1995 Mercedes Benz E320

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THERE WAS SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

ON THIS 1995 MERCEDES E320, WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS, TOOK TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $1500. THE WIRING HARNESS WAS CRUMBLING EVERYWHERE. I CHECKED ONLINE AND IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL E20. I CHECKED NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, THE COATING TO THE WIRING HAS DISINTEGRATED AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THESE CARS. I HAVE SPENT OVER $2,000 TO TRY TO GET THIS CAR TO PASS EMISSIONS, IT FAILS SO BAD I CANT EVEN GET A WAIVER. *TR

I DROPPED OFF MY CAR AT AUTO SHOP DUE TO MY CAR STARTING ROUGH, THE AC AND FAN CUT OFF, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD BE THE WIRE HARNESS AS I HAD READ ABOUT PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, AND HAD DISCUSSED POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH VARIOUS MERCEDES MECHANICS. I WAS TOLD THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAD INSTALLED BIO DEGRADABLE WIRE HARNESS THAT WERE RESULTING IN PREMATURE DETERIORATION. WHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SERVICE BAY AT S THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP MY ENGINE WIRE HARNESS CAUGHT ON FIRE! THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE ENTIRE CAR AND HIS SHOP CAUGHT ON FIRE. I HAVE ASKED HIM TO RETAIN HARNESS FOR EVIDENCE, HE SAID HARNESS IS IN PIECES DUE TO EXTREME HEAT OF THIS ELECTRICAL FIRE. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AT THE SHOP, OR MY ENTIRE FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I SAY THIS AS MY ELECTRIC LOCKS WERE MESSED UP, AND SOMETIMES I HAD TO WAIT UP TO A MINUTE OR MORE TO OPEN THE CAR DOORS AND TRUNK, AND ALSO TO LOCK MY VEHICLE DUE TO SOME SORT OF SHORT. WE COULD HAVE ALL BURNED TO DEATH IF THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND WE COULD NOT OF EXITED THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. THERE ARE OVER 700 COMPLAINTS, ALONG WITH DOZENS OF FIRE COMPLAINTS, REGARDING ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEFECT ON MERCEDES BENZ BUILT BETWEEN 1991-1997 WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. HOW MANY SAFETY REPORTS, ENGINE HARNESS FIRES, AND POSSIBLE HARNESS FIRES RESULTING IN DEATH DOES IT TAKE FOR ACTION IN THE FORM OF A RECALL BY MERCEDES BENZ AND THE NHTSA? THIS IS NOT A MATTER "IF" THESE WIRE HARNESS WITH FAIL, BUT WHEN AND HOW. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION REGARDING MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS THAT FAILED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND RESULTING DAMAGE TO MY CAR. *TR

THE WIRES IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTING TO THE COILS FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ARE DISINTEGRATING. CURRENTLY THIS IS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER, RUN ROUGH, ONLY 2-4 CYLINDERS ARE FIRING. MY MECHANIC SAID HE FOUND ON THE WEB THAT THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT TO MERCEDES CARS MADE DURING THE TIME PERIOD MY CAR WAS MADE BUT MERCEDES NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS HUGE PROBLEM. MY COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WAS ESTIMATED AT $3200.00 OR MORE DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH OF THE WIRING SYSTEM HAS DISINTEGRATED AND WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE AFFECTED. I CALLED MERCEDES ON HOWE AVE IN SACRAMENTO AND AFTER CHECKING MY VIN NUMBER SAID MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

THE CAR BEGAN TO IDLE ROUGH MONTHS BEFORE, IT COMPLETELY STOPPED. I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR, BUT AFTER GETTING THAT FIXED I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. IT COULD HAVE ENDED IN A CRASH BUT THANKFULLY I WAS ON A ROAD WITH FAIRLY LIGHT TRAFFIC. UPON INSPECTION, THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY '95 E320 COMPLETELY WAS WEARING AWAY, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE IGNITION COILS. I'M ASHAMED OF MERCEDES FOR NOT RECALLING THIS PROBLEM, AS IT (I HAVE FOUND OUT AFTER READING) IS AN INFAMOUS PROBLEM WITH MB FROM 1993-96. I HOPE THAT THEY SORT THIS OUT SO NO ONE GETS IN A CRASH, OR WORSE. *TR