RoadVitals

1995 Mercedes-Benz S420

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
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Latest Jan 30, 2017
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz S420, most frequently naming the electrical, heating & air conditioning and driver assistance categories. 6 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical444.4%
  • Heating & air conditioning111.1%
  • Driver assistance111.1%
  • Engine111.1%
  • Fuel system111.1%
  • Powertrain (other)111.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 30, 2017

ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS USING SOY BASED INSULATION DEGRADES THEREBY ALLOWING WIRES TO SPONTANEOUS AND/ OR INTERMITTENT SHORTS. THIS HAS CAUSED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS. VERY DIFFICULT TO TROUBLESHOOT UNLESS AND UNTIL ONE DISCOVERS INSULATION FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN AND IS WIDELY KNOWN TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ERA OF CARS. EXTREMELY BAD ENGINEERING DECISIONS WERE MADE. VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. MERCEDES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MALFEASANT AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW; HAD SERVICE ONLY AT THE DEALER; WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OLDER CARS WITH MORE MILEAGE WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH THE MERCEDES. VERY DISAPPOINTING. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES; ALL HYPE! *TR

NHTSA ID
10948416
Incident
Dec 1, 2016
Mileage
210,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed Sep 1, 2016

THROTTLE BODY WIRE HARNESS WENT BAD AND WAS ON INTERSTATE AND COULD NOT DO SPEED LIMIT AND NEARLY GOT DEMOLISHED BY A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER. AFTER A HORRIBLE EXPENSE I NOW FIND OUT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CAR IS BAD AS WELL. WELL DONE MERCEDES BENZ YOU HAVE ENDANGERED MY FAMILY'S LIVES WITH YOUR SUB STANDARD BUSINESS PRACTICE. YOU SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND REPAIR ALL SAFETY ISSUES.

NHTSA ID
10902985
Incident
Jun 15, 2016
Mileage
98,356 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 27, 2015

I HAVE TAKEN MY 95 S420 TO TWO DEALER LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF THE DISINTEGRATING ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THEY ALL CLAIM THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF IT. THE DEALER IN NANUET, NY TELLS ME THAT THEY CANNOT HELP ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE "EVERY" MAINTENANCE DONE THROUGH THEIR DEALERSHIP. I MUST SAY, FROM ALL THE DEALERSHIPS I'VE BEEN TO... MERCEDES DEALERSHIPS TREAT PEOPLE WITH OLDER CARS LIKE GARBAGE. ANYWAYS, THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE CAR STALLED AT AN INTERSECTION. SO EMBARRASSING, BUT GLAD I DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. SO I TOW THE CAR TO A SHOP. MY MECHANIC USED A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER TO CHECK FOR ERRORS. HE THEN TOLD ME MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING. HE SAID THESE WERE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES CARS FROM CERTAIN YEARS IN THE 90'S. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OF "DISINTEGRATING ENGINE HARNESS", AND I SAW TONS OF MERCEDES(ONLY) OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I HOPE MERCEDES WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID
10807249
Incident
Feb 4, 2015
Mileage
170,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 30, 2015

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES BENZ S420 (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FOB FAILED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 03/30/15*LJ UPDATED 10/20/2015*JS

NHTSA ID
10680073
Incident
Dec 1, 2014
Mileage
88,000 mi
Heating & air conditioning
Filed Sep 1, 2014

A/C QUIT WORKING. TOOK TO THE MERCEDES DEALER. WAS NOTIFIED OF VAPOR CORE FAILURE AND TOLD IT IS MOST COMMON ON ANY MILEAGE OF THIS MODEL. COST $3500.00 IF IT IS MOST COMMON IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON IT. COMPANY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOTHING TO CORRECT IT.

NHTSA ID
10644049
Incident
Aug 20, 2014
Mileage
53,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LI8220P073063

INTERIOR LIGHTING

Touch pad: Search lighting does not dim or does not turn on.

LI54.30-P-072145

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

NTG5.5: Incorrect time shown on instrument cluster, COMAND display, and analog clock

LI80.61-P-061174

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Vehicle cannot be opened via Keyless-Go and radio remote control

LI82.70-P-060004

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

iPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8

LI68.05-P-059193

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ANTI-THEFT DEVICES

SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink

GI88.40-P-057430

EQUIPMENT

Message in instrument cluster "DISTRONIC PLUSCurrently Unavailable - See Owner's Manual"

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.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz S420 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1999400—
1998100—
1996100—
1995Viewing500—

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.