Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 53 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz C220, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and driver assistance categories. 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| Sep 1997 | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 1998 | 1 | 3 |
| Dec 1998 | 2 | 5 |
| Jul 1999 | 1 | 6 |
| Jan 2000 | 1 | 7 |
| Sep 2000 | 1 | 8 |
| Mar 2001 | 1 | 9 |
| Jul 2001 | 1 | 10 |
| Apr 2003 | 1 | 11 |
| Jun 2003 | 1 | 12 |
| Sep 2003 | 1 | 13 |
| Jan 2004 | 2 | 15 |
| Feb 2004 | 2 | 17 |
| Apr 2004 | 1 | 18 |
| Jun 2004 | 1 | 19 |
| Jul 2004 | 1 | 20 |
| Jun 2005 | 1 | 21 |
| Aug 2006 | 1 | 22 |
| Dec 2006 | 1 | 23 |
| Jan 2007 | 1 | 24 |
| Aug 2007 | 1 | 25 |
| Sep 2007 | 1 | 26 |
| Oct 2007 | 5 | 31 |
| Dec 2007 | 1 | 32 |
| Feb 2008 | 2 | 34 |
| Jun 2008 | 2 | 36 |
| Aug 2008 | 1 | 37 |
| Oct 2008 | 1 | 38 |
| Jun 2010 | 1 | 39 |
| Apr 2011 | 1 | 40 |
| Jun 2011 | 1 | 41 |
| Oct 2011 | 1 | 42 |
| Jul 2012 | 1 | 43 |
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 44 |
| Mar 2014 | 1 | 45 |
| May 2014 | 1 | 46 |
| Jul 2014 | 2 | 48 |
| Sep 2015 | 1 | 49 |
| Oct 2015 | 1 | 50 |
| Nov 2015 | 1 | 51 |
| Mar 2017 | 1 | 52 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 53 |
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
MY VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AT START UP AND ALSO DURING DRIVING IN MOTION. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE DAY WHILE STATIONARY, ON A CITY STREET, OR TURNING WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. I'VE OWNED THIS MERCEDES FOR YEARS AND HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW SERIOUS THIS PROBLEM WAS UNTIL I SPOKE WITH MY MECHANIC RECENTLY.
HIGH VOLTAGE WIRING HARNESS SHEATHING GONE. CAR WILL NOT START. IN GARAGE FOUND THE DEFECTIVE HARNESS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C220. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STRUCK HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO PROPERLY SECURE HER. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF MINOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE FUEL LINE DUE TO A LEAK. THERE WERE ALSO REPAIRS MADE TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA TO WARRANT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000.
I STARTED MY CAR AND BEGAN DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHUT DOWN; LIKE THE POWER WAS SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. THEN, LIKE A CHILD FLIPPING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF, THE CAR BEGAN TO JERK FORWARD AND BACK AS THE POWER AND ENGINE WENT ON AND OFF AGAIN. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR DIED. I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND GET HOME BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN WHILE I DROVE HOME AND DIE WHEN I STOPPED. THE NEXT DAY I GOT IT OVER TO THE SHOP. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS THE WIRING HARNESS. HE SAID THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES. I LOOKED IT UP AND SURE ENOUGH, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIALS. I ASKED THE MECHANIC TO SEE THE WIRING HARNESS HE REMOVED. IT LOOKED JUST LIKE THE ON IN THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESDEFECTS.COM/2008/04/WIRE-HARNESS-DEFECT.HTML?M=1 THERE WAS CRACKED INSULATION AND EXPOSED WIRES THROUGHOUT THE HARNESS.
I WAS CHANGING MY OIL AND CHECKING MY LEVEL AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A SPARK AND THEN FIRE BUT I TOOK IT OUT FAST WITH SAND.IT WAS THE WIRING HARNESS THEY WERE ALL CRACKED AND SOME OF IT ARE DISINTEGRATING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C220. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
MY VEHICLE HAS THE FAULTY WIRING HARNESS PREVALENT IN ALL THESE CARS DURING THE MID TO LATE NINETIES. IT HAS EXHIBITED MANY OF THE SIGNS MENTIONED BY NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS OVER THE YEARS SUCH AS: ENGINE LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY, SURGING OF THE THROTTLE, DASH INSTRUMENTS THAT WON'T WORK, STUMBLING AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC, ETC. THE ONLY THING I HAVEN'T HAD YET IS A FIRE. I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR BACK IN FEB. THIS IS MY FIRST MERCEDES AND WILL BE MY LAST.....NEXT CAR WILL BE A HONDA. WHY MERCEDES IS ALLOWED TO IGNORE THIS IS BEYOND ME. I THOUGHT THE REASON WE HAVE GOVERNMENT REGULATION IS TO FORCE CAR MAKERS TO CLEAN UP MESSES LIKE THIS. THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF THESE CARS ON THE ROAD AND THIS PROBLEM WILL EVENTUALLY GET SOMEONE KILLED IF IT HASN'T ALREADY. MERCEDES SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL AND REPLACE THIS WIRING WITH GOOD REMANUFACTURED PARTS FOR FREE IF YOU STILL OWN ONE OF THESE CARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES C-220. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
NTG5.5: Incorrect time shown on instrument cluster, COMAND display, and analog clock
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC); SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single cracking noise from the area of the ESP hydraulic unit
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; SUSPENSION
Throttle lift-off clunking noises at drive shafts of front axle
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
SEATS
Driver and front passenger seats make cracking noise when cornering
SUSPENSION:FRONT; SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT; SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER
Clunking noise from front axle suspension strut or rear axle shock absorber on short strokes of the damper
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.