Owners filed 14 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the unknown or other. No safety recall has been issued.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Unknown or Other
3
0
0
0
Wheels › Rim
1
0
0
0
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
1
0
0
0
Structure › Body › Door
1
0
0
0
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
1
0
0
0
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
1
0
0
0
Parking Brake › Conventional
1
0
0
0
Engine and Engine Cooling
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash
1
0
1
1
Electrical System › Wiring
1
0
0
0
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Aug 10, 2012108,921 milesOH
CAR WENT COMPLETED "DEAD" AT STOP SIGN. COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE. CALLED MECHANIC AND WIRES WITHIN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD SHORTED OUT DUE TO WIRE INSULATION CRACKING AND BREAKING OFF AND SHORTING WITH OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. MECHANIC STRIPPED OUT WIRE AND SPLICED IT. STATED THE WIRES ARE IN BAD SHAPE DUE TO THE TYPE OF INSULATION MERCEDES USED FROM 1991 TO 1997. HE STATED I SHOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AS IT WOULD CONTINUE TO SHORT OUT COMPONENTS AND WOULD BE NOT ONLY A DRIVING HAZARD BUT ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. *TR
Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Apr 17, 200854,000 milesHI
CRACKED WIRING HARNESS. DISCOVERED WHEN REAR LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK. *TR
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire1 injured
Filed Mar 20, 2008139,044 milesGA
MY 1996 MERCEDES BENZ S320 CAUGHT ON FIRE 3/16/08 DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HARNESS WIRING THAT CAUSE BURNED WIRES IN THE CONSOLE, UNDER THE SEAT, THE DOOR PANELS, DAMAGED THE VACUUM LINES, SIDE VIEW MIRROR AND POTENTIALLY THE CONTROL UNITS. YOUR NHTSA HAS RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE MERCEDES VEHICLES [EARLY 1990 MODELS]. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT AT MERCEDES HEADQUARTERS TWO OF THEM DENIED A PROBLEM WITH WIRING CATCHING ON FIRE AND TWO DEALERSHIPS SAID THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY CASES INVOLVING FAULTY WIRING. THE MECHANIC THAT SPOKE HONESTLY SAID THAT THERE ARE AS MANY AS 30,000 VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT MERCEDES IS IN DENIAL AND ARE AVOIDING A MAJOR RECALL. THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN AMONG DEALERS AND MECHANICS WHO ARE TRAINED TO REPAIR MERCEDES VEHICLES. I WANT MY COMPLAINT ADDED TO THE OTHERS THAT ARE ON YOUR LIST AND COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS THE NHTSA SAYING ABOUT THIS MERCEDES PROBLEM AND WHAT IS THE NEXT MOVE TO DEAL WITH A MANUFACTURERS PROBLEM THAT ENDANGERS OUR LIVES ON THE HIGHWAY. MY VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING IN BURNING WHILE ENROUTE TO ALBANY, GA FROM AMERICUS, GA. THE EXPERIENCE WAS FRIGHTENING AND IT COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF LIFE. I AM A PRACTICING PHYSICIAN AND I HOPE YOUR ADMINISTRATION CAN GET MERCEDES TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM LIKE SO MANY OTHER CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE DONE. THANK YOU *TR
Air Bags
Filed Apr 11, 2002VA
SRS DID NOT DEPLOY UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITION.*AK
Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Oct 22, 1997CA
ELECTRONIC SENSOR FAILED.
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Sep 22, 1997CA
WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED.
Wheels › Rim
Filed Mar 18, 1997FL
TWO RIMS FAILED.
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Feb 24, 1997CA
REAR SEAT BELT FAILED.
Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 12, 1997CA
ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED TWICE DUE TO DEFECTIVE CHIP.
Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 12, 1997CA
REMOTE CONTROL RECEIVER INOPERATIVE.
Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 9, 1997MD
KNEE BOLSTER ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND RESTRICTS ACCESS TO THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL.
Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 16, 1996MA
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT PULL OUT OF LOW GEAR WHEN COLD. *AK
Parking Brake › Conventional
Filed Aug 15, 1996VA
PARKING BRAKES REPLACED.
Structure › Body › Door
Filed Jan 30, 1996CA
WHEN DOORS ARE NOT PROPERLY CLOSED THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THE DOOR BEING OPEN. TT
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.