1995 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS Complaints

MY CAR EXPERIENCES HARD STARTS, ROUGH IDLING, POOR GEAR SHIFTING (AUTOMATIC), AND RANDOM STALLING IN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ROADWAY ENVIRONMENTS. AFTER SYSTEMATICALLY TESTING AND ELIMINATING THE VEHICLES OTHER EQUIPMENT AS THE SOURCE, IT IS INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS THAT A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS IS TO BLAME. WHAT MERCEDES HAS LAMELY DESCRIBED AS "ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY" WIRE INSULATION IS REALLY A LIFE THREATENING DEFECT THAT LEAVES BARE WIRES EXPOSED THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL SHORTS, VEHICLE DAMAGE, FIRES, ACCIDENTS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PERSONAL INJURY AND DEATH. DOES THAT SOUND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY? IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TELL WHEN THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WILL FAIL BEFORE IT ACTUALLY BECOMES DANGEROUS. WE ARE ALL VERY LUCKY THAT THIS HASN'T KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED ANYONE YET. THIS DANGEROUS COMPONENT SHOULD BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. *TR

WIRING HARNESS CRACKING, FLAKING OFF AND CRUMBLING. ENGINE TEMP SENDERS, GLOW PLUG WIRING, EGR AND OTHER UNIDENTIFIABLE WIRING IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT DEFECTIVE. SP FAR HAVE REPLACED SEVERAL EASY TO REACH WIRES. *TR

NOTICEABLE HESITATION AND ROUGH IDLE ON MY MERCEDES E320 1994 WAGON. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS IS CRUMBLING AND WAS WELL KNOW FOR CARS 1991-1996 FOR THIS MODEL AND DEALERS HAVE HAD THE KNOWLEDGE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THIS PART WILL NEED REPLACING AT A COST OF APPROX. $1600.00 AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF A RECALL SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 1995. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE HARNESS IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED THE REPAIR INVOICE. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR

TWO REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT MERCEDES MECHANICS INFORMED ME THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IN MY 1995 E300 DIESEL IS DECAYING WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED MY GLOW PLUGS TO MALFUNCTION AND THIS PROBLEM IS PREVALENT IN MERCEDES VEHICLES MADE FROM 1991-1996. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS PART BEFORE MORE SERIOUS EVENTS OCCUR DUE TO THE FLAW IN MERCEDES MANUFACTURING PROCESS FROM 1991-1996 . *AK

THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION ON MY E300D DIESEL MERCEDES BENZ WAS SEVERELY CRACKED TO THE POINT THAT IS CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE SENSORY FAILED, THE GLOW PLUG RELAY FAILED, AND THE EXTERNAL AIR TEMPERATURE SENSORY FAILED. THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED BY A AUTO REPAIR SHOP AT SIGNIFICANT COST.*AK

DURING ENGINE WORK MY MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD DEGRADED AND EXPOSED BARE WIRES IN SOME AREAS. ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INCLUDED FANS RUNNING CONSTANTLY AND INTERMITTENT AC OPERATION. MY RESEARCH INDICATED THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAD EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE MERCEDES-BENZ W124 BODY STYLE WIRING HARNESS, INCLUDING ASSOCIATED DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS, SMOKE AND IN SOME CASES FIRES. APPARENTLY THE HARNESS HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO DEGRADE EASILY UPON THE END OF ITS LIFE IN A LANDFILL, BUT THE HARNESSES ARE DEGRADING WHILE STILL IN USE, TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE CONSUMER. I HAD THE MECHANIC REPLACE THE HARNESS, WHICH I HAVE KEPT AND CAN PRODUCE IF HELPFUL. COST OF THE NEW HARNESS AND LABOR WAS APPROXIMATELY $500, SINCE MY CAR IS A DIESEL. SIMILAR HARNESSES FOR GASOLINE ENGINE CARS CAN COST IN EXCESS OF $1,000. I DID NOT WANT TO RISK A FIRE OR DAMAGE TO OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE CAR, NOT TO MENTION THE RELIABILITY CONCERNS. I FEEL REPLACING THE PART WAS NECESSARY FOR THE SAFE DRIVING OF THE CAR. *NM

SEAT FRAME FAILURE. THE LEFT FRAME RAIL OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED CAUSING THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S SEAT TO TILT TO THE SIDE OF THE CAR AND IMPACT THE DOOR AND B-PILLAR. THIS CREATED A DANGEROUS DRIVING POSITION. IF THIS HAPPENED DURING A COLLISION DRIVER WOULD'VE SUFFERED HEAD TRAUMA AND SPINAL CORD INJURY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD A WIRING HARNESS PROBLEM. THE PLASTIC HARNESS CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEED CONTROL AS WELL. THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS ACCELERATING AT 65 MPH AND THE DEALER DETERMINED THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR TWO YEARS.*AK

MAIN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS CURRENTLY DETERIORATING CAUSING THE WIRES TO BE EXPOSED TO AN INTENSE AMOUNT OF HEAT. *JB

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 950223/ NHTSA RECALL 95V031000; DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT IS LOCKED IN ONE POSITION, SEAT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS, PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK