1993 Mercedes Benz 300 Series
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Mercedes Benz › 300 Series › 1993
These records cover every 1993 Mercedes Benz 300 Series. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
21 complaints1 involved a fire
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Latest complaints
- Electrical system
Battery goes dead, replaced battery, it goes dead. Charged battery , it goes dead. *tr
- Electrical system · Fuel system, other
I have two mercedes benz W124 cars. both cars have had the wiring harness failure and that destroyed many very expensive electronic components on the cars. 1993 300E 4 door sedan, wiring harness failure and destroy many things very expensive on the car 1995 E320 cabriolet rare collectors convertible made in 1994 and 1995 only! please send me two forms to fill out. *tr
- Electrical system
I have a 1993 mercedes benz 300E and the wiring harness has broken down. The insulation on the wires has completely disintegrated to the point where the wires are touching each other. this in turn make the engine run poorly and replacing the wiring harness IS the only option. this at a cost of over $1200 for parts and probably $1000 in labor. *Tr
- Electrical system
300E engine wiring harness degrading, flaking insulation, shorting wires for all systems, multiple problems. Racing idle, uncontrollable acceleration, stalling, check engine lights coming on and off. replaced thousands $$ in parts only to find it IS a well safety problem that no-one, including the…
300E engine wiring harness degrading, flaking insulation, shorting wires for all systems, multiple problems. Racing idle, uncontrollable acceleration, stalling, check engine lights coming on and off. replaced thousands $$ in parts only to find it IS a well safety problem that no-one, including the nhtsa has the courage to address. Car IS not drivable and require over $3,000 to replace the engine harnesses. How many complaints have to be submitted before action IS taken? Some of the reports involve death and or fire. This IS a wide spread problem across multi-year multi make, and I am sure I am just scratching the surface. Research on your data base for just a few models mercedes models, 1993 timeframe, revealed the following odi's . Please help! 300 series 1991 - 10104057, 10269282, 10268253; 10259977, 10209057, 10186762, 10163311 1992 - 10152349, 10134359, 1993 - 10392515, 10292860, 10234293, 10214689, 10214249, 10210113, 10184197, 10182858, 10172275, 10155432, 10133655, 10105816, 10010094, 1994 - 10009343, 733503, 1995 - 10246761, 10229755, 10226574, 10221013, 10214284, 10212919, 10203075, 10200978, 717654, 1996 - 10213383, 10088701, 518437 400 series 1993 - 10310130, 10257260, 10236751, 10178341, 10176827, 10176743, 10172386, 10163906, 10163905, 10157440, 10140856, 10134065, 10136148, 10010497, 805343 500 series 1993 - 10211224, 10210291, 10208221, 10201073, 10200980, 10187000, 10166496, 10166495, 10167967, 10160120, 10158632, 10155987, 10118292, 10136633, 10130247, 852487. *tr
- Electrical system
1993 300E experienced multiple intermittent check engine code failures, racing at idle, stalling, all of which resulted in costly repairs including replacement of maf , 02 sensor, hot air flow sensor, over voltage relay, several blown fuses, ignition coils, climate control amplifier. I cannot…
1993 300E experienced multiple intermittent check engine code failures, racing at idle, stalling, all of which resulted in costly repairs including replacement of maf , 02 sensor, hot air flow sensor, over voltage relay, several blown fuses, ignition coils, climate control amplifier. I cannot tell you how many parts I have replaced.. Car intermittently dies or races idle on freeway with no warning and no check engine light, very dangerous. trouble shooting revealed that the main engine harness IS deteriorating. this IS a well know problem for mb built in early to mid 1990's. there are no recalls, no assistance with this problem at all at the mb dealers. they know about it. repairs cost more than the car IS worth. this IS a severe safety issue; I am imagining that this problem could and will affect my breaks. car IS not drivable at this point as I believe that a fire would be imminent. *Tr
- Electrical system · Unknown or other
After a major service to the vehicle, during which the water pump was replaced, a number of problems with the vehicle began to emerge. one significant issue was that the vehicle would have sudden loss of power. on one occassion, while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle loss complete power and…
