1994 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 Complaints

A YEAR OR TWO AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED(MAY, 1995) I OBSERVED AN OIL LEAK. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER BACK THEN, AND WAS TOLD ESSENTIALLY THAT ALL CARS LEAK OIL AND THAT THIS LEAK WAS MINOR. OVER THE YEARS IT HAS BEEN GETTING MORE PRONOUNCED, NOW LEAKING ON THE EXHAUST CAUSING SMOKE. RECENTLY I STOPPED GOING TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE, NOW TO AN INDEPENDENT MERCEDES SPECIALIST. THEY TELL ME THAT THIS OIL LEAK IS FROM THE HEADGASKET, A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THE W124 CHASSIS (E320 MODEL). FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON MY PART REVEALS THIS PROBLEM TO BE A COMMONLY REPORTED ISSUE, AND WAS FIXED ON THE NEXT MODEL BY BOLSTERING THE HEADGASKET IN A CERTAIN AREA. IN REPAIRING THE HEADGASKET THE CYLINDER HEAD HAS TO BE REMOVED AND THE ENGINE HARNESS DISCONNECTED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE THE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE HARNESS IS ALREADY CRACKING AND FALLING OFF, EXPOSING THE METAL WIRES. THE ENGINE HARNESS WILL BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED WHEN IT IS MANIPULATED TO DISCONNECT IT. I ALSO IDENTIFIED FROM MY RESEARCH THAT THE INSULATION ON THE ENGINE HARNESS WAS MADE FROM BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS, NOW HOW SMART WAS THAT? NOW I'LL HAVE A $4-5000 REPAIR BILL ON TWO COMMON PROBLEMS WHICH MERCEDES DENIES EVEN EXISTS ON THIS MODEL CAR. IF I DON'T FIX IT, THEN I RUN THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL FIRE FROM THE HARNESS, AND THE RISK OF ENGINE FIRE FROM THE HEADGASKET LEAK, OR SOME CATROSTROPIC COMBINATION OF BOTH. THE ENGINE HARNESS WAS ALSO REPLACED ONCE IN 1998, AFTER IT FAILED ON A 500 MILE ROUND TRIP. *TR

A/C AND ELECTRICAL FAILURES DUE TO WIRE INSULATION CRACKING. A KNOWN DEFECT. *JB

WIRING PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING AND IT WAS RAINING AT THE SAME TIME, MY LIGHTS WENT OFF AND THE WIPERS STOPPED WORKING, LEADING TO A CRASH ON HIGHWAY I-44. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ E320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHAKES AND MAKES A LOUD NOISE WHILE IDLING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS NEEDING AN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE PURCHASE DATE AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

I HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1994 E320 AT 146000. THE HARNESS HAD BEEN DEFECTIVE FOR AT LEAST 1 YEAR PRIOR TO REPLACEMENT AND WAS THE SOURCE OF CONTINUED ISSUES WITHIN THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT. ULTIMATELY, I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT DUE TO SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE FROM THE WIRING HARNESS. *AK

I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS DEALING DIRECTLY WITH A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS. I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1994 E 320 FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I THOUGHT THEY SEEMED TRUSTWORTHY AT THE TIME BUT AT FURTHER REVIEW I SEE THEY WERE SELLING ME A CAR WITH A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS. I HAVE DONE EXTENDED RESEARCH ON WIRING HARNESSES AND THEIR LIFESPAN ARE MORE THAN LIKELY TO LAST LONGER THEN 30 YEARS. I WAS DRIVING ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY WITH MILD TRAFFIC. IF I WASN'T DRIVING WITH MY ABSOLUTE FULL ATTENTION I WOULD OF RAN TWO CARS OFF THE ROAD. THE CARS CRUISE CONTROL KICKED IN AND THE CAR SURGED FORWARD FROM AROUND 65 MPH TO AROUND 75-80 MP CAUSING THE CAR TO DART FORWARD TOWARDS TWO VEHICLES AROUND 3 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF ME. I MANAGED TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND I PULLED IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY AND HAD TO REMOVE THE FUSE FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE SAFELY BACK HOME. AFTER THE INCIDENT I HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CARS WIRING HARNESS WAS FAILING AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ BEFORE I HAD ANYTHING DONE WITH THE CAR. I THEN PROCEEDED TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND THAT'S HOW I CAME UPON THIS WEBSITE. I BELIEVE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILURE IS A DEFINITE MB FACTORY DEFECT AND THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE WIRING HARNESS. BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF OLDER PEOPLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THEY COULD BE AT RISK EVERY TIME THEY DRIVE THEIR CAR. IF I WOULD OF KNOWN ABOUT THIS I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR AND I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR. THIS WHOLE ORDEAL IS JUST RIDICULOUS AND MB SHOULD RECALL THE WIRING HARNESSES IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS. IT WOULD SURE BEAT A LAWSUIT. THANKS. *JB

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS - INSULATION DETERIORATED AND CAUSED POOR PERFORMANCE, ENGINE MISFIRE AND DISPLAY OF VARIOUS FAULT CODES ON DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. *NM

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE INSULATION RESULTING IN STALLING WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE.

BEGAN EXPERIENCING VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN MY MERCEDES BENZ E320. INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD INSULATION CRUMBLING OFF AND SPARKS WERE VISIBLE BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND HARNESS. ALSO ADVISED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON EARLY 90'S MERCEDES VEHICLES DUE TO USING BIODEGRADABLE INSULATION AND A FIRE WAS A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY. THE INSULATION DOES NOT STAND UP TO THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND FAILS PREMATURELY. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF RECALL BUT COULD FIND NO INFORMATION AND STATED THE RECALL WAS CLOSED ANYWAY, BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE REPAIR AND WOULD GLADLY PERFORM THE REPAIR WITH ME PAYING THE FULL PRICE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD TRAVELING ON OUR ROADS AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED VIA A RECALL AND REPLACEMENT WITH A NON-DEGRADABLE PRODUCT. *JB

ENGINE WIRE HARNESS INSULATION IS CRACKED AND BADLY DETERIORATED, CAUSING MALFUNCTION AND FAULTY CODES. *NM