25 of the 57 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz 600 are about the electrical system — 44% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1992.
25
Complaints
44%
Share of all complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DETERIORATED INSULATION ON ETA HARNESS AND STATING HARNESS CAUSED ELECTRICAL SHORT. VEHICLE TO STALLED ON THE BUSY ROAD. MAIN ELECTRICAL HARNESS AND ONE OF THE ETA'S HAS BEEN ALREADY REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE SAME INSULATION ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #10587645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
NHTSA complaint #10482633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WELL THE OIL PRESSURE WAS HIGH WHEN START DRIVING AND DROP TO 1 ON THE GAUGE AND WOULD SMOKE LOSE POWER THEN IT WOULD JUST START GETTING AROUND THREE MILES A GALLON SO I WOULD LEAVE IT PARKED FOR DAYS WOULD GO OUT TO MOVE IT AND IT WOULD RUN GREAT FOR ABOUT 20 OR 30 MILES AND SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN HAD IT CHECKED AND WIRING WAS CRACKED ALL ALONG THE FIREWALL STILL LOOKING FOR A WIRING HARNESS THAT I CAN AFFORD THEN I RUN ACROSS THIS FORUM I AGREE WITH THE REST MERCEDES- BENZ SHOULD REPAIR OR LEAST MAKE IT AFFORDABLE SINCE IT A OVERSIGHT ON THEIR PART P.S. I HAVE SO IN THE CAR THAT I TO KEEP IT CAUSE I CAN'T GET MY MONEY BACK ON IT OR THAT MATTER PASS IT ON KIDS AND/OR GRANDKIDS.
NHTSA complaint #10470202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE BODY AND ENGINE HARNESS HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE CONTAINING MANY BARED WIRES BECAUSE THE WIRE COVERING IS DEFECTIVE. MY MERCEDES 600S SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND BECAUSE OF THIS I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I FOUND OUT LATER AT A MECHANICAL SHOP THAT THE ENGINE WENT INTO SOMETHING CALLED "LIMPMODE" AND THIS CAUSED THE SUDDEN DECELERATION. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT THIS ACTION WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT CIRCUIT IN ONE OF THE BARED WIRES OF THE ENGINE BODY HARNESS. UPON OBSERVATION THE WHOLE BODY WIRE HARNESS OF MANY WIRES EXHIBIT AN UNBELIEVABLE CONDITION WHERE YOU CAN VISUALLY OBSERVE THE WIRE'S COVERING DISINTEGRATING UNTIL NOTHING COVERS THE WIRES AND THEY ARE TOTALLY BARED. THE POSSIBLE RISK OF FIRE DUE TO THIS CONDITION IS WORTH AN IMMEDIATE RECALL BY MERCEDES IN ITSELF. WHY HAS THE NHTSA NOT ORDERED MERCEDES TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS PRODUCTION PROBLEM THAT I HAVE LEARNED IS COMMON TO HUNDREDS OF V-12 ENGINES FROM 1992-1995? DOES SOME ONE HAVE TO DIE IN A FIRE CAUSED BY THIS UNACCEPTABLE CAR ASSEMBLY MISTAKE? SURELY ONE CAN SURMISE THAT AS THESE CARS GET OLDER THE FREQUENCY AND RISK OF HUMAN DEATH OR INJURY INCREASES DAILY. MERCEDES IS HOPING THIS COMPLAINT AND RISK WILL ALL JUST "GO AWAY". THEY PROVERBIALLY SIT ON THEIR HANDS AND WILL ONLY ACT WHEN AN ORDER IS MADE BY NHTSA. SO OWNERS ARE PROTECTED.
NHTSA complaint #10419382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE WIRING HARNESSES FOR THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CAR HAVE DISINTEGRATED DUE TO DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES DETERIORATE PREMATURELY ALLOWING THE WIRES TO SHORT OUT AND AFFECT AND HARM MOST OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE CAR. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT, BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION OR TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. THE ASR, & SRS SYSTEMS WERE DISABLED INTERMITTENTLY, THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE WOULD SURGE OCCASIONALLY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED, BUT IT WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION AND THIS MAJOR MANUFACTURING PROBLEM SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
NHTSA complaint #10414468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
NHTSA complaint #10398393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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!
NHTSA complaint #10342052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAR STALLED WHILE BACKING, DISINTEGRATED WIRE HARNESS, 95 MERCEDES.
NHTSA complaint #10265923 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I BOUGHT A CAR ON EBAY, THE OWNER DECLARED THE CAR WAS FINE AND I PROCEEDED WITH THE SALE. I DROVE UP TO PA. TO PICK THE CAR UP AND THE GENTLEMAN SAID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON AS HE STARTED IT THAT MORNING. WE THEN WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A O2 SENSOR, AND QUOTED ME $200,00 INSTALLED. I DECLINED AND BROUGHT THE CAR HOME TO HAVE MY OWN PEOPLE WORK ON THE CAR. WHEN I WENT TO THE REPAIR SHOP THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING HARNESS WAS SHOT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. $2,000.00. I TOLD THE SELLER AND HE SAID TOO BAD FOR YOU, NO I HAVE A CAR I CANNOT DRIVE AS IT REEKS OF GAS AND STALLS OUT WHEN I PUT THE GAS ON. I AM DEVASTATED TO FIND OUT THAT MERCEDES HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IS NOT HELPING PEOPLE SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I OWN A RUSTING PIECE OF GARBAGE I CANNOT DRIVE AS I CANNOT AFFORD THE REPAIRS. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN INCURRED AS THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10243123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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
NHTSA complaint #10232347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I OWN A 1994 MERCEDES S600, 12 CYLINDER COUPE. THE CAR LISTED FOR $135,000 AND CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 88,000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN GARAGED SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED AND HAS BEEN SERVICED EXACTLY TO MANUFACTURERS SUGGESTED SCHEDULE AND ALWAYS BE AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. I WAS RECENTLY ADVISED BY A SERVICE MANAGER AT MERCEDES IN NASHVILLE THAT RECENT PROBLEMS WITH HANDLING AND TROUBLE LIGHTS WERE BEING CAUSED BY FAULTY WIRING INSULATION WHICH IS WELL KNOWN BY THIS DEALER AND ALSO BY MERCEDES .. I WAS ADVISED BY THE NASHVILLE DEALER THAT TO REPAIR THE CAR WOULD COST $14,000. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT MERCEDES IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THEY REFUSE TO STAND BEHIND THE WIRING OR TO OFFER ANY FINANCIAL HELP TO REPAIR IT. I INVESTIGATED THIS MATTER ON THE INTERNET AND WAS ASTONISHED TO FIND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT MANY FIRES AND ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. THIS DEFECT IS WELL DOCUMENTED AND WIDESPREAD. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTION TO REQUIRE MERCEDES TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE AND REPLACE THE DANGEROUS WIRING BEFORE DEATH AND CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS, WHICH SEEM INEVITABLE, MAKE US ALL WISH WE HAD DONE WHAT WE COULD.
NHTSA complaint #10214605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
MERCEDES BENZ WIRING FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #10204474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ON MY '92 600 SEL FAILED BECAUSE IT WAS MADE OF WIRING THAT WAS NOT ADEQUATELY TESTED. THE WIRING FAILED IN 2007 DUE TO THE WIRING BE DESIGNED TO BE BIODEGRADABLE. REPAIR COST WAS $7000 !!!!!! *JB. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ THE WIRING HARNESS BRITTLE AND CRACKED. UPDATED
NHTSA complaint #10201857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
I RECENTLY TOOK MY 1995 MERCEDES SL 600 TO A FACTORY AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND GOING OFF. AFTER DOING A COMPUTERIZED ANALYSIS, THEY TOLD ME MY MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS WERE BAD. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH AT A COST OF OVER $1200. WHEN THEY RECHECKED THE COMPUTER, IT THREW MANY CODES AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK , THEY FOUND OUT THAT MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS SO BADLY BURNT THAT THE WIRES WERE TOUCHING, THROWING OFF THE COMPUTER, MY TIMING, YOU NAME IT. I SAW FOR MYSELF HOW BADLY THE WIRES HAD BEEN BURNED , DUE TO ENGINE HEAT AND POOR INSULATION. MY SL600 ONLY HAS 32000 ORIGINAL FACTORY MILES ON IT. THE COST TO REPLACE THE WIRES IS AROUND $2000. FOR A CAR THAT COST $128,000, THIS IS A FRAUD AND A DANGER TO ME AND MY FAMILY.
NHTSA complaint #10197154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I PURCHASED A 1994 SL600 ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO WHICH HAD ONLY 56,000 MI ON IT. IT WAS SOLD TO ME AS A LIKE NEW AUTO. WELL, IT IS FAR FROM LIKE NEW BUT THE PROBLEM I WILL MENTION TO YOU IS THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH HAS VIRTUALLY DISINTEGRATED AND HAS TO BE REPLACED AT AN EXORBITANT PRICE. THE DISINTEGRATING WIRING HARNESS HAS CAUSED ME ENORMOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR,NOT TO MENTION THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING A FIRE HAZARD. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES 91-96 MODELS AND I WANT TO ADD MY NAME TO THE LISTS OF COMPLAINTS.
NHTSA complaint #10188056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE HAS HAD VARIOUS ANOMALIES OCCURRING OVER SEVERAL MONTHS INVOLVING ENGINE SPUTTERING AND ABUNDANT SMOKE FROM ENGINE. NUMEROUS SERVICE ATTEMPTS DID NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM AS ALL CLUES WERE INTERMITTENT. WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH FOR "CHECK ENGINE" "SRS" "ASR" AND OTHERS WOULD APPEAR CERTAIN TIMES UPON IGNITION, WHILE OTHERS APPEAR NEXT TIME. FINALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY START BUT NOT MAINTAIN IDLE INDEPENDENT OF APPLYING ACCELERATOR, AND THEN ONLY TRAVEL AT A MAX SPEED OF 20 MPH AT 3000 RPM. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT DETERIORATED ENGINE HARNESS EXPOSING HV WIRES HAD DAMAGED THE LEFT AND RIGHT THROTTLE CONTROL AND THE EFP CONTROL UNIT. THE TIGHT GROUPED VOLUME OF WIRES WERE DECAYED, CHECKED, OR POWDERIZED THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRETY, AND COUPLED WITH NOW SHORTED-OUT DAMAGED COMPONENTS, CAUSED THE SMOKING AND SPUTTERING... A RECIPE FOR FIRE. AND FIRE IS EXACTLY WHAT'S OCCURRED TO THE MANY OTHERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME SORT OF DECAYED WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM THAT I'VE ONLY NOW LEARNED FROM YOUR WEBSITE AND OTHER INTERNET SOURCES HAS BEEN PREVALENT AND KNOWN FOR YEARS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE LIST PRICE FOR THIS NEW HARNESS AND THE THREE COMPONENTS EXCEED $13,000.00, WHILE FROM THEIR MODEST APPEARANCE, THEIR COST TO CONSTRUCT ARE LIKELY ONLY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THESE HARNESSES SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED TO ENSURE THAT NO FIRES OCCUR. MOREOVER, MERCEDES HAS ALREADY RECOVERED THERE "R&D" COSTS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST SOLD, AND IN NO WAY SHOULD BENEFIT FROM THE DEFECTIVE HARNESS BY BEING ALLOWED TO PROFIT FROM SALES OF OTHER COMPONENTS NEEDING REPLACEMENT THAT THE HARNESS SUBSEQUENTLY FOULED. CURRENTLY, I AM AT A STANDSTILL AS THE UNFAIR LIST PRICING FOR THESE FOUR PARTS THAT COULD FIT INTO A LUNCH PAIL, EXCEED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE AS A WHOLE. I AM WRITING TO REQUEST THAT THIS ISSUE BE OFFICIALLY INVESTIGATED SO THAT I, AND THE MANY OTHERS IN MY POSITION, CAN BE PROPERLY REMEDIED. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER.
NHTSA complaint #10179001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I OWN A 1992 S600 MERCEDES BENZ AND ALSO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. MY FAMILY AND I CAN BE DRIVING AND THE CAR AUTOMATIC DROP SPEED AND GO INTO LIMP MODE WHICH IS VERY DANGER. I ALSO HAD THE CAR CHECK OUT ALSO AND IT WILL PUT OUT CODES THAT DON'T EVEN EXIST. THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALER NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS OF THE CAR. BECAUSE IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10174519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I OWN A 1992 S600 MERCEDES BENZ AND ALSO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH MY WIRING HARNESS. MY FAMILY AND I BE DRIVING AND THE ASR LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE CAR AUTOMATIC DROP SPEED PUTTING OUR LIFE IN DANGER. I HAD TO DONE LOTS OF REPAIRS. NOW THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTROL UNIT AND THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR. THESE REPAIRS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10174523 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION BLINKED ON AND OFF, THEN FAILED COMPLETELY, MAKING THE GAUGES DIFFICULT TO READ IN THE DAYTIME AND IMPOSSIBLE AT NIGHT. THE SERVICE DEALER'S MOBILE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL # 06V028000 FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL DUE TO THE VIN.
NHTSA complaint #10172911 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
INTENSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DETERIORATING WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 600 SEL MERCEDES. THE WIRES ARE CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES RESULTING IN INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS.
NHTSA complaint #10159751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.