Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Mercedes-Benz S Class submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 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
WIRE HARNESS SHORTED OUT DUE TO NAKED WIRES WITH NO INSULATION CAUSING THE HARNESS TO CATCH FIRE BURNING HARNESS AND FRYING THE ALTERNATOR. THE CAUSE WAS SAID TO BE WIRE HARNESS DETERIORATED. IMPROPER INSULATION ON THE HARNESS. *JB
THE ENGINE CONTROL/FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 (61,000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT-CIRCUIT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION--AND EVEN FIRE--INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO MERCEDES AS FAR BACK AS 1997 THAT THEY CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO RECALL. THE NHTSA APPEARS TO BE LOOKING AT THIS DEFECT AS A SEPARATE ISSUE BY YEAR AND MODEL...IT IS DEFINITELY NOT! IT WAS A SUPPLIER ISSUE FOR ALL MERCEDES MODELS OF THE YEARS 1991-1997 AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS SUCH. YOU HAVE OVER 700 REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM. DO SOMETHING...NOW!!! *TR
DIESEL ENGINE PREGLOW WIRE HARNESS ABS BRAKING SYSTEM TRACTION CONTROL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES S-CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY ENGAGE IN LIMP MODE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION OVER 25 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMING FROM THE WIRING HARNESS THAT WAS CONNECTED FROM THE COMPUTER TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER STATED THE WIRING WAS DETERIORATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000.
ENGINE WIRE HARNESS CAUSING MY CAR TO STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR
MY ASR LIGHT IS ON IN MY CAR WHICH IS A MERCEDES BENZ S600 DO TO A BAD WIRING HARNESS ON THE CAR,AND IT PUTS OUT A BIG BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE WHILE DRIVING,I TOOK THE ASR FUSE OUT AND IT STOPS BUT I HAVE TO PUT IT BACK IN BECAUSE THE ABS/AND THE SRS LIGHT COME ON ALSO. *TR
1995 MERCEDES S420 ASR COME ON WHILE DRIVING CAUSING GAS PEDAL TO STIFFEN AND DRIVING DIFFICULT IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT WHILE DRIVING. WHILE ASR LIGHT IS ON WHILE DRIVING EASING UP OFF GAS PEDAL CAUSES CAR TO JERK FORWARD WHILE BRAKING. *TR
MERCEDES BENZ 1995 S420 WIRING HARNESS CRACKING OF INSULATION LET TO STUCK STARTER WOULD NOT TURN OFF DRAINED ALL BATTERY POWER BECAME VERY HOT. 'ARCING PRESENT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FROM BARE WIRES DUE TO FLAKING INSULATION ON WIRING. *TR
I HAVE A 1995 MERCEDES S320. THE 'CHECK ENGINE' IS ON, INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO MERCEDES DEALER SHOP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT HAVE 8 FAULT CODES. THE FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS IS HARD AND BRITTLE. IT TOOK THEM 4 HOURS TO FIND THE FIX THE SHORT. THE REPAIR COST IS $400. THE FIX DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AS THE 'CHECK ENGINE' WILL COME ON AFTER 50 MILES! THE MB SHOP ALSO RECOMMEND THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE REPLACED, COST ~$1,200 FOR THE PART (NOT INCLUDING LABOR). I THINK THIS IS A DEFECT FROM MERCEDES AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL/CORRECT BY MERCEDES. *TR
WIRING HARNESS FAILURE CAUSING STALLING. *TR
MY AUXILIARY FANS WOULD NOT INITIATE, SO WE DECIDED TO REPLACE THE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE FANS. LOW AND BEHOLD, THE WIRING THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THIS SWITCH WAS CRUMBLING LIKE STALE BREAD CRUMBS AND FLAKES. I WANTED TO REPLACE THE WIRE, SO I UNDID THE ENTIRE HARNESS. I FOUND WORSE! THE ENTIRE HARNESS WAS CRUMBLING, BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE IT BEFORE BECAUSE OF THE BLACK COVERING AROUND THE WIRING. THE HARNESS IS COMPLETELY RUINED AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THE # OF COMPLAINTS I'M FINALLY SEEING REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. WOW! BAD ENGINEERING ON THE PART OF MERCEDES FOR THIS ISSUE. MY CAR IS A 1995 THAT HAS BEEN GARAGE ITS ENTIRE LIFE, FOR THE MOST PART. I AM GOING THROUGH THE PAINSTAKING LABOR OF RE-WIRING THIS ENTIRE HARNESS MYSELF...AND IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD. *TR
