1995 Mercedes Benz S CLASS: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
27 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
130,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1995 model year. Data snapshot: . 20 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood is the most frequently named component, appearing in 10 of 27 complaints (37.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 17 | 63.0% |
| Engine operation | 6 | 22.2% |
| Braking behavior | 4 | 14.8% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 3.7% |
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 | 10 |
| Electrical System | 9 |
| Electrical System:Wiring | 2 |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner | 1 |
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood: 10; Electrical System: 9; Electrical System:Wiring: 2; Electrical System:Wiring:Interior/Under Dash: 1; Engine: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner: 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 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 5 |
| 150,000 and above | 7 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 5; 150,000 and above: 7
150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 7 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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 1 |
2000: 1; 2001: 1; 2004: 1; 2005: 3; 2006: 6; 2007: 4; 2008: 3; 2009: 2; 2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2012: 2; 2013: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 17 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 6 complaint narratives. Braking behavior 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 10052783 · 2004-01-10 (January 10, 2004)
I HAVE NOTICED THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT MICHELIN TIRES.(MXV4) I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT TIRE. I HAD TWO UNEXPLAINED BLOWOUTS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND A YEAR LATER A "BUBBLE" ON THE SIDEWALL OF ANOTHER TIRE. MY EXPERIENCE AS AN EX-AIRCRAFT MECHANIC (16 YEARS), ALLOWED ME TO KNOW THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND I REPLACED THEM ALL. I FELT REALLY FOOLISH THAT I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY TAKE ACTION AFTER THE BLOWOUTS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE CAUSE EITHER TIME. AS I REFLECT BACK, BOTH BLOWOUTS WERE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY AND…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10052783 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10112214 · 2005-02-26 (February 26, 2005)
EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE CHECK ENGINE FAULTS IN MY 1995 MERCEDES BENZ S600. SURGING ENGINE, INTERMITTENT ROUGH IDLE. INSPECTION OF WIRING HARNESS CONTROLLING ENGINE SHOWS DEGRADING WIRING INSULATION. MANY CRACKS IN INSULATION ARE CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS WHICH CAN CAUSE ENGINE STALLING, SURGING, AND IS A FIRE HAZARD. THIS WILL REQUIRE THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE REPLACED. THE WORK HAS NOT YET BEEN PERFORMED. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 125,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10112214 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10136000 · 2005-09-09 (September 9, 2005)
4 UNITS OF S600 (V12) AND 1 UNIT S500 ALL SUFFERED DETERIORATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, I AM NOT THE FIRST VICTIM, AND MERCEDES BENZ AS A COMPANY IS AWARE OF THIS PLEASE STOP PRETENDING YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE CAUSE THE TECHNICAL AND ENGINEERING DIVISION OF DAIMLER CHRYSLER WAS WELL INFORMED AND IT WAS ALSO DOCUMENTED, AND YET TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY, THEY WILL KEEP ALL THEIR EYES CLOSE. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10136000 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10145301 · 2005-12-15 (December 15, 2005)
I OWN A 1995 S320. I HAVE HAD 4 WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURES. THREE OF THESE FAILURES INVOLVE THE SAME WINDOW. THE DEALERS (FLA AND ILL) AND MBUSA HAVE REFUSED TO WARRANTY OR REMEDY THIS DEFECT SINCE THE CAR IS OBVIOUSLY OUT OF WARRANTY AND GREATER THAN THE 30 DAY WARRANTY PERIOD FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF THESE NEW REGULATORS. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10145301 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10149260 · 2006-02-02 (February 2, 2006)
WIRING HARNESS HAS COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED FROM THE IGNITION CONTROL UNIT ALL THE WAY TO THE ENGINE SENSORS INCLUDING WIRES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE FUEL INJECTION. WIRES ARE BARE AND TOUCHING. VEHICLE SMELLS ON FUEL BUT THERE ARE NO LEAKS TO BE FOUND. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED PICTURES. THIS IS NOT SOME 11,000 HYUNDAI GUYS. THIS IS A 142,000 S600 MERCEDES. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF DID NOT BURN TO DEATH SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 127,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10149260 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10159899 · 2006-06-15 (June 15, 2006)
PARTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEGAN FAILING. DRIVERS WINDOW WOULD NOT OPERATE AND AFTER MUCH TROUBLESHOOTING BY THE REPAIR SHOP, THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER GAUGES ON THE DASH FAILED AND THE PASSENGER WINDOW AND HORN FAILED TO OPERATE. AFTER DISASSEMBLING THE INTERIOR (SEATS, CONSOLE, DASH, ETC.) THE REPAIR SHOP CAME UPON THE PROBLEM - WIRES SHORTING ALL ALONG THE WIRING HARNESS AND CAUSE SPARKS AND SHORTS THROUGHOUT. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 72,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10159899 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10172649 · 2006-11-05 (November 5, 2006)
MY 1995 MERCEDES S320 HAS BEEN STALLING AND MISFIRING AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T START UP. I TOOK IT FOR TUNE UP, BUT THE MECHANIC SAID HE CANT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE FAULT WIRING HARNESS INSULATION FROM FACTORY IS PEELING OFF AND MAKING THE WIRES SHORT-CIRCUIT AND IF HE TRIES TO DO ANYTHING IT WILL MAKE IT WORSE,I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL MERCEDES OWNERS WITH EARLIER AND MID 90S WHO HAVE SAME PROBLEM AND I THINK THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND YOU SHOULD PETITION THE MANUFACTURER ON OUR BEHALF. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 134,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10172649 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10174488 · 2006-11-27 (November 27, 2006)
MY 1995 MERCEDES S320 WIRING HARNESS INSULATION DECOMPOSING. BARE WIRES ARE EXPOSED AT ENGINE COIL CONNECTIONS. THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS WIRES IS JUST CRUMBLING. VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY DISABLED IN LIMP MODE. PRIOR TO THIS, THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO LIMP MODE WHILE EXECUTING TURNS. PART COST IS $750; DEALER LABOR COST IS $600. THE WIRING MAY HAVE DAMAGED OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS (I.E.: COMPUTER OR VOLTAGE REGULATOR). THIS WIRING INSULATION PROBLEM IS NOT NORMAL WITH ANY VEHICLE, NO LESS ONE THAT COSTS $65,000 NEW. THIS MOST DEFINI…
Owner-reported narrative. 198,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10174488 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.