Electrical System
Filed Jan 3, 2009155,000 milesPA
1995 MERCEDES BENZ E300 DIESEL, WIRING HARNESS IS DEFECTIVE. INSULATION IS FAILING AND WIRES ARE EXPOSED. I AM CONCERNED THIS COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD. *TR
1995 Mercedes Benz 300
Routine
Owners filed 16 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring › front underhood. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front › Control Arm | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Injectors | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Exterior Lighting › Headlights | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsElectrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
Filed Aug 28, 2006163,756 milesLA
1995 E300D WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING WITH RESPECT TO THE WIRE INSULATION. WHEN THE WIRE IS FLEXED DURING NORMAL MAINTENANCE THE INSULATION FLAKES OFF LEAVING EXPOSED COPPER WIRE THE CAN SHORT OUT CRITICAL COMPONENT'S AND CAUSE A FIRE. *JB
Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood
Filed Dec 9, 2005168,491 milesNC
WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. *JB
Fuel System, Gasoline › Fuel Injection System › Injectors
Filed Mar 19, 2001CA
THE ENGINE RAN VERY ROUGH AND RAW GAS WAS GOING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED THE INSULATION AND CAUSE THE WIRES TO TOUCH. THIS CAUSED THE #6 INJECTOR TO SPRAY TO MUCH FUEL. THE WIRES THAT TOUCHED ALSO BURNED OUT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. THE CRANK CASE AND THE EXHAUST WERE FILLED WITH GAS, AND STILL NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. MERCEDES-BENZ HAS A DIAGNOSTIC DIRECTORY # AF07.00-U-3400A ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING. I FELL THAT MERCEDES-BENZ SHOULD BE RESPONSABLE AND THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL THIS CARS BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS FIRE HAZARD.*AK
Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodFire
Filed Dec 2, 2000TX
THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL HARNESS ON 1995 E320 MERCEDES ARE FLAWED BEYOND BELIEF. THE ENTIRE HARNESS BUNDLE WHICH INCLUDES HIGH VOLTAGE LINES FOR IGNITION COILS AND THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM HAS A SEVERE FIRE PROBLEM DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WIRE INSULATION IS INFERIOR IN MATERIAL QUALITY. THE INSULATION ALONG THESE WIRE IS CRACKING AT A RATE OF EVERY 1/4 INCH, THROUGOUT THE ENTIRE HARNESS. HIGH VOLTAGE COPPER WIRE ARE MAKING CONTACT, THESE WIRE RUN ON TOP OF THE FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM. ALL AUSTIN BASED MERCEDES SHOPS INFORM ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL, BUT MERCEDES WILL NOT ADMIT TO IT. THIS PROBLEM IS AS DANGEROUS AS ANY FACING THE CURRENT BOARD AND TO HAVE MERCEDES BENZ ACT LIKE IT IS NOT A PROBLEM IS JUST A BUNCH OF FUEY. PLEASE SEND AN INVESTIGATOR TO LOOK AT THIS WIRING HARNESS AND I WILL ASSURE YOU THAT THIS WILL BE A RECALL EVENT ONCE YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THESE HARNESS'S. THANKS.*AK
Electrical System › Wiring › Front UnderhoodFire
Filed Jan 2, 1999WI
CONSUMER WAS TURNING A CORNER WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED , TOTAL VEHICLE FAILURE.SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE HOOD BURSTING INTO FLAMES . NO DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE, BUT TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, INCLUDING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE MELTED. *AK
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Mar 31, 1998FL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT
Suspension › Front › Control Arm
Filed Feb 3, 1997TN
NOISES COME FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE WHEN SLOWING DOWN ON AN INCLINE WHEN REVERSIN BECAUSE THE CONTROL ARM BOLTS ARE LOOSE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Dec 6, 1996NC
ABS BRAKES SQUEAL DUE TO DEBRIS/DIRT. *AK
Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Feb 4, 1996TX
HEADLIGHTS CAST DARK SHADOWS. *SD
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist
Filed Dec 18, 1995CA
VACUUM LOCK SYSTEM. *AK
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar
Filed Dec 18, 1995CA
STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES. *AK
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash
Filed Oct 13, 1995CA
PASSENGER SIDE WIRING UNDER DASH FAILED AFTER RECALL. *DH
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Sep 18, 1995CA
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS. *TT
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper
Filed Aug 19, 1995CA
BRAKE ROTORS AND CALIPERS FAILED. QCAW
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jun 28, 1995NJ
THE ENGINE MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND. *AK
16 of 16 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.