THE FUEL SYSTEM WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S600 SHORTED OUT AND MADE MY CAR INOPERABLE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC DRIVE BACK FROM WORK. I WAS ABLE TO 'JIGGLE' THE WIRES ENOUGH TO LIMP TO MY DRIVEWAY. WHILE 'LIMPING', THE CAR CONTINUOUSLY BACKFIRED AND HEAVED TOWARDS THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME, NARROWLY REAR-ENDING THEM. *TR
ASR LIGHT COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. FAULTY WIRING CAUSING ASR TO FAIL. COST TO REPAIR $1,500. CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER'S DESIGN DEFECT.*JB
MB WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. *JB
ENGINE STALLS AND RUNS ROUGH. WIRE HARNESS FAILED AND IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *NM
MY 1995 MERCEDES S320 WIRING HARNESS INSULATION DECOMPOSING. BARE WIRES ARE EXPOSED AT ENGINE COIL CONNECTIONS. THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS WIRES IS JUST CRUMBLING. VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY DISABLED IN LIMP MODE. PRIOR TO THIS, THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO LIMP MODE WHILE EXECUTING TURNS. PART COST IS $750; DEALER LABOR COST IS $600. THE WIRING MAY HAVE DAMAGED OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS (I.E.: COMPUTER OR VOLTAGE REGULATOR). THIS WIRING INSULATION PROBLEM IS NOT NORMAL WITH ANY VEHICLE, NO LESS ONE THAT COSTS $65,000 NEW. THIS MOST DEFINITELY SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. *JB
MY 1995 MERCEDES S320 HAS BEEN STALLING AND MISFIRING AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T START UP. I TOOK IT FOR TUNE UP, BUT THE MECHANIC SAID HE CANT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE FAULT WIRING HARNESS INSULATION FROM FACTORY IS PEELING OFF AND MAKING THE WIRES SHORT-CIRCUIT AND IF HE TRIES TO DO ANYTHING IT WILL MAKE IT WORSE,I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL MERCEDES OWNERS WITH EARLIER AND MID 90S WHO HAVE SAME PROBLEM AND I THINK THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND YOU SHOULD PETITION THE MANUFACTURER ON OUR BEHALF. *NM
WIRING HARNESS HAS COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED FROM THE IGNITION CONTROL UNIT ALL THE WAY TO THE ENGINE SENSORS INCLUDING WIRES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE FUEL INJECTION. WIRES ARE BARE AND TOUCHING. VEHICLE SMELLS ON FUEL BUT THERE ARE NO LEAKS TO BE FOUND. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED PICTURES. THIS IS NOT SOME 11,000 HYUNDAI GUYS. THIS IS A 142,000 S600 MERCEDES. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF DID NOT BURN TO DEATH SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. *NM
I OWN A 1995 S320. I HAVE HAD 4 WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURES. THREE OF THESE FAILURES INVOLVE THE SAME WINDOW. THE DEALERS (FLA AND ILL) AND MBUSA HAVE REFUSED TO WARRANTY OR REMEDY THIS DEFECT SINCE THE CAR IS OBVIOUSLY OUT OF WARRANTY AND GREATER THAN THE 30 DAY WARRANTY PERIOD FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF THESE NEW REGULATORS. *NM
4 UNITS OF S600 (V12) AND 1 UNIT S500 ALL SUFFERED DETERIORATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I AM NOT THE FIRST VICTIM, AND MERCEDES BENZ AS A COMPANY IS AWARE OF THIS PLEASE STOP PRETENDING YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE CAUSE THE TECHNICAL AND ENGINEERING DIVISION OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER WAS WELL INFORMED AND IT WAS ALSO DOCUMENTED, AND YET TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY, THEY WILL KEEP ALL THEIR EYES CLOSE. *NM
EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE CHECK ENGINE FAULTS IN MY 1995 MERCEDES BENZ S600. SURGING ENGINE, INTERMITTENT ROUGH IDLE. INSPECTION OF WIRING HARNESS CONTROLLING ENGINE SHOWS DEGRADING WIRING INSULATION. MANY CRACKS IN INSULATION ARE CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS WHICH CAN CAUSE ENGINE STALLING, SURGING, AND IS A FIRE HAZARD. THIS WILL REQUIRE THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE REPLACED. THE WORK HAS NOT YET BEEN PERFORMED. *JB
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.
Data on this page last refreshed .