IllustrationWIRE HARNESS SHORTED OUT DUE TO NAKED WIRES WITH NO INSULATION CAUSING THE HARNESS TO CATCH FIRE BURNING HARNESS AND FRYING THE ALTERNATOR. THE CAUSE WAS SAID TO BE WIRE HARNESS DETERIORATED. IMPROPER INSULATION ON THE HARNESS. *JB
1995 Mercedes Benz S Class
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 S Class 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
00–25K
225–50K
250–75K
475–100K
5100–150K
7150K+
20 reports with mileage · 7 unknown
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 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 1 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
What owners actually said
27 reportsTHE ENGINE CONTROL/FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 (61,000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT-CIRCUIT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION--AND EVEN FIRE--INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE …
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THE ENGINE CONTROL/FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 (61,000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT-CIRCUIT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION--AND EVEN FIRE--INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO MERCEDES AS FAR BACK AS 1997 THAT THEY CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO RECALL. THE NHTSA APPEARS TO BE LOOKING AT THIS DEFECT AS A SEPARATE ISSUE BY YEAR AND MODEL...IT IS DEFINITELY NOT! IT WAS A SUPPLIER ISSUE FOR ALL MERCEDES MODELS OF THE YEARS 1991-1997 AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS SUCH. YOU HAVE OVER 700 REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM. DO SOMETHING...NOW!!! *TR
DIESEL ENGINE PREGLOW WIRE HARNESS ABS BRAKING SYSTEM TRACTION CONTROL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES S-CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY ENGAGE IN LIMP MODE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION OVER 25 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMING FROM THE WIRING HARNESS THAT WAS CONNECTED FROM THE COM…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES S-CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY ENGAGE IN LIMP MODE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION OVER 25 MPH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMING FROM THE WIRING HARNESS THAT WAS CONNECTED FROM THE COMPUTER TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER STATED THE WIRING WAS DETERIORATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000.
ENGINE WIRE HARNESS CAUSING MY CAR TO STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR
MY ASR LIGHT IS ON IN MY CAR WHICH IS A MERCEDES BENZ S600 DO TO A BAD WIRING HARNESS ON THE CAR,AND IT PUTS OUT A BIG BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE WHILE DRIVING,I TOOK THE ASR FUSE OUT AND IT STOPS BUT I HAVE TO PUT IT BACK IN BECAUSE THE ABS/AND THE SRS LIGHT COME ON ALSO. *TR
1995 MERCEDES S420 ASR COME ON WHILE DRIVING CAUSING GAS PEDAL TO STIFFEN AND DRIVING DIFFICULT IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT WHILE DRIVING. WHILE ASR LIGHT IS ON WHILE DRIVING EASING UP OFF GAS PEDAL CAUSES CAR TO JERK FORWARD WHILE BRAKING. *TR
MERCEDES BENZ 1995 S420 WIRING HARNESS CRACKING OF INSULATION LET TO STUCK STARTER WOULD NOT TURN OFF DRAINED ALL BATTERY POWER BECAME VERY HOT. 'ARCING PRESENT IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FROM BARE WIRES DUE TO FLAKING INSULATION ON WIRING. *TR
I HAVE A 1995 MERCEDES S320. THE 'CHECK ENGINE' IS ON, INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO MERCEDES DEALER SHOP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT HAVE 8 FAULT CODES. THE FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS IS HARD AND BRITTLE. IT TOOK THEM 4 HOURS TO FIND THE FIX THE SHORT. THE REPAIR COST IS $400. THE FIX DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AS THE 'C…
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I HAVE A 1995 MERCEDES S320. THE 'CHECK ENGINE' IS ON, INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO MERCEDES DEALER SHOP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT HAVE 8 FAULT CODES. THE FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS IS HARD AND BRITTLE. IT TOOK THEM 4 HOURS TO FIND THE FIX THE SHORT. THE REPAIR COST IS $400. THE FIX DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AS THE 'CHECK ENGINE' WILL COME ON AFTER 50 MILES! THE MB SHOP ALSO RECOMMEND THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE REPLACED, COST ~$1,200 FOR THE PART (NOT INCLUDING LABOR). I THINK THIS IS A DEFECT FROM MERCEDES AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL/CORRECT BY MERCEDES. *TR
ENGINE STARTED TO RUN POORLY WHILE UNDERWAY AND THEN QUIT ENTIRELY. TRACED TO SHORTS IN ENGINE WIRING CAUSED BY A DISINTEGRATION OF INSULATION IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE SEEMED TO BE A BURNING AT THE SITE OF THE FAILURE BY THE DISCOLORING OF THE COPPER STANDS. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.