Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 1 time.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical System
4
0
1
1
Power Train
1
0
0
0
Electrical System › Wiring
1
0
0
0
1 safety recall
Part 573 reports
Visibility96V175000
Filed Sep 19, 199628,874 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Inc.
Defect. IF ONE OF THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARMS BECOMES MISALIGNED, THE WIPER BALDE CAN LODGE IN THE GROOVE UNDER THE HEADLAMP. IF THE WASHERS ARE ACTIVATED WITH THE WIPER BLADE IN THE MISALIGNED AND LODGED POSITION, THE WASHER PUMP WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY EXPELLING ALL AVAILABLE FLUID.
Risk. PUMP OPERATION IN THE ABSENCE OF FLUID CAN CAUSE THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP WASHER PUMP ON THESE VEHICLES.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical SystemFire1 injured
Filed Oct 30, 2012122,000 milesMT
I WAS DRIVING MY 1993 MERCEDES TO A GAS STATION IN MY TOWN BEFORE A PLANNED TRIP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. I SLOWED DOWN AND TURNED ONTO A SIDE STREET. SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE TRANSMISSION HUMP SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RAN TO FIND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHILE CALLING 911. POLICE ARRIVED AND KEPT ME AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH BURST INTO FLAMES. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HOSED IT ALL DOWN THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND I WAS VERY SHAKEN UP. I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE FAMOUSLY BAD WIRING ON THESE CARS AND WANT OTHERS TO BE WARNED. *TR
Electrical System
Filed May 1, 201183,000 milesCA
I OWN A WHITE 1992 600SEL WITH 85,000 ORIGINAL MILES. THE CAR'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. HOWEVER, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING CAUSING ALL KIND OF ERRATIC ENGINE AND DRIVE-ABILITY BEHAVIOR. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT ALL. IT IS LOOSING POWER, POWER STEERING IS GETTING STIFFER, AND SMELLS LIKE SULFUR ALL THE TIME. THE LAST TWO DAYS THE CAR IS RUNNING VERY SLUGGISH AND MAKES MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR JOINING TRAFFIC ON FREEWAYS DANGEROUS AS THE CAR CAN'T GAIN SPEED FAST ENOUGH DUE TO THE HESITATION CAUSED BY THE POORLY AND CHEAPLY DESIGNED MAIN WIRING HARNESS WHICH IS MELTING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED BY A MERCEDES MECHANIC WHO HAS BEEN TRYING TO SAVE THE CAR, BUT THE DISINTEGRATION IS SPREADING ALL OVER. HARNESS REPLACEMENT WILL COST $7000 PLUS, PLUS. MERCEDES BENZ MUST ISSUE A RECALL ON SUCH VITAL SAFETY ELEMENT IN THIS CAR. I AM SURPRISED THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE GIVEN OUR COUNTRY'S STUCK STAND ON SAFETY AND WERE NO PRICE CAN EVER PUT ON SAFETY. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS. ALREADY REPLACED TWO AIR MASS FLOW SENSORS, COOLANT SENSOR, COILS, CONTROL MODULES, FUEL INJECTOR TOP WIRING HARNESS, AND PLUGS. *TR
Electrical System
Filed Jul 8, 201036,000 milesMI
MERCEDES BENZ DEALER SAYS THAT MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO INSULATION CRACKING ON THE WIRES. THEY STATE THAT ENGINE DAMAGE AND FIRE COULD RESULT FROM THIS DEFECT. IN ADDITION A WARNING LIGHT IS ON WHICH OF COURSE RENDERS THE CAR UNSALEABLE. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT THIS IS SYMPTOMMATIC IN ALL THE AGE CARS FROM MB. I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT MAY CATCH FIRE AND CANNOT BE SOLD! *TR
Electrical System
Filed Jun 26, 2008115,000 milesFL
VEHICLE IS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 600SEL. THE ASR (ACCELERATION SLIP CONTROL) WARNING LIGHT APPEARS AFTER THE ENGINE HAS STARTED (USUALLY LESS THAN 10 MINUTES). THE ENGINE SUFFERS LOSS OF POWER AND VEHICLE BECOMES UNDRIVABLE. MERCEDES MECHANIC STATES THE ENGINE HARNESS BODY MOUNTED (PART NO 1405404805) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE WIRING IN THE HARNESS HAS APPARENTLY DEGRATED TO THE POINT WHERE SHORTING IS OCCURRING IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT(S).MERCEDES WANTS $3600 FOR THE PART ANT $650 FOR LABOR. THIS IS A PART THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN THE FIRST PLACE. REGARDS JACK G DAVIS *TR
Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Mar 15, 200679,452 milesCA
1993 MERCEDES BENZ 600 SL - ENGINE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAS DISINTEGRATED. THIS CAR HAS UNDER 80,000 MILES ON IT. *JB
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.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Sep 19, 1996. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.