1995 Mercedes Benz C220

MY VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AT START UP AND ALSO DURING DRIVING IN MOTION. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE DAY WHILE STATIONARY, ON A CITY STREET, OR TURNING WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. I'VE OWNED THIS MERCEDES FOR YEARS AND HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW SERIOUS THIS PROBLEM WAS UNTIL I SPOKE WITH MY MECHANIC RECENTLY.

I STARTED MY CAR AND BEGAN DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. I WAS GOING ABOUT 55 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHUT DOWN; LIKE THE POWER WAS SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. THEN, LIKE A CHILD FLIPPING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF, THE CAR BEGAN TO JERK FORWARD AND BACK AS THE POWER AND ENGINE WENT ON AND OFF AGAIN. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP THE CAR DIED. I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND GET HOME BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN WHILE I DROVE HOME AND DIE WHEN I STOPPED. THE NEXT DAY I GOT IT OVER TO THE SHOP. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS THE WIRING HARNESS. HE SAID THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES. I LOOKED IT UP AND SURE ENOUGH, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIALS. I ASKED THE MECHANIC TO SEE THE WIRING HARNESS HE REMOVED. IT LOOKED JUST LIKE THE ON IN THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESDEFECTS.COM/2008/04/WIRE-HARNESS-DEFECT.HTML?M=1 THERE WAS CRACKED INSULATION AND EXPOSED WIRES THROUGHOUT THE HARNESS.

MY VEHICLE HAS THE FAULTY WIRING HARNESS PREVALENT IN ALL THESE CARS DURING THE MID TO LATE NINETIES. IT HAS EXHIBITED MANY OF THE SIGNS MENTIONED BY NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS OVER THE YEARS SUCH AS: ENGINE LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY, SURGING OF THE THROTTLE, DASH INSTRUMENTS THAT WON'T WORK, STUMBLING AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC, ETC. THE ONLY THING I HAVEN'T HAD YET IS A FIRE. I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR BACK IN FEB. THIS IS MY FIRST MERCEDES AND WILL BE MY LAST.....NEXT CAR WILL BE A HONDA. WHY MERCEDES IS ALLOWED TO IGNORE THIS IS BEYOND ME. I THOUGHT THE REASON WE HAVE GOVERNMENT REGULATION IS TO FORCE CAR MAKERS TO CLEAN UP MESSES LIKE THIS. THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF THESE CARS ON THE ROAD AND THIS PROBLEM WILL EVENTUALLY GET SOMEONE KILLED IF IT HASN'T ALREADY. MERCEDES SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL AND REPLACE THIS WIRING WITH GOOD REMANUFACTURED PARTS FOR FREE IF YOU STILL OWN ONE OF THESE CARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES C-220. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

MERCEDES BENZ KNOWS ABOUT THESE FAULTY WIRING HARNESSES AND REFUSES TO OWN UP TO THEIR FAULTS. THESE FAULTS PLACE THE OWNER AND OTHERS AT RISK AS THEY CAN CAUSE SHORTS, A POOR RUNNING CAR WITH SHORTING ISSUES, OR EVEN CAUSE A FIRE. I WOULD BE HAPPY IF MERCEDES WOULD JUST GIVE US A NEW WIRING HARNESS, I WOULD INSTALL IT MYSELF AND THEY WOULD NOT HAVE LOST ANYTHING. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC WITH AN UNRELATED ENGINE PROBLEM WHICH WAS RESOLVED. AFTERWARDS THE MECHANIC POINTED OUT THE ENGINE MAIN WIRING HARNESS TO ME AND INFORMED ME IF I DON'T REPLACE IT, IT COULD HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES LIKE THE CAR CATCHING OF FIRE, STOPPING AT ANY MOMENT AND MAIN COMPUTER DAMAGE. THEY SHOED ME THE WIRE INSULATIONS IN THE WIRING HARNESS AND I WAS APPALLED BY WHAT I SAW. THEY WERE ALL CRACKED, AT PLACES MISSING, AND VERY CLOSE TO ACTUALLY TOUCHING AND SHORTING OUT. ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT IN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY OR ELECTRICAL REPAIR TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS. THE WIRING HARNESS COST IS ABOUT $1000 AND THE LABOR IS SEVERAL HOURS. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE RECTIFIED BY MERCEDES-BENZ BY ISSUING A RECALL AND REPLACING THE HARNESS AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A SYSTEMIC DEFECT, AND MANY MERCEDES-BEND CARS OF THE SAME ERA AROUND 1995-1998 HAD TO BE REFIT WITH NEW WIRING HARNESSES. IT IS NOT CAUSED BY NORMAL WEAR ALTHOUGH MY CAR HAS HIGH MILEAGE, BUT POOR MATERIALS USED. *TR

THE POORLY DESIGNED WIRING HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO MANUFACTURES DEFECT OF BIODEGRADABLE SHIELDING ... IT IS THE HARNESS FROM THE E.C.M. TO THE ENGINE... IF THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED DURING THIS FAILURE IT COULD HAVE CAUSED DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO EITHER THE DRIVER/PASSENGER OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD ... I HAVE OWNED OLDER M.B. AND NEVER SEEN THIS KIND OF WIRING IN MY 10+ YEARS OF DRIVING AND REPAIRING THESE KIND OF CARS... THIS ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO MBUSA AND THEY TRIED TO SAY IT IS DUE TO NON MAINTENANCE THROUGH M.B..... THIS PART SHOULD HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN THE LIFE OF THE CAR AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE...WHAT DID I MISS ? HOW DO YOU DO MAINTENANCE ON A WIRE ? HOW?... THIS ISSUE WAS FOUND TO HAPPEN OFF THE LINE AND THEY PRODUCED THIS CRAP...RECALL/REPAIR THANK YOU PLEASE FIX OR RECALL THIS THERE ARE OTHERS WHO TRUSTED THEIR FAMILY'S TO THIS COMPANY AND SOME ARE STILL UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND ARE IN DANGER... *TR