1994 Mercedes-Benz C 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, 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
- Electrical1100.0%
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
THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION HAS DETERIORATED TO BARE WIRES AND CRACKS ALL ALONG THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FURTHER DOWN YOU REMOVE THE TAPE HOLDING BUNDLES OF WIRE TOGETHER, THE MORE INSULATION CRUMBLES. ABOUT 1K AGO THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ERATICALLY AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO ACCELARATE, AND MAINTAIN SPEED. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE WITH ABOUT 172K ON IT. AFTER TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH A TUNE-UP AND COILS. THAT SEEMED TO WORK FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION AND PURE LUCK A, FRIEND WITH ME, FOUND SOME BARE WIRES RUNNING ALONG THE TOP OF THE FIREWALL UNDER THE PLASTIC HARNESS COVER. ALSO FOUND, WAS A STRETCH OF WIRES THAT HAD THE INSULATION CRUMBLE AND WAS REPAIRED WITH BLACK ELECTRICAL TAPE BY ONE OF THE PREVIOUS OWNERS. THE LEAST EXPENSEIVE REPLACEMENT HARNESS IS $400.00 DOLLARS. THE LABOR HAS GOT TO BE ASTRONOMICAL. I HAVE HEARD OF AND READ MANY ON-LINE INCIDENCES OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE MERCEDES. THIS WAS MY FIRST MERCEDES. IT IS A PHENOMINAL VEHICLE THAT I HAVE TRULY ENJOYED. HOWEVER, KNOWING HOW MANY OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME CONDITION, AND THE RATING OF MERCEDES IN PREVIOUS CONUMER " " " MAGAZINE, THE JURY IS OUT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD CONSIDER A NEWER ONE. *TT
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 .