54 of the
288 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz 300
are about the electrical system —
19% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1993.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ 300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND TRIED TO LOCK THE DOORS BUT NOTICED THAT THE KEY WAS NOT WORKING. THE CONTACT USED THE SPARE KEY AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE MAIN KEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE KEY WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
NHTSA complaint #10574461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE ENGINE HARNESS PROBLEM AFTER OWNING MY CAR SINCE 1993. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE ENGINE HARNESS WAS MADE WITH BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL WHICH HAS NOW LOST IT'S PLASTIC COVERING OVER THE METAL WIRES. WITH WIRES EXPOSED AFTER THE ENGINE HARNESS DEGRATION, THE CAR WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST ME FOR A LONG TIME, HAS BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO USE. WITHOUT THE PROPER HARNESS REPLACEMENT, THE CAR IS TOTALLY USELESS. UPON CHECKING INTO THIS PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT EVERY E300 BUILT BETWEEN 1992 AND 1997 IS BUILT WITH THE SAME HARNESS. ALL THESE CARS THAT ARE STILL ON THE ROAD ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I AM TOLD THIS IS A MAJOR FIRE HAZARD, THEREFORE I HAVE STOPPED USING MY CAR. THIS PROBLEM SOONER OR LATER WILL HURT SOMEONE UNTIL MERCEDES RECALLS AND REPLACES THE HARNESS FOR THE CARS THAT THEY HAVE ON THE ROAD.
NHTSA complaint #10505881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY RESEARCH INDICATE THAT THIS ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM IS AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR MANY MERCEDES BENZ, 300 E, AND 300SE CARS WITH THE TWIN CAM ENGINES MADE BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1993-1995. NOT ONLY I AM UNABLE TO HAVE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DONE, BUT I AM TOLD BY THE REPAIR FACILITY THAT THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY PROBLEM, BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF FIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DEFECT.
NHTSA complaint #10417754 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF MY VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACT ERRATICALLY. AT START, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT NORMALLY IDLE; INSTEAD IT LURCHED BETWEEN 500-1500 RPM. DURING OPERATION, AT A RANDOM POINTS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO PRESSING THE GAS, INSTEAD SURGING POWER UNTIL I STOP AND IDLE FOR A MINUTE. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PROBLEM IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE WIRING HARNESS, WHICH IS DISINTEGRATING. THIS WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE USE OF INFERIOR MATERIALS BY MERCEDES-BENZ WHICH ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS. RECENTLY, THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE; TODAY, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ACHIEVE ANY GOOD ACCELERATION NOR IS IT VERY RESPONSIVE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED. OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE IS SERIOUSLY IMPAIRED AT THIS TIME. SO FAR, THIS PROBLEM HAS NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF A BATTERY. I'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE COST TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM WILL BE UPWARDS OF $2,000 DUE TO THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT HARNESS, A PART WHICH IS NORMALLY DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THE ENTIRE LIFESPAN OF THE VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10398067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND INTO THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. AFTER EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE THE CAR NO LONGER STARTED. UPON INSPECTION ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HAD MELTED.
NHTSA complaint #10393998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY 1991 300SL BENZ HAS HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED PER MB DEALER BECAUSE IT'S GOING BAD AND DECOMPOSING CAUSING A POTENTIAL FIRE PROBLEM. THIS AFTER A NO START PROBLEM AND A MONTH IN THE SHOP. AND THEY NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE. NOW , AFTER REPLACING THE HARNESS , THEY ARE STILL NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE HARNESS IS A "GREEN WIRING HARNESS" AS REQUIRED BE GERMANY TO ITS AUTO MAKERS IN 1991-1996. THE DECOMPOSING OF THE WIRING CAUSES A FIRE HAZARD AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.
NHTSA complaint #10286243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 300E HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT OUT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND EVEN FIRE INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. I HAVE BROUGHT IT IN TO MY MECHANIC SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION AND SHORTING THAT OCCURS - ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE THE AC OR HEATER RUNNING AND HAVE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY ON TRYING TO REMEDY IT BY ATTEMPTING TO RE-WRAP THE WIRING BUT IT ONLY AFFORDED ME A TEMPORARY FIX AT BEST. THE ESTIMATE I WAS GIVEN TODAY WAS FOR $1,400 FOR THE WIRING HARNESS AND ANOTHER $700 - $800 FOR THE LABOR COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT'S INSTALL. FROM THE NUMBER OF SIMILAR ANECDOTAL STORIES I HAVE READ ONLINE WHILE RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I WONDER WHY MERCEDES BENZ HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT.
NHTSA complaint #10229661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE IS 1993 MERCEDES 300E SEDAN. 1. STRANGE THINGS GO ON WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2. WHEN UNLOCKING KEY, SOMETIMES THE ALARM WILL GO ON. 3. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF EVEN AFTER REPAIR WAS DONE. 4. SOMETIMES AIR BLOWER WILL WORK, SOMETIMES NOT. 5. SOMETIMES ANTENNA WILL COME UP, SOMETIMES NOT. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS MIGHT BE AFFECTING THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCE. I WOULD HATE TO STRIP THE HARNESS TO FIND OUT. BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS NOW ON THIS WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. I WISH THAT MERCEDES WILL DO A RECALL AND REPAIR THESE CARS.
NHTSA complaint #10227953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1993 300E 3.2 M104 ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DISINTERGRATING, WIRE INSULATION FALLS APART ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS WIRES EVEN NOT EXPOSED TO HEAT DAMAGED. CHRONIC PROBLEM ALL 3 OF OUR MERCEDES HAVE THIS PROBLEM THE 300E THE WORST. I WORKED AT MERCEDES AND REPLACED THESE HARNESS EVERY WEEK. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE CAN RESULT IN FIRES, ECM FAILURE, DRIVABLE ISSUES, NO START, AND MANY MORE PROBLEMS.
NHTSA complaint #10227117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OF MY MERCEDES 1993 300E WIRES HAD DISINTEGRATED CAUSING SHORTAGES ON THE WIRES. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE MERCEDES WITH SUCH HIGH REPUTATION ON QUALITY WOULD IGNORE SUCH FAILURES ON THEIR PART.
NHTSA complaint #10225826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CAR STALLS AT 40+ MPH IN TRAFFIC APPARENTLY CHOKED FOR FUEL. AFTER 5 TO 10 MINUTES AT REST - THE CAR CAN BE STARTED ALTHOUGH THE KEY MUST BE HELD IN THE START POSITION FOR 30 TO 40 SECONDS. THIS IS A 1996 300D MERCEDES BENZ 4-DOOR SEDAN. IT WAS DIAGNOSED BY A CERTIFIED MERCEDES BENZE REPAIR CENTER, CUMMINS AUTOMOTIVE, WHICH VERIFIED THRU FAULT CODES THAT HE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS BAD. UPON INSPECTION THEY HAVE FOUND INSULATION WEAR THAT HAS CAUSED THE FAULT (WIRES TOUCHING EACH OTHER) THAT HAS CAUSED THE STALLS.
NHTSA complaint #10213383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I OWN A 1993 MERCEDES 300E THAT FOR THE SECOND TIME HAS HAD ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. I FIND THIS TO BE A VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM WITH INSULATION FROM THE WIRE BECOMING BRITTLE AND FALLING OFF. I OF AT LEAST THREE OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A TIME BOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN.
NHTSA complaint #10198453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WIRING HARNESS DISINTERGRATED CAUSING WIRES EXPOSED AND TOUCHING OTHER WIRES. LITTLE OR NO INSULATION IS LEFT ON MOST WIRES. THE ENGINE SURGES/CHARGES WHILE COMPLETE IDLE AND BREAK FULLY ON HOLD.
NHTSA complaint #10185318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DECAYED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. MISCELLANEOUS ENGINE ERROR INDICATIONS, ASR LIGHT COMING ON (CAR IN "LIMP HOME" MODE). NOT TRACEABLE TO ANY COMPONENT FAILURE. INABILITY TO START THE CAR. REFUSAL OF INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO WORK ON THE CAR UNTIL THE WIRING HARNESS HAS BEEN REPLACES. FAILURE OCCURS ON 65 MPH ROAD, INABILITY TO ATTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS, REPEATED STALLING. CAR IS AT HOME IN GARAGE AND WILL NOT RUN FOR MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS.
NHTSA complaint #10184878 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1995 E300D WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING WITH RESPECT TO THE WIRE INSULATION. WHEN THE WIRE IS FLEXED DURING NORMAL MAINTENANCE THE INSULATION FLAKES OFF LEAVING EXPOSED COPPER WIRE THE CAN SHORT OUT CRITICAL COMPONENT'S AND CAUSE A FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #10166691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I OWN A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 300E. I NOTICED A SECTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS UNDERNEATH MY HOOD BACK AGAINST THE FIREWALL HAS BEGUN TO DETERIORATE. THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC ON THE WIRING HARNESS IS CRACKING, EXPOSING WIRE. LOOKS LIKE A FIRE HAZARD. MY CAR HAS STALLED SEVERAL TIMES FOR NO APPARENT REASON, POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE WIRE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10155776 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.