1994 Mercedes-Benz C Class 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 1994 Mercedes-Benz C Class, 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
- Electrical1058.8%
- Brakes211.8%
- Engine211.8%
- Fuel system211.8%
- Driver assistance15.9%
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
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH., THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING ON ITS OWN AND ACCELERATING VEHICLE'S SPEED ON THE SPEEDOMETER. AS THE CONTACT TURNED INTO A DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE FASTER AND THE SPEED INDICATOR NEEDLE MOVED PASSED THE MAXIMUM SPEED INDICATED ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND SHOOK AS THE BRAKES FAILED TO HOLD THE PROGRESS OF THE RACING ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF STOPPING THE VEHICLE. ON THE FIRST VISIT, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE REPLACEMENT PART UNAVAILABLE, THEREFORE THE ORIGINAL PART WAS CLEANED AND PLACED BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. ON THE SECOND VISIT, THE DEALER SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM HOWEVER THEY WERE ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.
MY 94 C-280 HAS A SOGGY BRAKE PEDAL. HAVE REPLACED 3 MASTERCYLINDERS, AND BLED LINES NUMEROUS TIMES. SEEMS THAT AIR IS GETTING INTO SYSTEM, BUT THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS LOSING NO FLUID.
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
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.
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
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
THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING FUEL DUE TO FAULTY O-RINGS. DEALER SAYS O-RINGS AND SENSOR MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
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
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30MPH., THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING ON ITS OWN AND ACCELERATING VEHICLE'S SPEED ON THE SPEEDOMETER. AS THE CONTACT TURNED INTO A DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE FASTER AND THE SPEED INDICATOR NEEDLE MOVED PASSED THE MAXIMUM SPEED INDICATED ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND SHOOK AS THE BRAKES FAILED TO HOLD THE PROGRESS OF THE RACING ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF STOPPING THE VEHICLE. ON THE FIRST VISIT, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE REPLACEMENT PART UNAVAILABLE, THEREFORE THE ORIGINAL PART WAS CLEANED AND PLACED BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. ON THE SECOND VISIT, THE DEALER SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM HOWEVER THEY WERE ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.
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 .