After a major service to the vehicle, during which the water pump was replaced, a number of problems with the vehicle began to emerge. one significant issue was that the vehicle would have sudden loss of power. on one occassion, while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle loss complete power and I had to react quickly to pull off the highway to safety. After the engine cooled down slightly, the vehicle restarted and I was able to drive home without further incident. I had the car serviced and a number of sensors were replaced but the vehicle's engine began running much richer shortly after this last service. it wasn't until the vehicle failed a state emmissions test, and I had to return the vehicle once again to the dealer, that the service technician disclosed that there was an issue with premature engine wire harness insulation deterioration on several model years in the mercedes 300 and 400 series. And it was the decomposition of the insulation that was causing the short circuits in the electronics often during major service when the brittle wires are disturbed. this defect in the material however was not being considered recallable by the manufacturer, he said. the wire jackets are now very visibly brittle and cracked around the engine. This defect IS now well known and the safety concerns are fairly widespread. it took considerable expense on my part before the dealer was willing to admit this material and potentially serious material defect in the model year to which my vehicle belongs. the mechanic states that because of the non-discernable error codes recorded, the only way to even begin to pinpoint the problems I must spend an addtional $1200 for the enginer harness plus approximately $1000 labor to replace defective wires first, before further troubleshooting for what has been demanged by the short circuits. I feel that the manufacturer IS completely irresponsible in not making this a priority safety issue and recall all vehicles affected. *tr
- Electrical system
I own a mercedes 300ce which has given me problems with over acceleration, idling issues and electrical problems. I like many other people could not afford a new car so I decided to take it in for repairs. I started with replacing the engine wiring harness in 2007 due to the engine light…
I own a mercedes 300ce which has given me problems with over acceleration, idling issues and electrical problems. I like many other people could not afford a new car so I decided to take it in for repairs. I started with replacing the engine wiring harness in 2007 due to the engine light consistently turning on. at around the same time, the starter gave up as well as the transmission. I also had the tail light panel replaced due to the break light consistently turning on. additionally, the oxygen sensor was replaced twice. yet, after all the repairs it underwent, the mechanics have not been able to pin point the issue with the engine light being on. the egr valve was replaced in hopes to fix the engine light problem, but no luck. I continued to have constant electrical problems with the break lights coming on, the car over accelerating on its own, the rpms fluctuating tremendously to where the car appears to turn off on me while on idle. I had the regeneration valve and the air mass meter replaced to fix the idling and acceleration, but again that did not fix it either. in summary, I spent ~$10K in repairs between 2008 and 2009 my car continues to have the engine light, brake light issue as well as the over acceleration. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling
Car started running rough,and smelling like something was burning. *tr
- Electrical system
My 1993 mercedes 300E was running poorly. I have found numerous areas in the engine compartment where insulation was cracking on the wiring harness and the copper wire was exposed allowing the conductors to short. The vehicle IS not drivable. *tr
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood · Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system · Fuel system, gasoline › Fuel injection system › Injectors
My 1993 mercedes 300E experienced some major problems with its wiring in the harness. As a result, I had it taken into a mechanic, who noticed that the insulation on the fuel injection wiring harness deteriorated and caused the wires to rub together. It appears that this engine wiring harness…
My 1993 mercedes 300E experienced some major problems with its wiring in the harness. As a result, I had it taken into a mechanic, who noticed that the insulation on the fuel injection wiring harness deteriorated and caused the wires to rub together. It appears that this engine wiring harness problem has been an ongoing issue with many mercedes (especially the models from the 90'S), and I am surprised that mercedes benz has not made any effort to recall this problem, or at least to even acknowledge this as an ongoing problem. My car ended up being in the shop for over 3 months in which I had to purchase a brand new harness. I have been told that, had I not sent in my vehicle to be checked, a chance of engine fire was more than likely. I would really appreciate it if mercedes benz would make an effort to have a safety recall for this issue, at least for the safety of other faithful mercedes drivers. *tr
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Engine control wiring failing due to cracks in the insulation. In my 35 plus years of car repairs I have never seen wiring fail to this degree. *tr
- Electrical system · Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Electrical fire in the engine compartment of my 1993 300E mercedes. the electrical harness with extensive cracks with all of the wires caused the fire. Now I discover, this IS an inferior part placed in the car with fabric tape wrapping. 100'S of these kind of fires have occurred, with out a recall on this model. *tr
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
