1993 Mercedes-Benz 400 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 400, 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
- Electrical660.0%
- Brakes110.0%
- Driver assistance110.0%
- Engine110.0%
- Tires & wheels110.0%
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
THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1993 MERCEDES 400SEL IS DEFECTIVE. AFTER TALKING WITH A MERCEDES MECHANIC, HE INFORMS ME HOW IMPORTANT THIS HARNESS IS AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN IT FAILS. THE WIRES ARE CRACKING AND SPLITTING AND ARE DRIED OUT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. AFTER DOING THE RESEARCH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MERCEDES KNOWS THE HARNESSES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM. NO INJURIES OR DEATH AT THIS TIME. *TR
I HAVE A 1993 400 SEL MERCEDES BENZ THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS FOR YEARS AND NOW TURNS OUT TO BE A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY RECENTLY WHICH ALMOST GOT ME KILLED WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
BRAKE AND ROTOR WEAR OUT AT 4,000 MILES. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY SURGES AT SPEEDS OF 10-20 MPH. *AW
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AFTER MILDLY REARENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400 SEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED WITH SUMITOMO HTRZ2 TIRES AND TIRE SIZE, 245/35R20. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SPLIT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS LATER, HE NOTICED NUMEROUS SPLITS ON THE TIRE. HE ALREADY REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED, BUT THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED. WHEN THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE REPAIRED, THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE NOT INSPECTED AT ANY SHOP. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
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 .