1995 Mercedes Benz E320

FAILURE OF AIR CONDITIONER, WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID, RADIO ANTENNA, AND OIL LEAK. *LA THE A/C FAILED CONTINUOUSLY SINCE PURCHASED, THE FRONT WINDOWS HAD BROKEN MOTORS THE WATER PUMP BLEW, OIL LEAKED INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM AND WAS REPLACED(WATER PUMP AND HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED), TWO ENGINE MOUNTS COLLAPSED, DRIVER'S DOOR RATTLED, ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON, AND BOTH FRONT TIRES LOST AIR AND WERE FILLED EVERY TWO WEEKS(FIVE SETS OF TIRE). THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC

I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 WAGON. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND DECIDED TO CHANGE THE OIL. WHILE REACHING INTO THE ENGINE COMPLARTMENT, I FELT AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK FROM A WIRE BUNDLE NEAR THE OIL FILTER. I LOOKED AND SAW BARE WIRES EXPOSED WHERE THE INSULATION WAS MISSING. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF SAME VEHICLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS AND VERY COMMON DEFECT WITH CERTAIN MODEL YEARS. THE REPAIR IS VERY COSTLY. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THIS VERY COMMON AND HAZARDOUS ISSUE? IT IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW.*AK

I OWN A 1995 E320 SDN, I HAVE 87,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND MERCEDES HAS PERFORMED ALL MAJOR SERVICE OF THE VEHICLE DURING THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR (4YRS). I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MAIN WIRE HARNESS IS FALLING APART AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1,200.00 PLUS. I HAVE WORKED ON CARS FOR MANY YEARS AS WELL AS RESTORING THEM AND HAVE NEVER RUN ACROSS A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS. M.B. SHOULD STAND BEHIND THIS FAILURE AND INITIATE A RECALL.*AK

I OWN A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320 WAGON. PURCHASED IN FEB 2003 WITH 5300 MILES ON ODOMETER. THE HFM ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRIP TO DEALERSHIP FOR EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION/HEAVY SULFUR ODOR. MERCEDES BENZ WEB CHATROOMS (MBWORLD.ORG, BENZWORLD.ORG, MERCEDESSHOP.COM) DETAIL LITERALLY SEVERAL DOZEN CASES OF DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESSES WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT FOR W124 CARS WITH M104 ENGINES OF MODEL YEARS 1992 TO 1995. THESE WIRING HARNESSES WERE APARENTLY MADE WITH WIRES WHOSE INSULATION IS PRONE TO EXCESSIVE DEGREDATION WITH HEAT AND TIME. THE LOSS OF INSULATION EVENTUALLY LEADS TO SHORT-CIRCUITING OF THE WIRES AND A HOST OF DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. REPLACEMENT OF MY HARNESS FIXED MY PROBLEM. THIS PART IS APPARENTLY UNIVERSALLY DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY, AND AS SUCH I BELIEVE THAT A RECALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ITEM IS IN ORDER. *AK

ENGINE STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES IN TRAFFIC. REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE WIRING HARNESS SOLVED THE PROBLEM. INSULATION ON THE INDIVIDUAL WIRES IN THE ORIGINAL ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ASSEMBLY HAS SERIOUSLY DECAYED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS FLAKING LEAVING BARE EXPOSED COPPER WIRE WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY. THE BARE WIRES WITHIN THE ASSEMBLY CONCEIVABLY MADE SPURIOUS ELECTRICAL CONTACT CAUSING THE ENGINE STALLS.I AVIDLY PARTICIPATE IN MERCEDES AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICAL CHAT ROOMS. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM (DECAY OF ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION) IS RUMORED TO BE CONFINED TO THE MERCEDES 1993-1995 MODELS WITH M104 ENGINES. THIS WOULD INCLUDE MODELS C280, 300E (3.2L AND 2.8L ENGINE), E320, S320. WITHIN THESE MODELS, THE PROBLEM APPEARS WIDESPREAD. IT IS RUMORED THAT MERCEDES WAS TRYING TO FORMULATE AN ECO-FRIENDLY INSULATION THAT WOULD DEGRADE IN THE LANDFILL. THOUGH IT WAS A NOBLE EFFORT, THE WIRING UNFORTUNATELY DECAYED BEFORE ITS TIME WAS DUE, LEAVING A THREE YEAR PRODUCTION OF E320 MODELS WITH WIRING THAT IS UNSAFE AND PRONE TO CAUSE STALLING. I HAVE THE OLD WIRING FROM MY VEHICLE AND I CAN PROVIDE DIGITAL IMAGES OF THIS WIRING ILLUSTRATING THE PROBLEM IN DETAIL UPON REQUEST. I BELIEVE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS OF ALL AFFECTED MERCEDES VEHICLES SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL BECAUSE IT IS NOT A PART OF A CAR THAT IS NORMALLY EXPECTED TO FAIL, AND IT HAS A PROFOUND EFFECT ON SAFETY AND EMISSIONS. THE REFERENCES BELOW CONTAIN DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS OF MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ABOVEMENTIONED PROBLEM. REFERENCES:HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESSHOP.COM/SHOPFORUM HTTP://WWW.BENZWORLD.ORG/FORUMS HTTP://FORUMS.MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS *AK