1993 Mercedes-Benz 400E 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 400E, 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
- Electrical1463.6%
- Engine418.2%
- Driver assistance313.6%
- Fuel system14.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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
PARKED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED IT IN PARK THEN TURNED IGNITION OFF. BURNING SMELL COMING FROM VEHICLE THEN SMOKE STARTED GOING IN THROUGH VENTS AND SEEMED LIKED IT WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS IS CREATING MASS AND THE CAR NEARLY WENT UP IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND WERENT ABLE TO PUT OUT THE SMOKE AS THE SOURCE OF IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATLY DETERMINED. I AM NOT LOOKING AT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS.
WIRING CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO FAULTY WIRING HARNESS INSULATION, WHICH IS WELL DOCUMENTED. YET, MERCEDES REFUSES TO RESOLVE/RECALL THIS ISSUE. WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE FUEL INJECTION ENGINE HARNESS WIRING HAS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED DUE TO THE USE OF A BIO DEGRADABLE MATERIAL BY MERCEDES BENZ. HAS RESULTED IN A LOT OF SHORTING ISSUES, WHICH RESULTED IN AIR CONDITIONING TURNING OFF, FAN CONTROL OFF, ENGINE HEATING UP, BLUE AND BLACK SMOKE, AND NOW SMOG FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO MERCEDES AND THEY NEED TO FIX IT. I HAVE HAD OVER $4000 REPAIRS AND STILL NEED TO GET THE ENGINE HARNESS CHANGED, WHICH IS A CUSTOM PAR AND MERCEDES WILL TAKE 2 MONTHS TO BUILD AND THE REPAIR ESTIMATE ON MY CAR IS OVER $8000 BY MERCEDES STEVEN CREEK. THESE PROBLEMS GOT ME 2 TRAFFIC TICKETS FOR NO REASON. DISGUSTING. MERCEDES NEEDS TO RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE, AND PROVIDE EXCELLENT SAFETY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, TO PEOPLE WHO BUY THEIR CAR. I REQUEST MBUSA PRESIDENT TO KINDLY LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *TR
FAULTY WIRING IN ENGINE HARNESS RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER AT SPEED ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, LUCKILY AT THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAR'S CHARGING SYSTEM HAD BEEN SHORTED OUT. STILL WAITING ON OTHER SYSTEM TESTS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN MERCEDES. WHY ISN'T ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS? *TR
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
PARKED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED IT IN PARK THEN TURNED IGNITION OFF. BURNING SMELL COMING FROM VEHICLE THEN SMOKE STARTED GOING IN THROUGH VENTS AND SEEMED LIKED IT WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS IS CREATING MASS AND THE CAR NEARLY WENT UP IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND WERENT ABLE TO PUT OUT THE SMOKE AS THE SOURCE OF IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATLY DETERMINED. I AM NOT LOOKING AT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS.
DRIVING ON RT 101. SUDDENLY COULD NOT CONTROL ACCELERATION. NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT FORCING ANOTHER CAR OFF THE ROAD. TOOK THE CAR TO GERMAN MOTORS-MERCEDES REPAIR AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS FALLING APART AND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL CAR. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FAULTY WIRING IN ENGINE HARNESS RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER AT SPEED ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, LUCKILY AT THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAR'S CHARGING SYSTEM HAD BEEN SHORTED OUT. STILL WAITING ON OTHER SYSTEM TESTS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN MERCEDES. WHY ISN'T ANYTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS? *TR
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 .