Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Mercedes-Benz E320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF STORE ALLOWING A 93 YEAR OLD LADY TO GO SHOPPING,AS I WAS PARKED THERE I WAS SIDESWIPED, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE AUTO SHOP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, AFTER DOING THIS I DISCOVERED THAT THE KEY CAN'T START THE CAR BECAUSE THE IGNITION IS JAMMED OR KEY WILL NOT TURN, SO THE CAR WON'T START. I CALLED A LOCKSMITH AND DISCOVERED THAT THE IGNITION IS DEFECTED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES BENZ E320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STARTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD BEGAN TO DRY ROT AND WAS TO DETERIORATING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. ..UPDATED 07-01-13 *BF
THIS VEHICLE (1996 MERCEDES E320) HAS HAD A HISTORY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. MANY REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AT GREAT EXPENSE! THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND I WAS INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE MYSELF. TROUBLESHOOTING REVEALED A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS ASSEMBLY FROM THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONNECTION IN THE LEFT FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO THE PARK/NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH ON THE TRANSMISSION AND TO THE STARTER. THIS HARNESS ALSO INCLUDES CONNECTIONS TO THE STARTER AND SENSORS ON THE TRANSMISSION. ALL WIRES IN THE ENTIRE HARNESS HAVE CRUMBLED INSULATION AND HAVE SHORTED TOGETHER. THIS CAUSED SHORTING AND BURNING OF THE WIRES AND DAMAGE TO OTHER SYSTEM COMPONENTS. I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 15+ YEARS AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE HARNESS ASSEMBLIES ON THIS VEHICLE ARE OF POOR QUALITY AND SUBJECT TO FAILURE. THE INSULATION ON ALL WIRES IS INFERIOR AND WILL FAIL AND CRACK OVER SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE OTHER HARNESSES ON THE VEHICLE HAS REVEALED THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR FIRE AND PERSONAL INJURY. LUCKILY THE DAMAGE WAS SMALL AND CONTAINED TO THIS ONE HARNESS, HOWEVER ALL HARNESS ON THE VEHICLE MUST BE REPLACED. *TR
OUR LOW MILEAGE 1996 E320 MERCEDES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS GOING AND REMAINING ON.(FOR YEARS NOW) THE CODE COMES UP ADVISING THAT A SWITCH ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANS.IS FAULTY. HAD MB REPLACE IT AND A WEEK LATER IT CAME UP WITH THE SAME CODE. MB HAS LOOKED AT IT NUMEROUS TIMES, THE LAST TIME I WAS CHARGED. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AT 55,000 MILES (MB-$650.) THEY CHARGED ME FOR ANOTHER HOUR AS THEY SAID THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DAMAGED. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS A ONE OWNER CAR SERVICED AT MB AND NOTHING IN THE DASH HAD EVER BEEN TAKEN APART BEFORE. THEY CLAIM IT HAD BEEN . NOT TRUE. AFTER THIS REPAIR, THE RIGHT SIDE AUTOMATIC DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHT ONLY WORKS IF I USE THE LIGHT SWITCH. THEY DENY THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH REPAIR HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. UNLIKE THE US , MB CANADA IS A CARTEL AND THEIR ATTITUDE HAS A LOT TO BE DESIRED. THERE ARE FOUR MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIPS IN VANCOUVER BC AND ALL ARE MB CANADA OWNED AND OPERATED.AS IN ALL OTHER CANADIAN CITIES. *TR
