IllustrationDETERIORATED ENGINE HARNESS WIRING CAUSING FORCED LIMP MODE AND OTHER GREMLINS. *TR
1995 Mercedes Benz 500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →8Owner complaints
Model-year median: 6
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1995 Mercedes Benz 500
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 8 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Electrical System: 4 reports
- Engine: 2 reports
- Engine And Engine Cooling: 1 reports
- Fuel/propulsion System: 1 reports
- Seat Belts: 1 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 500 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 8 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
4 reportsI OWN A BEAUTIFUL BLACK 1995 S500 MERCEDES BENZ WITH 142,000 MILES. AS YOU KNOW, THE MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATION KNOWINGLY INSTALLED A BIO-DEGRADABLE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS IN MODELS '91-'96. THESE ENGINE WIRE HARNESSES, WERE PURPOSELY INSTALLED AND DESIGNED TO BREAKDOWN AND DISINTEGRATE. BECAUSE OF THIS FLAWED DECISION, I NOW FACE …
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I OWN A BEAUTIFUL BLACK 1995 S500 MERCEDES BENZ WITH 142,000 MILES. AS YOU KNOW, THE MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATION KNOWINGLY INSTALLED A BIO-DEGRADABLE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS IN MODELS '91-'96. THESE ENGINE WIRE HARNESSES, WERE PURPOSELY INSTALLED AND DESIGNED TO BREAKDOWN AND DISINTEGRATE. BECAUSE OF THIS FLAWED DECISION, I NOW FACE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIR COSTS. AFTER RESEARCHING MY VEHICLE'S DIAGNOSIS, I DISCOVERED THAT MERCEDES CORPORATION KNEW THE HORRIFIC, DETRIMENTAL HAZARDS AND IMMENSE FINANCIAL COSTS OWNERS INHERITED DUE TO THE BIO-DEGRADABLE MATERIAL IN THEIR VEHICLES. I FIND IT TO BE CRIMINAL AND SHAMEFUL THAT MERCEDES HAS NEVER TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND HAVE NEVER NOTIFIED POTENTIAL BUYERS OR OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES OF THE HAZARDS AND EXPENSE. THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE. THE ENTIRE CAR IS AT RISK AND SO IS MY LIFE. I AM EXPERIENCING ALL KINDS OF MALFUNCTIONS IN MY VEHICLE. WHEN I WENT INTO MERCEDES TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, THE WIRE HARNESS AND ACTUATOR WERE GIVEN AS THE CAUSE AND IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE OF REPLACEMENT. NEVER ONCE DID MERCEDES INFORM ME WHY THE HARNESS HAD FAILED. THE WIRES HAVE BECOME UNSTABLE, CAUSING SHORTS, MALFUNCTIONS, SMOKE, AND UNRELIABLE STARTUP. MERCEDES BENZ KNEW IT FROM THE START, AND THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ALSO KNOWS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY MERCEDES BENZ HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS OBVIOUS SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARM AND DEATH? AFTER RESEARCHING RECALLS, WHAT I FOUND LEFT ME DISGUSTED AND OUTRAGED. I AM UNDERTAKING A CAMPAIGN TO GET THIS OUT TO THE CONSUMER. I WONDER HOW MANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, INJURIES EVEN DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THIS SILENCE. HAS NHTSA RESEARCHED THIS? RECALL..IT?S THE RIGHT THING TO DO! *TR UPDATED 10/04/12
ON FEB 18, I DROVE MY MB S500, 1995 WITH MY FAMILY ON ORANGE HIGHWAY 5 AT 70M/H AND SUDDENLY MY CAR ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, I WAS ALMOST GET HIT BY THE TRUCK IN MY BACK. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE AND RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT STILL WORKED BUT WITH A RED SIGNAL "CHECK THE ENGINE". I DROVE TO THE NEARBY MB REPAIR S…
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ON FEB 18, I DROVE MY MB S500, 1995 WITH MY FAMILY ON ORANGE HIGHWAY 5 AT 70M/H AND SUDDENLY MY CAR ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE, I WAS ALMOST GET HIT BY THE TRUCK IN MY BACK. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE AND RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT STILL WORKED BUT WITH A RED SIGNAL "CHECK THE ENGINE". I DROVE TO THE NEARBY MB REPAIR STORE AND IT IS A PROBLEM CALLED " ENGINE WIRE HARNESS" DEFECT. THE PROBLEM ALMOST GET ME AND BROTHER KILLED. I AM STILL TERRIFIED. *TR
THE ENGINE/FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1995 S500 MERCEDES-BENZ HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT. WIRES ARE EXPOSED. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE AND THE COST IS OVERWHELMING TO REPAIR. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT MUCH IN OTHER UNNECESSARILY REPAIRS. MERC-BENZ SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH POOR MATERIALS. *TR
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.