Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Sep 19, 2007IL
EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THIS MERCEDES C280 1996 THREE YEARS AGO (2004) IT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS AND IT IS JUST TOO EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE IT. *JB
1996 Mercedes Benz 280
Routine
Owners filed 13 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › foundation components. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock Switch | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Wiring | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsElectrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
Filed Jul 1, 200790,000 milesNY
DURING A RECENT SERVICE OF MY VEHICLE AT AN AUTHORIZED MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CENTER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSULATION COVERING MY WIRES WERE DECOMPOSING AND THE WIRES WERE EXPOSED TO THE ENGINE, HENCE CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES IF THE WIRES CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A MATERIAL DEFECT. HE REVEALED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME HE HAD OBSERVED THIS PROBLEM WITH 1996 280C- CLASS. SINCE THIS APPEARED TO BE A HABITUAL DEFECT WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL; I ASKED IF A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED TO REPLACE THIS DECOMPOSING WIRE HARNESS. HE REPLIED "NO." I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE HARNESS REPLACED. IT IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE PAID BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS, @ MERCEDESHOP.COM SITE, HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 280C CLASS. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? *TR
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Mar 12, 1998CA
AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD OR ROCKS BACKWARD, PROBLEM STILL EXIST.
Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Park/Neutral Start Interlock SwitchCrash
Filed Oct 28, 1997MO
ON SLIGHT INCLINE, AFTER GEAR SHIFT WAS PUT INTO PARK, KEY REMOVED AND SHUT DOOR WHILE WALKING TOWARD HOUSE, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL, HITTING TWO TREES. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK *NLM
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Oct 27, 1997CA
WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID SENSOR FAILED.
Electrical System
Filed Sep 18, 1997CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS HAS NUMEROUS FAILURES SINCE OWNER PURCHASED VEHICLE.
Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 17, 1997CA
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE WILL START TO VIBRATE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
Air Bags › Frontal
Filed May 16, 1997HI
DRIVING VEHICLE; AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. HAD THE SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS REPLACED; TOOK TO DEALER WHO HAD REPAIRED PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Apr 28, 1997CA
AIR CONDITIONER FAILED.
Tires
Filed Apr 10, 1997CA
MICHELIN TIRE FAILED. (SIZE P195/65R15)
Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 28, 1997CA
NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG IN ACCIDENT.
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Belts and Associated Pulleys
Filed Feb 12, 1997CA
FAN BELT FAILED.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Mar 25, 1996TX
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEY MAKE A LOUD NOISE AND CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE. *AK
13 of 13 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.