1992 Mercedes Benz 500: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
13 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
99,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1992 model year. Data snapshot: . 10 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 13 complaints (53.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 10 | 76.9% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 30.8% |
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:Front Underhood | 7 |
| Electrical System | 4 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 1 |
| Electrical System:Wiring | 1 |
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood: 7; Electrical System: 4; Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Electrical System:Wiring: 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 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 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: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 2
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (4). 3 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 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 3 |
1995: 1; 2002: 1; 2005: 2; 2006: 4; 2007: 2; 2008: 3
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 10 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 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 10000365 · 2002-12-26 (December 26, 2002)
FAULTY WIRING IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISENTIGRATING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN AGE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXIBIT STALLING ISSUES AND ROUGH RUNNING, ALSO FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER.
Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000365 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10136413 · 2005-09-13 (September 13, 2005)
CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, DROVE HOME AT VERY REDUCED SPEED. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS, A COMMON DEFECT ON THIS MODEL CAR 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 500E. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10136413 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10138286 · 2005-09-30 (September 30, 2005)
UPPER ENGINE WIRE HARNESS FAILURE - ERRATIC IDLE, POWER LOSS, RF NOISE EXCESSIVE, INCONSISTENT ECU FAULT CODES. REPLACED HARNESS AND ALL DEFECTS NO LONGER OCCURRED. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10138286 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10156868 · 2006-05-05 (May 5, 2006)
UPPER AND LOWER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADED TO POINT WHERE CAR WOULD NOT RUN. INSULATION ALL DRIED UP AND CRUMBLED AWAY...I UNDERSTAND MANY 500E OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM...MERCEDES ACKNOWLEDGES USING INFERIOR 'BIO-DEGRADABLE' MATERIALS. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 132,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10156868 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10157480 · 2006-05-13 (May 13, 2006)
THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 SEL WAS REPLACED ONCE AND NOW HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT, I MIGHT ADD, THIS NEW HARNESS IS "SUPPOSED" TO BE THE NEW AND IMPROVED UPGRADED VERSION. IT DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER THAN THE ORIGINAL. THE WIRES ARE ALL EXPOSED BECAUSE OF THE CRACKED INSULATION. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A RARE WIRE, ALL OF THEM ARE CRACKED AND DAMAGED AND EXPOSED!!! BECAUSE OF THE OUTSIDE RUBBER CASING WHICH HOLDS ALL OF THE WIRES, I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM UNTIL IT…
Owner-reported narrative. 132,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157480 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10158452 · 2006-05-28 (May 28, 2006)
UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 500E (81,000 MILES) HAS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED. THE INSULATION HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED AND FLAKED OF THE HARNESS CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTS WITHIN THE IGNITION SYSTEM CAUSING FAILURE TO START OR RUN CONDITIONS. THROUGH RESEARCH ON THE WEB I HAVE DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON SITUATION WITH THE W124 CHASSIS CARS. SINCE IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM I FEEL THAT MERCEDES BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA IS OBLIGATED TO INITIATE A RECALL OR VOLUNTARILY REPLACE THIS KNOWN FAULTY ITEM. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 81,872 miles reported. Look up ODI 10158452 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10158643 · 2006-05-31 (May 31, 2006)
THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS, AND STARTER/ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500E (61,000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT OUT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND EVEN FIRE INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL. **NM
Owner-reported narrative. 59,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10158643 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10182063 · 2007-02-09 (February 9, 2007)
WIRE INSULATION ON MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS DISINTEGRATED EXPOSING THE INTERNAL WIRING COMPLETELY, ESPECIALLY IN BENT AREAS. THIS IS A RESULT OF NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. AS THIS HAPPENS THE ENGINE RUNS WORSE, PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED INCLUDE SURGING IN IDLE, STUMBLING OF ENGINE UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION AND STALLING OR RUNNING ENGINE. THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A "NEWLY" PURCHASED HARNESS FROM MERCEDES BENZ. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IDEA IS I WILL BE PURCHASING A WIRING HARNESS MANUFACTURED DURI…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10182063 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
96V175000 · Visibility
Reported: 1996-09-19 (September 19, 1996)
IF ONE OF THE HEADLAMP WIPER ARMS BECOMES MISALIGNED, THE WIPER BALDE CAN LODGE IN THE GROOVE UNDER THE HEADLAMP. IF THE WASHERS ARE ACTIVATED WITH THE WIPER BLADE IN THE MISALIGNED AND LODGED POSITION, THE WASHER PUMP WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY EXPELLING ALL AVAILABLE FLUID.
Consequence: PUMP OPERATION IN THE ABSENCE OF FLUID CAN CAUSE THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE A VEHICLE FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLAMP WASHER PUMP ON THESE VEHICLES.
NHTSA campaign record ↗