OF POWER AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIMES. I'M STARTING TO HAVE DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS DUE TO THIS WIRING HARNESS AND AM VERY NERVOUS OF A POSSIBLE FIRE AS MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS USUALLY IN THE CAR. IF THIS IS A PROBLEM OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING, I FEEL IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY MERCEDES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10233466
Incident
Jun 22, 2008
Mileage
172,103 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 22, 2006

WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 400 SEL HAS GONE BAD. *NM

NHTSA ID
10171524
Incident
Oct 10, 2006
Electrical
Filed Sep 19, 2006

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADING, THIS ISSUE HAS EFFECTED ENGINE PERFORMANCE RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER TO CAR. THIS INCIDENT NEARLY COST ME AND MY FAMILY THEIR LIFE. DUE TO THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADING MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND DIED (ELECTRICALLY) ON THE FREEWAY. THIS ISSUE IS SERIOUS AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. *JB

NHTSA ID
10168621
Incident
Jan 25, 2004
Mileage
89,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 3, 2006

1992 MERCEDES 400E WITH ABOUT 140,000 MI. HAS A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS WHICH HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL HUNDRED COMPLAINTS ALREADY POSTED AND MANY ENGINE FIRES. THE WIRES IN THE HARNESS HAVE NO PROTECTION AGAINST HEAT AND LAY RIGHT ABOVE THE ENGINE. THE HARNESS CONTAINS SEVERAL WIRES, ALL OF WHICH SHOW DIRECT METAL TO METAL CONTACT THAT COULD EASILY CAUSE A FIRE. AFTER CALLING ED AT THE MERCEDES DIRECT HELP LINE, HE DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OR RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS OBVIOUS ENGINEERING DEFECT. ALL OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THIS WIRING HARNESS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. AN ADEQUATELY INSULATED REPLACEMENT PART IS NEEDED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10164376
Incident
Aug 2, 2006
Mileage
142,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 13, 2006

REMOVED AND REPLACED ENGINE HARNESS WIRING,(1992 MERCEDES BENZ 400SE)BASE CONTROL MODULE, CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *NM

NHTSA ID
10152570
Incident
Feb 10, 2006
Mileage
198,456 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 29, 2001
Crash reported1 injury reported

THE DRIVER DOZED OFF, WOKE UP WHEN WENT OFF THE ROAD, OVERCORRECTED AND WENT INTO A SKID, HEADING INTO THE DITCH ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PASSENGERSIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAD TO BE CUT OFF TO REMOVE THE DRIVER. STATE FARM INS. CO. TOTALED THE VEHICLE.*AK

NHTSA ID
751341
Incident
May 3, 2001
Brakes
Filed Jun 9, 1997

BRAKE FLUID HOSE RUPTURED.

NHTSA ID
518299
Transmission
Filed Apr 15, 1997

TRANSMISSION DELAYS SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR.

NHTSA ID
516478

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz 400 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2001200—
2000200—
1999100—
1998200—
1995100—
1993100036.1
1992Viewing800—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.