1995 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 1995 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
- Electrical4577.6%
- Engine35.2%
- Fuel system35.2%
- Driver assistance23.4%
- Airbags11.7%
- Transmission11.7%
- Body & structure11.7%
- Brakes11.7%
- Powertrain (other)11.7%
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
MY WELL MAINTAINED '95 MERCEDES-BENZ C280 OF WHICH I AM THE SINGLE OWNER SINCE NEW HAS A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY BAD DISASTER AS THE CAR JUST LOST IT'S POWER TO DRIVE WHILE BEING DRIVEN...BY MY SON, WHO JUST CAME OFF OF I-95. HE MANAGED TO GET TO SAFER GROUND AND HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANIC(NOT A MBENZ ONE) STATES NEVER SEEING ANYTHING LIKE IT AS THE WIRE COATING IS DISINTEGRATING INTO A POWDER LIKE SUBSTANCE AND BARING ALL METAL...CAUSED IT TO ARC WHEN FIRST LOOKING. THANK GOOD FORTUNE IT DIDN'T CATCH FIRE, EXPLODE OR CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. SO IF REPLACED BY MBENZ PART CAUSE IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED....WON'T THE SAME THING HAPPEN WITH IT? *TR
COMPLETE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE ON 1995 MERCEDES C280, ONLY 60,000 MILES ON CAR. *TR
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THIS VEHICLE YEAR AND MODEL HAS A POSSIBLE CRITICAL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM WHERE THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS DISINTEGRATES VERY QUICKLY. THIS DISINTEGRATION CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL AND CATCH FIRE WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE OF COURSE OTHER RELATED SEVERE PROBLEMS THAT CAN OCCUR SINCE THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. A FEW OF THE OTHER CRITICAL COMPONENTS AFFECTED ARE IGNITION, FUEL INJECTION, COOLING, TIMING, MIXTURES AND VARIOUS OTHER SYSTEMS/SENSORS OF THE CAR. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MANUFACTURER (MB-USA IN NY), LOCAL DEALERS, OWNERS AND READING VARIOUS WEBSITES, I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE ONLY AVAILABLE REPAIR I AM AWARE OF IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. SINCE THE DISINTEGRATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE NORMAL OPERATIONAL ENGINE HEAT IRREGARDLESS OF MILEAGE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT A AFFECTED CAR WITH HIGHER MILES IS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE FAILING OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS NATURALLY ALSO LEAVES DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS OF OLDER AFFECTED CARS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DANGEROUS AND FATAL EFFECTS OF A ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. I ASK THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND ISSUE A RECALL ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE OWNERS. I KNOW THAT MY CAR FALLS IN THE CATEGORY WHERE THE HARNESS IS POSSIBLY BAD, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT ME TO SEE THE CONDITION OF THE MY CAR'S ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. I HOPE AT THE LEAST YOU CAN SEEK A RESOLUTION FOR ME FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN REMEDYING A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE MODEL I OWN. *TR
ENGINE POWER FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. *TR
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
MY CAR, 1995 MERCEDES C280, BACKFIRES, STUMBLES, LOSES POWER, AND SOMETIMES DIES WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE REPLACED THE PLUG WIRES, IGNITION COILS, SPARK PLUGS, FUEL PUMP, AND FILTER. I HAVE REPLACED THE OVERLOAD PROTECTION RELAY, THE FUEL PUMP RELAY, AND THE ENGINE COOLING FAN RELAY. THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ALL OF THESE WERE DONE AFTER CONTACT WITH MERCEDES BENZ AND DEALERS IN BOTH FLORIDA AND TENNESSEE. THE WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND IS IN GOOD CONDITION. *TR
I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THIS VEHICLE YEAR AND MODEL HAS A POSSIBLE CRITICAL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM WHERE THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS DISINTEGRATES VERY QUICKLY. THIS DISINTEGRATION CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL AND CATCH FIRE WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE OF COURSE OTHER RELATED SEVERE PROBLEMS THAT CAN OCCUR SINCE THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. A FEW OF THE OTHER CRITICAL COMPONENTS AFFECTED ARE IGNITION, FUEL INJECTION, COOLING, TIMING, MIXTURES AND VARIOUS OTHER SYSTEMS/SENSORS OF THE CAR. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MANUFACTURER (MB-USA IN NY), LOCAL DEALERS, OWNERS AND READING VARIOUS WEBSITES, I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE ONLY AVAILABLE REPAIR I AM AWARE OF IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. SINCE THE DISINTEGRATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE NORMAL OPERATIONAL ENGINE HEAT IRREGARDLESS OF MILEAGE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT A AFFECTED CAR WITH HIGHER MILES IS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE FAILING OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS NATURALLY ALSO LEAVES DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS OF OLDER AFFECTED CARS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DANGEROUS AND FATAL EFFECTS OF A ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. I ASK THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND ISSUE A RECALL ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE OWNERS. I KNOW THAT MY CAR FALLS IN THE CATEGORY WHERE THE HARNESS IS POSSIBLY BAD, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT ME TO SEE THE CONDITION OF THE MY CAR'S ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. I HOPE AT THE LEAST YOU CAN SEEK A RESOLUTION FOR ME FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN REMEDYING A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE MODEL I OWN. *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
