RoadVitals

1994 Mercedes-Benz 500 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
6
Latest Jun 5, 2008
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.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Nov 19, 2003

What this page shows

Our database holds 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 Mercedes-Benz 500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–6 of 6

Electrical
Filed Jun 5, 2008

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHILE MY CAR (1994 MERCEDES S500)STARTED TO SMOKE A GREAT DEAL. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF I WAS STRANDED FOR 6 HOURS UNTIL I COULD GET A TOW TRUCK. AFTER SPENDING $2000.00 DOLLARS TO GET FIXED IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSED ALL OF THIS TO HAPPEN WAS AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND I WOULD NEED ANOTHER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE FROM SHOP BUT CAR CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT HOME. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND LOOK AT THIS: HTTP://USERS.ADELPHIA.NET/~INFOAGE1/COMPLAINTS_NHTSA_MERCEDES_WIRING_HARNESS_FAILURES_1991_1996.HTML I AM OUTRAGED! THIS IS CAUSING MANY PEOPLE AND CHILDREN TO BE PUT IN LIFE OR DEATH SITUATIONS WITHOUT ANY ANSWER OR HELP FROM YOU ALL. DO NOT WAIT TILL SOMEBODY DIES BECAUSE IT WILL HAPPEN. YOU HAVE THE EVIDENCE YOU NEED! I TRIED CONTACTING MERCEDES AND THEY WERE AS WORTHLESS AS THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10230080
Incident
Apr 25, 2008
Mileage
186,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 24, 2007

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS COVERING MATERIAL ON BOTH MY 1994 MB E500'S HAS DETERIORATED CAUSING SHORTS BETWEEN WIRES, ENGINE MISS-FIRING, HABITUAL "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT BEING ON, ETC. HAVE DISCUSSED ISSUE WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE MB MECHANICS AND THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON 1991 --> 1996 MB'S. OBVIOUSLY THE WIRE COVERING MATERIAL IS DEFECTIVE AS THIS HARNESS SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR. MB AT THE VERY LEAST SHOULD PROVIDE REPLACEMENT HARNESSES AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMERS THAT PURCHASES THEIR AUTOMOBILES. FOR MB TO RESPOND THAT THIS CONDITION IS NORMAL WEAR & TEAR IS NOT FACTUAL! *TR

NHTSA ID
10206785
Incident
Aug 1, 2007
Mileage
140,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Apr 23, 2007

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10188610
Incident
Apr 13, 2007
Electrical
Filed Oct 6, 2005

CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI CASE NUMBER: 10137365 COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD DETAILS: INSULATION ON ELECTRICAL WIRING CRUMBLES TO DUST, RESULTING IN SHORTS, DAMAGED ELECTRONICS, ENGINE STALLING, ABS FAILURE, ETC. IT APPEARS MBZ USED DEFECTIVE INSULATION ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESSES. IN ALL LOCATIONS THAT ARE EXPOSED TO HIGHER THAN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE THE INSULATION CRUMBLES TO DUST. . DEALER SAYS 'ITS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 92-95 MODEL YEARS'. REPLACEMENT HARNESSES COST OVER $3000 (2 RQD) AND REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS WITH INTEGRAL DEFECTIVE WIRING COST OVER $8000 (NOT INCLUDING ANY COMPUTER BOXES THAT GET DAMAGED BY SHORTS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10138922
Incident
Sep 30, 2005
Mileage
130,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 13, 2004

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE ASR SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *PH DEALER WOULDN'T HELP. *PH

NHTSA ID
10050025
Incident
Nov 21, 2003
Mileage
163,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 19, 2003

COMPLAINT REGARDING INTERNATIONAL FRAUD AND HARASSMENT PRACTICES INVOLVING MERCEDES BENZ.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD JUST OVER 31,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, WHEN IT STARTED TO ODOMETER AND ELECTRICAL COMPUTER SWITCH PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD MY A MERCEDES BENZ MECHANIC THAT THE ODOMETER PROBLEM COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED AND THE ELECTRICAL COMPUTER SWITCH WAS DESIGNED SO POORLY THAT THE MANUFACTURER STOPPED MAKING THEM AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS. *JB *NM

NHTSA ID
10048557
Mileage
31,000 mi

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .