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 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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
8/31/18 IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE (FROM A FIRE BUT NO FLAME WAS SEEN) I HAD TO OPEN ALL WINDOWS TO BREATH AND SEE. MY HOME WAS WITHIN SIGHT SO I DROVE TO THE MIDDLE OF MY LAWN AWAY FROM ANY BUILDING, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHUT DOWN. I AS QUICKLY AS POSABLE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO SHUT DOWN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E-320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY LOT WHERE IT WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 112,000. UPDATED 02/23/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AN INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED SOMETHING HAPPENED WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SAY SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT WAS. UPDATED 02/28/11
TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR, THE ABS LIGHTS ON AND THE ASR, FUSE NO 2 ON THE K40 MODULE WAS BLOWN AND THERE WERE ALSO CODES INDICATING THAT NO POWER WAS GOING TO THE ASR HYDRAULIC UNIT. THERE WAS NO SIGNAL FROM THE LEFT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SPEED SENSOR. THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED A WIRING HARNESS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER HAD SHORTED WITH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE AND CREATED A SMALL FIRE THAT BURNED AND DESTROYED THE INSULATING MATERIAL THROUGH APPROX. 7 INCHES OF THE HARNESS. THE SMALL FIRE ALSO BURNED THE INSULATING MATERIAL ON 2 OTHER WIRING HARNESS IN THE VICINITY. THE TECHNICIAN HAS DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE TO BE RELATED TO THE LOCATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THE HARNESS WAS PINNED DOWN TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE BY THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE ADJACENT TO WHERE 2 PARTS OF THE BODY WHERE JOINED TOGETHER. THE POINT WHERE THE TWO PARTS OF THE BODY WERE JOINED TOGETHER CREATED A SHARP EDGE. OVER TIME THE VIBRATION OF THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES THE SHARP EDGE TO CUT INTO THE WIRING HARNESS EVENTUALLY WEARING IT TO BARE WIRE. WHEN THE BARE WIRE SHORTED WITH THE BODY, THE FIRE WAS CREATED THUS BURNING A SECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS AND THUS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTIONS INDICATED ABOVE. OVERALL, THE TECHNICIAN AND MANY OTHER REPORTS CLAIM THAT THIS WAS MERCEDES BENZ'S DESIGN FLAW AND FAILURE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS PLACED INCONVENIENTLY UNDERNEATH THE REFRIGERANT LINE. WE CAN PROVIDE THE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE IF NECESSARY.
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) SEPTEMBER 12, 1998 I PURCHASED A 1999 E320W.] I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THE CAR. THE CAR IS DRIVEN LEISURELY. TO DATE, IT ONLY HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN REGULARLY OBTAINING THE A & B MAINTENANCE SERVICES. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING FOR MONTHS AND MB ALLEGEDLY CAN'T DIAGNOSE IT; AND I HAVE BEEN USING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. A SECOND OPINION MECHANIC SAID IT IS OIL SLUGGING WHICH WAS RECALLED BUT MB WON'T HONOR. HE ALSO SAID MY ENGINE / MOTOR NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS ALSO AN INTERMITTENT SCRAPING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. DURING ALL OF THE SERVICES TO MB THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL NOR PROVIDED SERVICE TO ENSURE THAT MY CAR WAS NOT AFFECTED. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A TOTAL RECALL BUT A CASE-BY-CASE SITUATION AND I AM NOT ELIGIBLE. I AM VERY FEARFUL WHEN I AM DRIVING. EACH TIME I GO OUT I FEAR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. I DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR A ENGINE. PLEASE HELP ME. I CAN PROVIDE A TIMELINE OF THE HISTORY OF MY VEHICLE WHICH WITH HINDSIGHT LOOKS LIKE I PURCHASED A LEMON. THE SECOND OPINION MECHANIC INFORMED ME OF THE RECALL/CLASS ACTION BUT MB CONCEALED THE INFORMATION. *TR THE LOCKS WERE INOPERABLE AND THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE SERPENTINE BELT, BALL JOINTS, TIE ROD ENDS WERE ALL REPLACED. THE FUEL SENSOR LEVEL WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS A SHIMMY IN THE SUSPENSION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRES AND LEFT RIM. THE VALVE STEM WAS LEAKING, THE LEFT REAR WINDOW WAS INOPERABLE. THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY, BUT REGULARLY TURN INTO LINE BARS. THE TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARD AND THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LAMP, RIGHT FRONT HEAD LIGHT AND LEFT FRONT PARKING BULBS WERE HAD TO BE REPLACED UPDATED IVOQ 05/27/10.*JB
CRANK POSITION SENSOR (CPS) STARTED TO FAIL WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE 95F. CAR (1999 MERCEDES BENZ E320) FAILED TO START TWICE WHEN PARKED AFTER DRIVING FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. ONLY AFTER COOLING IT WOULD START AGAIN. AT ONE POINT THE ENGINE BECAME VERY ERRATIC WHILE IN TRAFFIC. AT ANOTHER POINT I WAS STOPPED ON THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED RUNNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS NEAR HOME AND AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES IT STARTED AGAIN. IT WAS EMBARRASSING TO SAY THE LEAST , HAVING A MB CAR STALL IN FRONT OF OTHER MUCH CHEAPER CARS ON THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS USING THIS CAR FOR ONLY SHORT TRIPS AND DID NOT INCUR THE RISK OF HAVING IT STALL ON A HIGHWAY, BUT I AM SURE IT WOULD AS LONG AS THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE A CERTAIN POINT. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING MB CAR OWNERS CHAT/FORUM ROOM WITH DISCUSSIONS ON THE MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=80989. *JB
1999 MERCEDES-BENZ E320T, 60K MILES - CRANKSHAFT HARMONIC BALANCER (DAMPER PULLEY) FAILED. ADVISED BY MECHANIC TO REPLACE IMMEDIATELY, SO AS TO AVOID LOSS OF MULTI RIBBED-V-BELT AND CONCURRENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING, ALTERNATOR AND WATER PUMP FUNCTION.*AK
KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION BEING IN PARK. *AK
THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE INVOLVING THE SUN ROOF. *YD
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 .