I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THIS VEHICLE YEAR AND MODEL HAS A POSSIBLE CRITICAL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM WHERE THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS DISINTEGRATES VERY QUICKLY. THIS DISINTEGRATION CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL AND CATCH FIRE WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE OF COURSE OTHER RELATED SEVERE PROBLEMS THAT CAN OCCUR SINCE THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. A FEW OF THE OTHER CRITICAL COMPONENTS AFFECTED ARE IGNITION, FUEL INJECTION, COOLING, TIMING, MIXTURES AND VARIOUS OTHER SYSTEMS/SENSORS OF THE CAR. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MANUFACTURER (MB-USA IN NY), LOCAL DEALERS, OWNERS AND READING VARIOUS WEBSITES, I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE ONLY AVAILABLE REPAIR I AM AWARE OF IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. SINCE THE DISINTEGRATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE NORMAL OPERATIONAL ENGINE HEAT IRREGARDLESS OF MILEAGE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT A AFFECTED CAR WITH HIGHER MILES IS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE FAILING OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS NATURALLY ALSO LEAVES DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS OF OLDER AFFECTED CARS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DANGEROUS AND FATAL EFFECTS OF A ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. I ASK THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND ISSUE A RECALL ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE OWNERS. I KNOW THAT MY CAR FALLS IN THE CATEGORY WHERE THE HARNESS IS POSSIBLY BAD, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT ME TO SEE THE CONDITION OF THE MY CAR'S ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. I HOPE AT THE LEAST YOU CAN SEEK A RESOLUTION FOR ME FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN REMEDYING A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE MODEL I OWN. *TR
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, LOSS OF CONTROL AFTER STOP AND PROCEEDING ON RESIDENTIAL STREET. COLLISION RESULTED FROM SUDDEN ACCELERATION, LOSS OF CONTROL AND NON-RESPONSIVE BRAKES. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEE LETTER NO LETTER ENCLOSED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
MAIN ENGINE HARNESS CORROSION ON A 1995 C 280 MERCEDES BENZ. THIS TYPE OF DETERIORATION IS NOT FROM ABUSE OF THE CAR. IT IS CAUSED BY POOR QUALITY OF CRAFTSMANSHIP. SHOULDN'S WIRES IN A VEHICLE LAST A LIFETIME? I COULD SEE REPLACING TIRES, BRAKES A TRANSMISSION, BUT AN ENGINE HARNESS. THIS PART IS NOT EVEN READILY AVAILABLE, IT NEEDS TO BE ORDERED IN GERMANY. I AND MY FRIEND BOTH OWN THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND WE ARE BOTH EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC INFORMEND ME THAT HE REPAIRED A FEW OTHER CARS OF THE SAME MODEL WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS OR SO. ANY RESPONSE OR INVESTIGATION INFORMATION THAT YOU TURN UP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
1995 MZ C280 ENGINEER WIRE HARNESS DEFECTIVE, INSULATION BROKEN DOWN. *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
MAIN ENGINE HARNESS CORROSION ON A 1995 C 280 MERCEDES BENZ. THIS TYPE OF DETERIORATION IS NOT FROM ABUSE OF THE CAR. IT IS CAUSED BY POOR QUALITY OF CRAFTSMANSHIP. SHOULDN'S WIRES IN A VEHICLE LAST A LIFETIME? I COULD SEE REPLACING TIRES, BRAKES A TRANSMISSION, BUT AN ENGINE HARNESS. THIS PART IS NOT EVEN READILY AVAILABLE, IT NEEDS TO BE ORDERED IN GERMANY. I AND MY FRIEND BOTH OWN THIS MODEL VEHICLE AND WE ARE BOTH EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC INFORMEND ME THAT HE REPAIRED A FEW OTHER CARS OF THE SAME MODEL WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHS OR SO. ANY RESPONSE OR INVESTIGATION INFORMATION THAT YOU TURN UP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THIS VEHICLE YEAR AND MODEL HAS A POSSIBLE CRITICAL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM WHERE THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS DISINTEGRATES VERY QUICKLY. THIS DISINTEGRATION CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL AND CATCH FIRE WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE OF COURSE OTHER RELATED SEVERE PROBLEMS THAT CAN OCCUR SINCE THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. A FEW OF THE OTHER CRITICAL COMPONENTS AFFECTED ARE IGNITION, FUEL INJECTION, COOLING, TIMING, MIXTURES AND VARIOUS OTHER SYSTEMS/SENSORS OF THE CAR. AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MANUFACTURER (MB-USA IN NY), LOCAL DEALERS, OWNERS AND READING VARIOUS WEBSITES, I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A VOLUNTARY RECALL. THE ONLY AVAILABLE REPAIR I AM AWARE OF IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. SINCE THE DISINTEGRATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO THE NORMAL OPERATIONAL ENGINE HEAT IRREGARDLESS OF MILEAGE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT A AFFECTED CAR WITH HIGHER MILES IS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE FAILING OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS NATURALLY ALSO LEAVES DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS OF OLDER AFFECTED CARS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE DANGEROUS AND FATAL EFFECTS OF A ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. I ASK THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND ISSUE A RECALL ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE OWNERS. I KNOW THAT MY CAR FALLS IN THE CATEGORY WHERE THE HARNESS IS POSSIBLY BAD, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTACT ME TO SEE THE CONDITION OF THE MY CAR'S ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. I HOPE AT THE LEAST YOU CAN SEEK A RESOLUTION FOR ME FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN REMEDYING A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE MODEL I OWN. *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 .