RoadVitals

1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Oct 24, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 96 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Mercedes-Benz E320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Oct 24, 2014

ON THIS 1995 MERCEDES E320, WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS, TOOK TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $1500. THE WIRING HARNESS WAS CRUMBLING EVERYWHERE. I CHECKED ONLINE AND IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL E20. I CHECKED NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, THE COATING TO THE WIRING HAS DISINTEGRATED AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THESE CARS. I HAVE SPENT OVER $2,000 TO TRY TO GET THIS CAR TO PASS EMISSIONS, IT FAILS SO BAD I CANT EVEN GET A WAIVER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10649566
Incident
Jan 1, 2014
Mileage
100,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Mar 22, 2013

THE WIRES IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTING TO THE COILS FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ARE DISINTEGRATING. CURRENTLY THIS IS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER, RUN ROUGH, ONLY 2-4 CYLINDERS ARE FIRING. MY MECHANIC SAID HE FOUND ON THE WEB THAT THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT TO MERCEDES CARS MADE DURING THE TIME PERIOD MY CAR WAS MADE BUT MERCEDES NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS HUGE PROBLEM. MY COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WAS ESTIMATED AT $3200.00 OR MORE DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH OF THE WIRING SYSTEM HAS DISINTEGRATED AND WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE AFFECTED. I CALLED MERCEDES ON HOWE AVE IN SACRAMENTO AND AFTER CHECKING MY VIN NUMBER SAID MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10504193
Incident
Mar 22, 2013
Mileage
137,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jun 2, 2011

1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. CONSUMER STATES DISINTEGRATING WIRING HARNESS DEFECT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEAD GASKET DEVELOPED A LEAK, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THE REPAIR A NEW WIRING HARNESS IS NEEDED.*JB

NHTSA ID
10404868
Incident
Jun 1, 2011
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed May 20, 2010

THE WHOLE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS THAT RUNS ALL OVER MY ENGINE IS DEFECTIVE. THE INSULATION AROUND THE WIRING LITERALLY FELL APART, AS EVERYONE ELSE ON HERE DESCRIBED AS BREAKING INTO BRITTLE PIECES AND DISINTEGRATING. THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. A SERVICE ADVISOR AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP KNOWS ABOUT IT AND SAYS THEY WON'T FIX IT BECAUSE "THE GOVERNMENT HASN'T ORDERED THEM TO RECALL IT" AND WENT ON TO GIVE ME A QUOTE FOR NEARLY $2,000. NOW MY CAR IS STUCK IN A SHOP WITH ALL THE BARE WIRES SHOWING AND THE DECAYED INSULATION IN PIECES ALL OVER THE FLOOR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AND APPARENTLY IT IS A DEFECT IN EVERY 1995 E320 MANUFACTURED IN THE US. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY IT ALSO AFFECTS 1993-1994, AS WELL AS OTHER MODELS WITH THE SAME ENGINE. I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER, BOUGHT THE CAR NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN 1995. IT ONLY HAS 57,533 MILES ON IT AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGE KEPT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10331481
Incident
May 20, 2010
Mileage
57,533 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 23, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THEN SHUT OFF. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATED. THE DEALER REMEDIED THE ISSUE. IN DECEMBER OF 2008, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,000.

NHTSA ID
10252655
Incident
Jun 18, 2008
Mileage
69,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed May 27, 2008

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AS WELL AS MAIN ENGINE GASKETS DUE TO EXCESSIVE OIL LEAKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10229044
Incident
Apr 15, 2007
Mileage
148,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Mar 4, 2008

M.B. E320 CARBRIOLET 1995 WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND A FEW SPARK PLUGS WERE NOT ABLE TO FIRE. THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR HAS ONLY 32,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10220081
Incident
Mar 2, 2008
Body & structureElectricalEngine+3 more
Filed Jan 14, 2004

FAILURE OF AIR CONDITIONER, WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID, RADIO ANTENNA, AND OIL LEAK. *LA THE A/C FAILED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE PURCHASED, THE FRONT WINDOWS HAD BROKEN MOTORS THE WATER PUMP BLEW, OIL LEAKED INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM AND WAS REPLACED(WATER PUMP AND HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED), TWO ENGINE MOUNTS COLLAPSED, DRIVER'S DOOR RATTLED, ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, AND BOTH FRONT TIRES LOST AIR AND WERE FILLED EVERY TWO WEEKS(FIVE SETS OF TIRE). THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC

NHTSA ID
10057302
Incident
Mar 14, 1995
Engine
Filed Feb 3, 2003

VEHICLE STALLS WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A FAULTY MASS AIR METER. DEALER REPLACED THE MASS AIR METER. CONSUMER STATES THE PROBLEM IS RECURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

NHTSA ID
10006267
Incident
Feb 3, 2003
Body & structureBrakesHeating & air conditioning+5 more
Filed Mar 17, 2001

THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS NOT WORKED CONSISTENTLY FOR TWO SUMMERS, THE A/C COMPRESSOR WAS NOT COMING ON BECAUSE THE HARNESS WAS CRACKED AND COMING APART AND THE EVAPORATOR LEAKS, ALL OF THESE FAULTY COMPONENTS CAUSED THE SYSTEM TO BLOW WARM AIR. NLM

NHTSA ID
561347
Incident
Apr 24, 2000

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .