IllustrationENGINE HARNESS CRUMBLING/FALLING APART CAUSING CAR TO STALL ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *TR
1994 Mercedes Benz C220
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C220 years →Counts vary with age, sales 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: 15 of 24 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 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
17 reportsTHE WIRING INSULATION PREMATURELY DISINTEGRATED UNDER NORMAL USE CAUSING THE WIRES IT IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT AND INSULATE, TO SHORT CAUSING MANY PROBLEMS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ C220. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE DEALER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD FAILED AND NEEDE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 MERCEDES BENZ C220. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE DEALER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 214,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
MY C-220 BEGAN TO BE HARD TO START. IT ALSO HAD A NOISE OF RUNNING HARD. THEN IT STARTED SHUTTING OFF ON ME. I HAD IT CHECK OUT AND THE WIRES OF THE FUEL INJECTOR HARNESS JUST BEGAN TO CRUMBLE. *TR
IT ALL STARTED WHEN I WAS WARMING UP THE CAR BEFORE WORK AND I WENT BACK INSIDE MY HOUSE WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF. LATER AT A STOP LIGHT THE CARS ENGINE SHUT OFF AGAIN. I'M AT FEAR WHEN EVER I STOP THAT THE CAR MAY CUT OFF. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND WHEN RESET IT CAME BACK ON. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HA…
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IT ALL STARTED WHEN I WAS WARMING UP THE CAR BEFORE WORK AND I WENT BACK INSIDE MY HOUSE WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF. LATER AT A STOP LIGHT THE CARS ENGINE SHUT OFF AGAIN. I'M AT FEAR WHEN EVER I STOP THAT THE CAR MAY CUT OFF. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND WHEN RESET IT CAME BACK ON. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HARNESS IS DETERIORATING INSIDE. THE MECHANICAL TECHNICIAN SHOWED IT TO ME. THE COST TO REPAIR THE ENGINE HARNESS, I WAS QUOTED AND ESTIMATE OF $1700.00 MAYBE I WAS TOLD. *TR
AS I HAVE BEEN READING, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, YET NO RECALL HAS HAPPENED. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN AGE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXHIBIT STALLING ISSUES AND ROUGH RUNNING, ALSO FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE …
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AS I HAVE BEEN READING, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, YET NO RECALL HAS HAPPENED. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN AGE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXHIBIT STALLING ISSUES AND ROUGH RUNNING, ALSO FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AND FIRE. *TR
MY 1994 MERCEDES C220 VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STOP RUNNING DURING A 120 MILE TRIP AT 10 PM. DURING COLD WEATHER MY PREGNANT WIFE AND I WERE LUCKY TO HAVE A SIGNAL ON OUR CELL PHONE WE CONTACTED AAA HAD TO WAIT 1 HOUR FINALLY VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE NEXT DAY A MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND HE ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO AN INJE…
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MY 1994 MERCEDES C220 VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STOP RUNNING DURING A 120 MILE TRIP AT 10 PM. DURING COLD WEATHER MY PREGNANT WIFE AND I WERE LUCKY TO HAVE A SIGNAL ON OUR CELL PHONE WE CONTACTED AAA HAD TO WAIT 1 HOUR FINALLY VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE NEXT DAY A MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND HE ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO AN INJECTORS WIRE HARNESS THAT LOST INSULATING CAPACITY CAUSING WIRES TO TOUCH EACH OTHER CREATING A CIRCUIT SHORT AND FUEL INJECTORS MALFUNCTION. *TR
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED. ABS LIGHT IS ON. SPEEDOMETER IS NOT WORKING , CAR REVS AT HIGH RPM, FUEL GAUGE NOT PRECISE, CAR STARTS BY ITSELF, STARTER BURNED BECAUSE IT ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING. *TR
WIRING HARNESS DISINTEGRATED, SAID TO BE MADE OF CORNSTARCH IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH GERMAN GOVERNMENT MANDATE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE THERMOSTAT IN HIS VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING WARM ENOUGH WHICH THEN INCREASED THE VEHICLES ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WOULD ON…
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WIRING HARNESS DISINTEGRATED, SAID TO BE MADE OF CORNSTARCH IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH GERMAN GOVERNMENT MANDATE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE THERMOSTAT IN HIS VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT GETTING WARM ENOUGH WHICH THEN INCREASED THE VEHICLES ACCELERATION. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WOULD ONLY HAPPEN IN THE WINTER. UPDATED 02/22/11
MY 1994 MERCEDES C220 ENGINE WIRE HARNESS HAS DETERIORATED AND THE INSULATION IS DISINTEGRATING. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM FOR MBZ, AND POSSES A SAFETY CONCERN WHEREBY THE CAR CAN CATCH FIRE. MBZ USA SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND PROVIDE SOME MEANS TO HAVE OWNERS REPLACE THE HARNESS UNDER A SHARED COST PROGRAM. *JB
Official recalls
194V091000 · Vehicle Speed Control
May 13, 1994
THE FACTORY INSTALLED CRUISE CONTROL LINKAGE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY LUBRICATED, WHICH CAN CAUSE BINDING AND THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO THE CLOSED POSITION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE THROTTLE STICKING RESULTS IN A LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL AND COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL LINKAGE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.