Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
50,000 – 74,999 miles
110.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
440.0%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
330.0%
150,000+ miles
220.0%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Oct 1995peak 6Nov 2008
Recalls on the 1992 Mercedes Benz 500
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 19930601,177 units in Canada
Brakes
DURING THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF THE AIR FILTER HOUSING WHILE PERFORMING SERVICE, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE VACUUM HOSE COULD BE MISROUTED AND DAMAGE TO THE VACUUM CHECK VALVE COULD OCCUR. IF THE CHECK VALVE IS DAMAGED, A LOSS OF SUFFICIENT BRAKE BOOST WILL OCCUR. CORRECTION: VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED AND, IF NECESSARY, THE VACUUM HOSE TO THE VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED PREFORMED HOSE WITH A RELOCATED CHECK VALVE.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 100,000 milesLakewood, WA1 killed
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
FAULTY WIRING IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISENTIGRATING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN AGE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXIBIT STALLING ISSUES AND ROUGH RUNNING, ALSO FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER.
NHTSA complaint #10000365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dallas, TXFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #514982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 185,900 milesGold River, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MAIN ENGINE/FUEL INJECTION ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS, HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND IS DISINTEGRATING CAUSING WIRES TO RUB TOGETHER AND BEGINNING TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS TO INCLUDE FIRE INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I'VE DISCOVERED FROM DLR HARDNESS INSULATION IS MADE OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL RESULTING IN EARLY DETERIORATION. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXHIBIT STALLING ISSUES, ROUGH RUNNING, AND INCORRECT FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER.
NHTSA complaint #10250193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 171,600 milesCastle Rock, CO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISENTIGRATING.
NHTSA complaint #10240051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 99,000 milesOAK Grove, MN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ENGINE CUTTING OUT . ALL WIRES IN THE ENGINE HARNESS AND ELECTRIC CABLE CRACKED AND EXPOSED.
NHTSA complaint #10233263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 94,000 milesLafayette, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PN 124-543-95-26; WIRING INSULATION COMPLETELY ERODES OVER TIME WITH NORMAL USE, RESULTING IN NUMEROUS SHORT CIRCUITS.
NHTSA complaint #10212589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Austin, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WIRE INSULATION ON MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS DISINTEGRATED EXPOSING THE INTERNAL WIRING COMPLETELY, ESPECIALLY IN BENT AREAS. THIS IS A RESULT OF NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. AS THIS HAPPENS THE ENGINE RUNS WORSE, PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED INCLUDE SURGING IN IDLE, STUMBLING OF ENGINE UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION AND STALLING OR RUNNING ENGINE. THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A "NEWLY" PURCHASED HARNESS FROM MERCEDES BENZ. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IDEA IS I WILL BE PURCHASING A WIRING HARNESS MANUFACTURED DURING ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN PRODUCTION THAT USES THE SAME DEFECTIVE, ADVANCED DEGRADING WIRING.
NHTSA complaint #10182063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 59,000 milesRound Rock, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS, AND STARTER/ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500E (61,000 MILES), 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. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL. *
NHTSA complaint #10158643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 81,872 milesMiddletown, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 500E (81,000 MILES) HAS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED. THE INSULATION HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED AND FLAKED OF THE HARNESS CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTS WITHIN THE IGNITION SYSTEM CAUSING FAILURE TO START OR RUN CONDITIONS. THROUGH RESEARCH ON THE WEB I HAVE DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON SITUATION WITH THE W124 CHASSIS CARS. SINCE IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM I FEEL THAT MERCEDES BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA IS OBLIGATED TO INITIATE A RECALL OR VOLUNTARILY REPLACE THIS KNOWN FAULTY ITEM.
NHTSA complaint #10158452 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 132,500 milesLA, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 SEL WAS REPLACED ONCE AND NOW HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT, I MIGHT ADD, THIS NEW HARNESS IS "SUPPOSED" TO BE THE NEW AND IMPROVED UPGRADED VERSION. IT DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER THAN THE ORIGINAL. THE WIRES ARE ALL EXPOSED BECAUSE OF THE CRACKED INSULATION. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A RARE WIRE, ALL OF THEM ARE CRACKED AND DAMAGED AND EXPOSED!!! BECAUSE OF THE OUTSIDE RUBBER CASING WHICH HOLDS ALL OF THE WIRES, I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM UNTIL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOOO LATE. LUCKILY, MY MECHANIC, ED AT EDS MBZ IN GLENDALE CALIFORNIA, (818) 247-2369 WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY CUT THE OUTSIDE CASING TO LOOK INSIDE. I AM STILL AMAZED A CAR COMPANY MAKING AN 80,000 TO 100,000 DOLLAR CAR WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL ELECTRICAL PARTS THE WIRING HARNESS SO BAD. WIRE HARNESSES ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR- ITS A SAFETY ISSUE!!! IT IS BEGINNING TO SHORT OUT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND EVEN FIRE INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE MAJOR CAUSES FOR COMPUTER DAMAGE. ED SHOWED ME 12 HARNESSES HE "RECENTLY" REPLACED. ALL OF THEM THE SAME. I SPOKE WITH MBZ USA- FORGET IT- I THOUGHT I WAS SPEAKING WITH FORD REGARDING EXPLODING GAS TANKS ON OPINTO'S. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN WITH ANY GOOD RELIABLE MBZ MECHANIC. SINCE I WAS BLOWN OFF BY MBZ AMERICA, I CALLED AROUND- 5 MBZ DEALERS SERVICE MANAGERS WERE VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND ALL 10 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WERE VERY AWARE AND EXPLAINED ALL THE DANGERS AND EXPENSE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL OR CORRECT!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE IT IS TOOOOO LATE!.
NHTSA complaint #10157480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 132,000 milesManchester, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
UPPER AND LOWER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADED TO POINT WHERE CAR WOULD NOT RUN. INSULATION ALL DRIED UP AND CRUMBLED AWAY...I UNDERSTAND MANY 500E OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM...MERCEDES ACKNOWLEDGES USING INFERIOR 'BIO-DEGRADABLE' MATERIALS.
NHTSA complaint #10156868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 95,000 milesCarlsbad, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
UPPER ENGINE WIRE HARNESS FAILURE - ERRATIC IDLE, POWER LOSS, RF NOISE EXCESSIVE, INCONSISTENT ECU FAULT CODES. REPLACED HARNESS AND ALL DEFECTS NO LONGER OCCURRED.
NHTSA complaint #10138286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEA Cliff, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, DROVE HOME AT VERY REDUCED SPEED. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS, A COMMON DEFECT ON THIS MODEL CAR 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 500E.
NHTSA complaint #10136413 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 100,000 milesLakewood, WA1 killed
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
FAULTY WIRING IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISENTIGRATING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN AGE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXIBIT STALLING ISSUES AND ROUGH RUNNING, ALSO FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER.
NHTSA complaint #10000365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
SEATS
DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #530522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
SEATS
LEFT REAR SEAT FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #530522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
LEFT REAR WINDOW FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #530522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.