1995 Mercedes-Benz S 500

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System4
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Sep 27, 2016CA

CHANGING THE MAF SENSOR I ENCOUNTERED BURNT ENGINE HARNESS THROUGH OUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT . VEHICLE NOW DOES NOT RUN AND HARNESS WILL COST $700 + LABOR

Electrical System
Filed Mar 21, 2015120,000 milesGA

THE ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR THE CAR HAS FAILED. IT HAS COST US THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IN CAUSING OTHER PROBLEMS AND FAILURES IN OTHER AREAS . *TR

Electrical System
Filed Nov 23, 201492,000 milesIL

THE ENGINE LIGHT ON MY 1995 MERCEDES COUPE CAME ON CAR WITH MULTIPLE CODES AND MY MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND THE ISSUES. THIS MONTH WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WITH MY DAUGHTERS THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED AT 35 MILES PER HOUR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. AGAIN ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND THIS TIME ALMOST CAUSED A REAR END ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AGAIN AND AFTER FURTHER EVALUATING HE STATED THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRUMBLING AND FALLING APART. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH IN THIS ISSUE AND COME TO FIND OUT THAT MERCEDES FABRICATED BIODEGRADABLE WIRING HARNESS. THIS HARNESS DEGRADE OVERTIME FROM ACCESS HEAT COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. I THINK THIS SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE MERCEDES MAKE A RECALL ON THIS MATTER. THIS IS THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WITH GM AND THE SO CALL UNATTENDED ACCELERATION WITH TOYOTA. AT THIS POINT I AM HOPING A RESOLUTION WILL COME OUT OF THIS. I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE A TIME BOMB OR EXPOSED THE PUBLIC TO THIS SITUATION WHILE DRIVING. I F NOT I AM WILLING TO GO TO THE MEDIA AND BRING ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. I WANT THE NHTSA TO STEP IN BRINGING MY COMPLAINT TO MERCEDES. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Jul 2, 2013130,000 milesNY

I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM MB THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2009 REGARDING EXTERIOR LIGHTING AND WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE 1995 S SERIES MERCEDES WERE RECALLED FOR THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS. MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE HARNESS IS COMPLETELY BURNED OUT AND DETERIORATED .APPARENTLY MERCEDES BENZ KNOWINGLY INSTALLED BIODEGRADEABLE INFERIOR WIRE HARNESSES THAT DISINTEGRATE OVER TIME. THE FIRST EFFECT OF THIS FAULTY ELECTRICAL HARNESS CAUSED THE SPEEDOMETER TO STOP WORKING UPON INVESTIGATION BY A LOCAL MB DEALER FOR THE SPEEDOMETER, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THE ENTIRE WIRING WAS FRAYED AND WORN; THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE '95 MB VEHICLES, BUT DID NOT INDICATE E THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO NHTSA WEBSITE IT'S NOTED THAT OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE(S) AND OTHER MB OWNERS OF 1995 MODELS WERE ALSO NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE RECALL AND REPAIR. SUBSEQUENTLY, IN MARCH 2013 MY VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING COMPLETELY; THE ESTIMATED AT COST FOR INSTALLATION AND LABOR FOR THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS IS $1000. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS DEFICIENCY AND MALFUNCTION AND THAT THE RECALL OF THE 1995 MB'S SHOULD STILL BE COVERED. *TR

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20231300Routine
202220800Do not drive
20211700Routine
20072000Routine
200612000Routine
200511000Routine
200412000Routine
200310000Routine
200225010Routine
200134010Routine
200055010Routine
19992000Routine
19961000Routine
1995 — this page4000Routine
19942000Routine
19932000Routine

Compare every S 500 year →

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.