NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
31 reports128,000 miles · Oct 25, 2018
Air BagsInjury
TAKATA RECALL; MAYBE. I WAS DRIVING ON FWY-405, HEADING SOUTH, IT WAS AROUND 4:00PM. I WAS GOING THE TRAFFIC SPEED. THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC JAM. MY SPEED WAS BETWEEN 60 AND 65 MPH (THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION). I DIDN'T HIT MY BREAKS, I WAS DRIVING UNDER THE CONDITIONS I JUST STATED; THEN ALL THE SUDDEN MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. FIRST THE…
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TAKATA RECALL; MAYBE. I WAS DRIVING ON FWY-405, HEADING SOUTH, IT WAS AROUND 4:00PM. I WAS GOING THE TRAFFIC SPEED. THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC JAM. MY SPEED WAS BETWEEN 60 AND 65 MPH (THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION). I DIDN'T HIT MY BREAKS, I WAS DRIVING UNDER THE CONDITIONS I JUST STATED; THEN ALL THE SUDDEN MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. FIRST THE DRIVER SIDE; THEN IMMEDIATELY (ALMOST SPONTANEOUSLY) THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED TOO. I TRIED MY BEST TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP TAKING TWO LANES ON THE HIGHWAY. ENGINE HAD STOPPED. THE AFTERMATH AFTER: COMPLETE STOP, SMOKE AND SMILE OF DEPLOYED AIRBAGS, A NON STOP SOUND OF THE HORN, AND THE CAR WAS NO LONGER IN A DRIVE MODE (IT WAS SHIFTED). I SWITCHED THE CAR KEY AND THE HORN NOISE STOPPED. THEN I CALLED 911.
NHTSA ODI #11142669
217 miles · Sep 21, 2018
Electrical System
WIRING THROUGHOUT VEHICLE IS INSULATED WITH A BIO-DEGRADABLE PLASTIC. SHORTING OUT OF IGNITION AND EMISSION LOOMS KILL MANY WHO STALL ON FREEWAYS AND 'INCONVENIENT SPOTS'. THE INSULATION FLAKES OFF LIKE CORN FLAKES AND ELECTRICAL LOSS IN MANY LOOMS DISABLE AND IMPERAL OCCUPANTS.
NHTSA ODI #11130704
110,000 miles · Jan 30, 2017
Fuel/propulsion SystemService BrakesCrash
CAR HAD UNEXPECTED ACCELLERATON DURING A ROUTINE LEFT HAND TURN IN AN INTERSECTION WITH A STOP LIGHT; PRESSING ON THE BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE FORWARD ACCELLERATION, CRASHED INTO A WALL, OCCURRED DOWNTOWN, EARLY EVENING, NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS HIT; DRIVER INJURED. DRIVER NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. BRA…
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CAR HAD UNEXPECTED ACCELLERATON DURING A ROUTINE LEFT HAND TURN IN AN INTERSECTION WITH A STOP LIGHT; PRESSING ON THE BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE FORWARD ACCELLERATION, CRASHED INTO A WALL, OCCURRED DOWNTOWN, EARLY EVENING, NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS HIT; DRIVER INJURED. DRIVER NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. BRAKES SERVICED RECENTLY.
NHTSA ODI #10948376
30,000 miles · Oct 6, 2015
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control
WAS DRIVING ALL GAGES WENT CRAZY STARTED TO BACK FIRE AND DIED ON THE HIGHWAY SO I HAD A FRIEND PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY BACK TO THE SHOP THE SHOP SAID THE WIRING HARESS WAS DEGRADED AND IT COST 2,700 DOLLAR TO FIX THE SAD THING IS THIS CAR ONLY HAS 30,000 MILE'S
NHTSA ODI #10780157
Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2015
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System
MY 1996 MERCEDES C220 HAS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE TYPE OF INSULATION THAT MERCEDES USED FOR THE WIRING AND THE ENGINE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ASAP. MERCEDES USED A BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRE COVER THAT WITH HIGH TEMPS CRACK…
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MY 1996 MERCEDES C220 HAS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE TYPE OF INSULATION THAT MERCEDES USED FOR THE WIRING AND THE ENGINE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ASAP. MERCEDES USED A BIO-DEGRADABLE WIRE COVER THAT WITH HIGH TEMPS CRACKS AND FALLS OFF. THIS HAS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH, STALL AND LOOSE POWER AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE IN TRAFFIC. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF WITH A RECALL BY MERCEDES. MERCEDES HAS BEEN OF NO HELP EXCEPT FOR ME TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10682786
94,655 miles · Dec 14, 2014
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, AND THE TRANSMISSION WIRING HARNESS, AND THE IGNITION COIL HARNESS, DEGRADED TO THE POINT THERE ARE INCHES AND INCHES OF BARE WIRES TOUCHING AND SHORTING WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO QUIT. ALL THREE SEPARATE HARNESS WHICH RESIDE WITH OTHER HARNESS WHICH HAVE NOT DEGRADED. THE ENGINE QUIT ON THE FREEWAY IN RU…
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ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, AND THE TRANSMISSION WIRING HARNESS, AND THE IGNITION COIL HARNESS, DEGRADED TO THE POINT THERE ARE INCHES AND INCHES OF BARE WIRES TOUCHING AND SHORTING WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO QUIT. ALL THREE SEPARATE HARNESS WHICH RESIDE WITH OTHER HARNESS WHICH HAVE NOT DEGRADED. THE ENGINE QUIT ON THE FREEWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND NEARLY CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS AT 65 MILES PER HOUR. REPAIR SHOP WANT $3500 TO CHANGE OUT THE THREE HARNESS WITH NO ASSURANCE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT COME BACK. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10664150
158,000 miles · Nov 28, 2014
Suspension
DURING BRAKE INSPECTION RIGHT FRONT LOWER SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM WAS OBSERVED TO BE ON VERGE OF FAILURE DUE TO INTERNAL RUST OUT OF CONTROL ARM AT THE BALL JOINT JUNCTION. WHEEL WOULD HAVE SEPARATED FROM CONTROL ARM WITHIN A FEW MORE MILES AS THE CONTROL ARM WAS ALREADY SPLIT APART WITH ONLY A THREAD OF METAL REMAINING. FAILURE …
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DURING BRAKE INSPECTION RIGHT FRONT LOWER SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM WAS OBSERVED TO BE ON VERGE OF FAILURE DUE TO INTERNAL RUST OUT OF CONTROL ARM AT THE BALL JOINT JUNCTION. WHEEL WOULD HAVE SEPARATED FROM CONTROL ARM WITHIN A FEW MORE MILES AS THE CONTROL ARM WAS ALREADY SPLIT APART WITH ONLY A THREAD OF METAL REMAINING. FAILURE AT ANY SIGNIFICANT SPEED WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10661234
167,000 miles · Sep 4, 2014
StructureSuspensionCrash
UPPER SPRING PERCH RUSTED AWAY FROM CAR CAUSING MY 16YEAR OLD SON TO CRASH. I BOUGHT THE 1996 C220 FOR HIM FOR SAFETY. COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND MERCEDES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10630565
140,000 miles · Jun 9, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
CAR WENT DEAD. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10597109
146,000 miles · Jan 1, 2013
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control
WHILE ACCELERATING THE MERCEDES C220 WILL SURGE, STALL AND CUT ENGINE POWER OR "CUT OUT". IDLE IS UNSTABLE. WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IS CRUMBLING. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10490640
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