Mercedes Benz 600 problems and owner complaints

RECENTLY I FOUND OUT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1991 600 SE IS DETERIORATING, ON SOME PLACES YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE BARE WIRES. THIS CAR IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF OTHER REPAIRS, AND BEFORE WE CAN DO ANYTHING ELSE WE MUST REPLACE EVERY SINGLE HARNESS IN THE ENGINE BAY. WE ARE NOT A VERY RICH FAMILY AND CAN NOT AFFORD THAT. I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR ALMOST EVERY DAY AND AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF IT. WHY DOESN'T MERCEDES DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? THAT IS BEYOND ME. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10153736 at NHTSA ↗

INTENSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DETERIORATING WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 600 SEL MERCEDES. THE WIRES ARE CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES RESULTING IN INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10159751 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE IS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 600SEL. THE ASR (ACCELERATION SLIP CONTROL) WARNING LIGHT APPEARS AFTER THE ENGINE HAS STARTED (USUALLY LESS THAN 10 MINUTES). THE ENGINE SUFFERS LOSS OF POWER AND VEHICLE BECOMES UNDRIVABLE. MERCEDES MECHANIC STATES THE ENGINE HARNESS BODY MOUNTED (PART NO 1405404805) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE WIRING IN THE HARNESS HAS APPARENTLY DEGRATED TO THE POINT WHERE SHORTING IS OCCURRING IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT(S).MERCEDES WANTS $3600 FOR THE PART ANT $650 FOR LABOR. THIS IS A PART THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED…

Owner-reported narrative. 115,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10232347 at NHTSA ↗

I BOUGHT A CAR ON EBAY, THE OWNER DECLARED THE CAR WAS FINE AND I PROCEEDED WITH THE SALE. I DROVE UP TO PA. TO PICK THE CAR UP AND THE GENTLEMAN SAID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON AS HE STARTED IT THAT MORNING. WE THEN WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A O2 SENSOR, AND QUOTED ME $200,00 INSTALLED. I DECLINED AND BROUGHT THE CAR HOME TO HAVE MY OWN PEOPLE WORK ON THE CAR. WHEN I WENT TO THE REPAIR SHOP THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING HARNESS WAS SHOT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. $2,000.00. I TOLD THE SELLER AND HE SAID TOO BAD FOR YO…

Owner-reported narrative. 110,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10243123 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING MY 1993 MERCEDES TO A GAS STATION IN MY TOWN BEFORE A PLANNED TRIP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. I SLOWED DOWN AND TURNED ONTO A SIDE STREET. SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE TRANSMISSION HUMP SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RAN TO FIND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHILE CALLING 911. POLICE ARRIVED AND KEPT ME AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH BURST INTO FLAMES. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HOSED IT ALL DOWN THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND I WAS VERY SHA…

Owner-reported narrative. 122,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482633 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO WARNING. *AK THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD SUDDENLY DISENGAGE AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE WINDOW HAD BLOWN OUT DURING BAD WEATHER, THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL DID NOT FUNCTION MOST OF THE TIME, THE ABC WARNING HAD COME ON, THEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD GONE OUT, THE BRAKE-LINING HAD GONE THIN, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED EMPTY WHEN THE TANK WAS FILLED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD GONE OUT (AGAIN), THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR WASH WHEN WATER GUSHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WITH THE W…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10040317 at NHTSA ↗

I OWN A WHITE 1992 600SEL WITH 85,000 ORIGINAL MILES. THE CAR'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. HOWEVER, THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING CAUSING ALL KIND OF ERRATIC ENGINE AND DRIVE-ABILITY BEHAVIOR. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT ALL. IT IS LOOSING POWER, POWER STEERING IS GETTING STIFFER, AND SMELLS LIKE SULFUR ALL THE TIME. THE LAST TWO DAYS THE CAR IS RUNNING VERY SLUGGISH AND MAKES MERGING INTO TRAFFIC OR JOINING TRAFFIC ON FREEWAYS DANGEROUS AS THE CAR CAN'T GAIN SPEED FAST ENOUGH DUE TO THE HESITATION CAUSED…

Owner-reported narrative. 83,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398393 at NHTSA ↗