Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › wiring. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System › Wiring | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Air Bags › Side/Window | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE HOOD IS ROTTING AWAY. I HAVE A/C PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRES AND HAVE HAD LOSS OF POWER AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT TIMES. I'M STARTING TO HAVE DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS DUE TO THIS WIRING HARNESS AND AM VERY NERVOUS OF A POSSIBLE FIRE AS MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS USUALLY IN THE CAR. IF THIS IS A PROBLEM OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING, I FEEL IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY MERCEDES. *TR
WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 400 SEL HAS GONE BAD. *NM
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADING, THIS ISSUE HAS EFFECTED ENGINE PERFORMANCE RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER TO CAR. THIS INCIDENT NEARLY COST ME AND MY FAMILY THEIR LIFE. DUE TO THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADING MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND DIED (ELECTRICALLY) ON THE FREEWAY. THIS ISSUE IS SERIOUS AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. *JB
1992 MERCEDES 400E WITH ABOUT 140,000 MI. HAS A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS WHICH HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL HUNDRED COMPLAINTS ALREADY POSTED AND MANY ENGINE FIRES. THE WIRES IN THE HARNESS HAVE NO PROTECTION AGAINST HEAT AND LAY RIGHT ABOVE THE ENGINE. THE HARNESS CONTAINS SEVERAL WIRES, ALL OF WHICH SHOW DIRECT METAL TO METAL CONTACT THAT COULD EASILY CAUSE A FIRE. AFTER CALLING ED AT THE MERCEDES DIRECT HELP LINE, HE DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OR RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS OBVIOUS ENGINEERING DEFECT. ALL OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH THIS WIRING HARNESS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. AN ADEQUATELY INSULATED REPLACEMENT PART IS NEEDED. *JB
REMOVED AND REPLACED ENGINE HARNESS WIRING,(1992 MERCEDES BENZ 400SE)BASE CONTROL MODULE, CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *NM
THE DRIVER DOZED OFF, WOKE UP WHEN WENT OFF THE ROAD, OVERCORRECTED AND WENT INTO A SKID, HEADING INTO THE DITCH ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE PASSENGERSIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAD TO BE CUT OFF TO REMOVE THE DRIVER. STATE FARM INS. CO. TOTALED THE VEHICLE.*AK
BRAKE FLUID HOSE RUPTURED.
TRANSMISSION DELAYS SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR.
8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.