UP UNTIL ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO, THE ONLY PROBLEMS TO MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN DUE TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. ABOUT THAT TIME, MY 1996 MERCEDES BENZ E320 BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A REPUTABLE (MERCEDES BENZ ONLY) SHOP WHO REPLACED 2 COILS. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE RAN GOOD FOR A FEW DAYS, IT SOON BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. A FOLLOW UP VISIT LED C & G MERCEDES, IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, TO FIND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO IT'S WIRING HARNESS, THAT RESULTED FROM A COMMON PROBLEM TO THIS AND OTHER MODELS, DUE TO PREMATURE CORROSION OF THE INSULATION OF THE WIRES. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE DESCRIBED AND CAN RESULTS IN FIRES TOO. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS OCCURS IN 1990 -1996 MODELS. THE CORRECTION IS A $1,000.00 REPLACEMENT PART. *TR
THE WIRING ON THE CAR IS DISINTEGRATING HARNESS WIRES EVERY WIRE WAS A GREAT CAR WIRING CAUSING VARIOUS PROBLEMS COST MORE TO FIX THEN ITS WORTH HELP ME! *TR
MY CAR SEEM NOT TO BE STARTING ALL THE TIME WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION KEY ON. MERCEDES SERVICE INFORMED ME THAT THE WIRE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACE AND THERE ARE BARE WIRE EXPOSED AND THIS COULD BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THE INFORMED ME THAT THE MATERIAL WAS MADE WITH BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS OCCURRED. I INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY MERCEDES AS A CAMPAIGN RATHER THAN CHARGE THE OWNER 1,500 DOLLARS TO FIX. THE DEALER SAID TO NOT TOUCH THE WIRE HARNESS AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR WILL STOP RUNNING. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR A 50K PLUS CAR AND NOT TO HAVE THE MANUFACTURER TO STAND BEHIND THEIR POOR DESIGN. I AM REPORTING THIS BEFORE I HAVE A FAILURE WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE AND BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO LACK OF POWER. *TR
WIRING HARNESS DEFECT, NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND REPLACED. *AK
I HAVE A 1996 E320 AND THE FIRST THING TO GO WAS THE CONDENSER FAN, WHEN YOU TURN THE AC ON ITS THE FANS THAT HELP KEEP YOUR CAR COOL, BUT THEN THAT WENT OUT AND MY CAR WOULD RUN HOT IF I CONSTANTLY RAN AC. THEN MY AC BLOWER JUST WENT OUT ONE DAY. THEN I TOOK IT TO A MERCEDES SPECIALIST AND HE NOTICED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS FRAIL AND WORN. HE CALLED MY CAR A TIME BOMB AND SAID IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT DIED ON ME. BUT I THOUGHT THAT MERCEDES LAST A LONG TIME. AND THEN, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR BEGAN SHAKING FROM TIME TO TIME AND I LOST A LOT OF POWER TO IT. SOMETIMES I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON TO STOP THE SHAKING. HE ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1000 TO REPLACE AND THAT IT WAS A BAD DESIGN BY MERCEDES. AND LAST SATURDAY NIGHT ON MY WAY HOME, I GOT INTO MY CAR AND TRIED TO START IT, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED, I COULDN'T EVEN HEAR A CLICK AT ALL WHEN I TURNED THE KEY. I TRIED JUMP STARTING IT, AND STILL NOTHING, SO I ENDED UP HAVING TO TOW IT HOME. I CALLED THE MERCEDES SPECIALIST AGAIN AND TOLD HIM WHAT WAS WRONG AND ALL THE STEPS I TOOK, AND HE SAID MORE THAN LIKELY ITS THE WIRING HARNESS. SO NOW I HAVE A NICE LOOKING CAR JUST SITTING IN MY DRIVE WAY DOING NOTHING. POOLER, GA. *NM
THE FRONT LEFT UPPER SPRING SUPPORT BRACKET RUSTED AND BENT UNDER NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS, THIS ALLOWED THE SPRING TO BECOME PARTIALLY EXPOSED. *SLC
WHEN IGNITION WAS TURNED BATTERY EXPLODED VIOLENTLY COVERING GARAGE AND VEHICLE WITH BATTERY ACID. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK
CONSUMER WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED SMOKE, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, ENGINE FIRE IN THE WIRING HARNESS AREA, CLAIM 42-1246-839. *SLC
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .