1995 Mercedes Benz 420

THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1995 MERCEDES BENZ S420 HAS DISINTEGRATED. THE WIRING INSULATION IS CRACKED AND BROKEN IN MANY PLACES, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN A NON-OPERATING CONDITION. THE CAR HAS STALLED 3 TIMES SO FAR, IN TRAFFIC, AND WILL NOW NOT RUN AT ALL. APPARENTLY THE WIRES HAVE BROKEN DOWN DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THE WIRES WERE NOT SUITABLE FOR THE APPLICATION THEY WERE USED FOR. *TR

TWO MAJOR FAILURES OF WIRING ON MY 1995 S420. (1) MAIN WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, BURNED INSULATION AND FAILURE TO OPERATE. DEALER CLAIMED NORMAL WITH A CAR THIS AGE. (2) THROTTLE ACTUATOR WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, AGAIN BURNED INSULATION AND OPERATE IN LIMPED MODE ONLY. CONTACTED REGIONAL MANAGER AND MB USA, RESULTING IN SENDING IN DAMAGED PART TO MB USA FOR ENGINEERING STUDY. ONE MONTH LATER I CONTACTED THE PRESIDENT OF MB USA. ONE WEEK LATER I WAS CONTACTED BY MB USA CUSTOMER SERVICE, WAS TOLD THEY (MB USA) KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE ENGINEERING STUDY. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER,WHO CLAIMED THE FAULTY ACTUATOR WAS SHIPPED TO MB USA. THERE IS NOT ONLY A SERIOUS ENGINEERING PROBLEM WITH THESE WIRING HARNESSES BUT UNCONSCIONABLE THAT THEY CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT. FURTHER, I FOUND CUSTOMER SERVICE TO BE PRETTY MUCH NON EXISTENT, PARTICULARLY AT MB USA. *JB

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF A 1995 MERCEDEZ-BENZ E420, I WAS TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OF THE NEED TO REPLACE WIRING HARNESSES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECAUSE THE WIRING INSULATION BECOMES BRITTLE, CRACKS, AND FALLS OFF. THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED TO BE THE CASE ON MY CAR, WITH THE MECHANIC SHOWING ME THE CONDITION OF THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THIS REPAIR COST ME OVER $2000 - OF COURSE I HAVE RECEIPTS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT - IT IS SO PREVALENT, I CAN FIND COUNTLESS MENTIONS OF IT IN MERCEDES DISCUSSION BOARDS ON THE INTERNET, WHOSE CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE MERCEDES-TRAINED MECHANICS. MERCEDES SHOULD TREAT THIS AS A SAFETY-RELATED RECALL - DO YOU WANT YOUR ENGINE QUITTING ON THE FREEWAY? DO YOU WANT A FIRE IN YOUR ENGINE COMPARTMENT? MERCEDES SHOULD REFUND ME THE MONEY I SPENT RETURNING MY CAR TO A SAFE CONDITION.

AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, FIRE CAME THROUGH THE FIREWALL. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. *AK THERE WERE NO PRIOR PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE HAD FILLED WITH BLACK SMOKE WITH THE IGNITION OFF AND THE VEHICLE PARKED. THERE WAS NO WARNING. *SCC *JB

SEE INFORMATION RECORDED IN ATTACHED LETTER. COMPLAINT REGISTERED WITH CUSTOMER SERVICES CENTER, MERCEDES-BENZ, USA VIA TELEPHONE ON SEPTEMBER 13, AND 16, 2002, WITH NO RESULTS TAKEN TO RESOLVE FAULTY SEAT BELT. I NOTE THAT NHTSA BULLETIN NO.: SB049577, WAS ISSUED DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 1996, THAT INDICATES THAT VEHICLES, MY MODEL YEAR WITHOUT SIDE AIR BAGS SRS SENSOR WAS UPDATED AND REPLACED BY PART #001 820 19 26. I FIND NO EVIDENCE BASED UPON A REVIEW OF THE VEHICLE MASTER INQUIRY (VMI) THAT SRS SENSOR WAS REPLACED. COPY OF LETTER OUTLINING MY CONCERNS RE: SAFETY ISSUE BEING MAILED THIS DATE.*AK