1993 Mercedes Benz 400: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
9 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
128,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1993 model year. Data snapshot: . 7 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Electrical System:Wiring is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 9 complaints (33.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 5 | 55.6% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 11.1% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 11.1% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Wiring | 3 |
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood | 1 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 1 |
| Tires | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 |
Electrical System:Wiring: 3; Electrical System: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood: 1; Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 1; Tires: 1; Vehicle Speed Control: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 2 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 2
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (3). 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 2 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
1995: 2; 2003: 1; 2006: 2; 2007: 1; 2009: 2; 2010: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Wiring leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 5 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10032138 · 2003-08-05 (August 5, 2003)
THE DESIGN AND LOCATION OF THE SPARK PLUGS CAUSES A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. IN ORDER TO REPLACE OR INSPECT THE PLUGS WIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE UNBOLTED AND PUSHED BACKWARDS, WIRE HARNESS SHOULDN'T BE MOVED. WIRE HARNESS SHORTED OUT, CAUSING A SHORT OUT OF ALL COMPONENTS IN THAT CIRCUIT.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 128,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032138 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10158924 · 2006-06-04 (June 4, 2006)
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATED COMPLETELY CAUSING ENGINE PROBLEMS,STALLING IN TRAFFIC. IT WAS CORRECTED BY BUYING A NEW WIRING HARNESS. THE OLD PART WAS KEPT. IT IS UNDERSTOOD BY ME THAT THE INSULATION USED WAS BIODEGRADABLE. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 111,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10158924 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10160661 · 2006-06-24 (June 24, 2006)
HELLO, RECENTLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY ASR SYSTEM ON MY 1993 MB 400E AND THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME MY WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY,CRACKED AND WAS TURNING TO DUST ! HE SAID IF I DIDN'T FIX IT WOULD CAUSE ME SERIOUS PROBLEMS - EVEN POSSIBLY AN ENGINE FIRE ! HE TOLD ME COST TO REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS + LABOR WOULD BE ABOUT $ 1080.00. COME TO FIND OUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHY DON'T YOU FOLKS GET MERCEDES TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL !! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR GET BURNED ALIVE BEFORE YOU HELP THE PUBLIC THAT YO…
Owner-reported narrative. 176,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10160661 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10187255 · 2007-04-07 (April 7, 2007)
1993 400 SEL WIRING HARNESS # [phone removed] ROTTED AWAY. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 150,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10187255 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10256454 · 2009-01-27 (January 27, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400 SEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED WITH SUMITOMO HTRZ2 TIRES AND TIRE SIZE, 245/35R20. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SPLIT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS LATER, HE NOTICED NUMEROUS SPLITS ON THE TIRE. HE ALREADY REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED, BUT THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED. WHEN THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE REPAIRED, THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE NOT INSPECTED AT ANY SHOP. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,0…
Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10256454 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10257513 · 2009-02-04 (February 4, 2009)
I HAVE A 1993 400 SEL MERCEDES BENZ THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS FOR YEARS AND NOW TURNS OUT TO BE A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY RECENTLY WHICH ALMOST GOT ME KILLED WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10257513 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10326929 · 2010-04-21 (April 21, 2010)
THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1993 MERCEDES 400SEL IS DEFECTIVE. AFTER TALKING WITH A MERCEDES MECHANIC, HE INFORMS ME HOW IMPORTANT THIS HARNESS IS AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN IT FAILS. THE WIRES ARE CRACKING AND SPLITTING AND ARE DRIED OUT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. AFTER DOING THE RESEARCH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MERCEDES KNOWS THE HARNESSES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM. NO INJURIES OR DEATH AT THIS TIME. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 142,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10326929 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 482765 · 1995-03-21 (March 21, 1995)
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY SURGES AT SPEEDS OF 10-20 MPH. *AW
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 482765 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.