Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 15 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 Mercedes-Benz C Class, most frequently naming the electrical, brakes and engine categories. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2000 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 2003 | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 2005 | 1 | 3 |
| Oct 2005 | 1 | 4 |
| Jan 2006 | 1 | 5 |
| Mar 2006 | 1 | 6 |
| Jul 2006 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 8 |
| Mar 2007 | 1 | 9 |
| Jan 2008 | 1 | 10 |
| Feb 2008 | 1 | 11 |
| Aug 2008 | 1 | 12 |
| Jul 2011 | 1 | 13 |
| Aug 2011 | 1 | 14 |
| Apr 2012 | 1 | 15 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
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.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING 20 MPH WHEN SMOKE FILLED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 221,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ C280. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT DETECTED EXTREMELY SMALL FLAMES AND SPARKS COMING FROM THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
FIRE AND SPARKS CAUSED BY MERCEDES ENGINE WIRE HARNESS! THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS WAS POORLY MADE, AND WAS INSULATED BELOW STANDARD. I JUST FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES .THEY SHOULD RECALL ALL THEIR VEHICLES FOR SAFETY! MERCEDES VEHICLE NOT SAFE IF THEY DO NOT CORRECT THIS HUGE PROBLEM! *TR
I RECENTLY ACQUIRED THIS 1994 C-CLASS 4 CYL FROM MY FATHER WHO DROVE IT VERY LITTLE AROUND TOWN. IT ONLY HAD 108,000 MILES ON WHEN I GOT IT IN FEB., 2008. ON MARCH 24, 2008 I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN THE SHOP BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH. I PAID $1,400.00 FOR A NEW LOWER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS TO BE INSTALLED. TODAY AUG. 12,2008 I WILL BE PICKING UP MY CAR AT THE SHOP FOR THE UPPER WIRING HARNESS TO BE REPLACED FOR THE COST OF $450.00. THESE REPLACEMENTS ARE BOTH DUE TO THE HARNESSES CRACKING, AND SPLITTING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WIRING HARNESSES. THIS ALLOWS FOR THE VEHICLE TO SHORT AND CAUSE FIRES UNDER THE HOOD OR ELSEWHERE. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE REGARDING THE WIRING HARNESSES ON MERCEDES BENZ. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES BENZ WILL NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR
WIRING HARNESS ON 1994 MERCEDES C280. *TR
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS BRITTLE INSULATION; HAS HUNDREDS OF CRACKS; INSULATION IS FALLING OFF OF WIRES; IS SHORT CIRCUITING, MOTOR IS RUNNING ROUGH; MISSING SOME; SOUNDS LIKE ITS NOT RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS. WIRING HARNESS IS HEATING WHERE IT IS SHORT CIRCUITING. I HAVE SEEN SOME SMOKING; WAS ON FIRE ONCE SO FAR. *TR
I WAS PULLING INTO A GAS STATION TO FILL UP, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A FEW WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF MY HEATER VENTS. OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW A MELTED WIRING HARNESS, AND FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED ME THAT THE RUBBER WAS FALLING OFF OF THE WIRES, DISINTEGRATED. *JB
THE WIRE HARNESS IS DETERIORATING, MAKING THE ENGINE SHAKING AND ROUGH IDLING. SOME OF INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE NO WORKING DUE TO THE WIRE SHORTED OUT. UNDER THE HOOD INSPECTION BY A QUALIFIED MB MECHANIC REVEALED SOME WIRE CONNECTORS ARE CRACKING WITH NAKE COPPER WIRES EXPOSED. MB IS AWARE OF THE WIRE HARNESS PROBLEM AS THEY ADMIT TO USING AN EXPERIMENTAL PLASTIC TO INSULATE THESE WIRES WHICH BREAKS DOWN WHEN THE WIRES GET HOT. MB SHOULD INITIATE A RECALL ON THESE AFFECTED MODEL YEARS AND REPLACE THE HARNESS FEE OF CHARGE. *NM
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ANTI-THEFT DEVICES
SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING; FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING
MERCEDES: REPLACING THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBER (LEFT AND RIGHT) BELOW THE MAIN FLOOR PANEL ON ALL MY 204 UP TO 12/31/07. (C300, C350, C300 4-MATIC, C63 AME). *PE
TIRES
UPDATED INFORMATION TO REFLECT ADDITON OF APPROVED TIRES. *YC
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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.