Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES-BENZ E420. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN OVER TO START THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS TO BE TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,732.
THE VEHICLE STARTED IDLING VERY RAPIDLY (BETTER THAN 1600 RPM) AND I LOST CONTROL ON THE ICY ROADS. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE FAST IDLE WITH THE BRAKES WITHOUT DRAGGING THE FRONT TIRES. UPON INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME FAULTY, DETERIORATING WIRING PROBLEM THAT TENS OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY REPORTED TO THIS SITE. EXACTLY HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ARE NECESSARY BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION AGAINST THIS MANUFACTURER? I HAVE BEEN IN THE ELECTRICAL TRADES ALL OF MY LIFE AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH DEFECTIVE, DETERIORATED WIRING AS UNDER THE HOOD OF THIS MERCEDES. THE MERCEDES IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND A FIRE HAZARD. *TR
2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Deaths | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Routine |
| 1994 — this page | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Routine |
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.