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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C220. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STRUCK HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO PROPERLY SECURE HER. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF MINOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE FUEL LINE DUE TO A LEAK. THERE WERE ALSO REPAIRS MADE TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA TO WARRANT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000.

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C220. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

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