The insulation around the spark plug wires inside of the ignition harness has deteriorated causing short circuits and misfiring. This occurred in a model 1993, 300E with 160,000 miles. This IS premature for a vehicle boasting longevity and reliability. Reporting of this same problem IS so…
The insulation around the spark plug wires inside of the ignition harness has deteriorated causing short circuits and misfiring. This occurred in a model 1993, 300E with 160,000 miles. This IS premature for a vehicle boasting longevity and reliability. Reporting of this same problem IS so widespread suggesting poor design choice in placement of the harness and/or inferior insulating material. the cost of the replacement harness has jumped from around $400 in 2004 to over $900 today ( feb 2007). IS this good customer service or exploitation of customer trust? *jb
- Electrical system › Wiring
Engine wiring harness failure 1993 mercedes 300E. *Jb
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Wire harness creates popping noise and white smoke, when engine IS started. and also sometimes the engine does not start, due do this problem. I hope it does not catch my car on fire one day. *nm
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
1993 mb 300E - wiring harness has begun to deteriorate causing the engine to stall and or not start. Stalling can occur while driving, thus losing all power to properly control the vehicle. *nm
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
The wiring harness in my vehicle, like many others of the same make/model/vintage, IS beginning to cause engine issues. the car stalls and misses when idling and it IS a safety concern. it would be quite dangerous for the vehicle to stall on the highway etc. mercedes IS well aware that this IS a…
The wiring harness in my vehicle, like many others of the same make/model/vintage, IS beginning to cause engine issues. the car stalls and misses when idling and it IS a safety concern. it would be quite dangerous for the vehicle to stall on the highway etc. mercedes IS well aware that this IS a very common problem, and it IS a matter of when the part will fail and not if. it IS a design flaw that causes the issue. mercedes designed the harness to degrade over time, the problem IS that the degradation IS happening at a faster rate than expected, leaving the consumer at risk of injury. this IS a daily driver vehicle and safety IS a huge concern. the part IS exobidantly expensive and not readily available, so I am stuck driving a vehicle that IS possibly unsafe until the part IS made available to me.
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Unexplained electrical-related problems that affect the car's ability to operate normally and safely. Several instances of car going into "limp home" mode after stopping at stoplight. This occurred on 1/3/05. Turning off car and restarting resolved on all ocasions. Car also runs rough and has…
Unexplained electrical-related problems that affect the car's ability to operate normally and safely. Several instances of car going into "limp home" mode after stopping at stoplight. This occurred on 1/3/05. Turning off car and restarting resolved on all ocasions. Car also runs rough and has instances where it will not accelerate when required to do so (firm pressure on accelerator (as in passing) cause engine to 1. Misfire and 2. Not downshift. Service people will not look at the problem until "known engine defective wiring harness" IS replaced. It IS common knowledge and searchable on the internet that the wiring harnesses in the mb W124 cars were made with an insulation that decays rapidly and can cause internal shorts making problem diagnosis nearly impossible. Mercedes will, of course, not admit this. This puts all electrical and engine control systems at jeopardy and therefor, the occupants of the vehicle in jeopardy. This should have been a complete recall by mb. It represents poor quality control, poor testing of components, and an arrogance unsurpassed by auto makers. I am identifying the most recent occurrence although isolated instances of the car engine operating erratically have occurred since we purchased the car in 2001. *Ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission
93 300se purchased in 1999; transmission replaced in month and half; 11/22/04 transmission stopped pulling on highway halfway between memphis and st louis. when we turned the car off, it would not start again. lights, radio, horn, etc worked, but car would not say anything. read article on…
93 300se purchased in 1999; transmission replaced in month and half; 11/22/04 transmission stopped pulling on highway halfway between memphis and st louis. when we turned the car off, it would not start again. lights, radio, horn, etc worked, but car would not say anything. read article on internet regarding defective B2 piston and 't' seal in 93 and earlier transmissions (722.3,.4,.5). we have 722.502. mercedes (1-800 for merc) doesn't know anything about it. mercedes trans should last longer than five years. We had the car towed to sikeston, mo. And then we towed it back to our shop in earle, arkansas, where it IS now. we are trying to get info regarding this piston and t seal before doing anything. *ak
- Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers · Engine and engine cooling › Engine
I have owned three previous mbz automobiles. today, I own a 1993 300se with less than 46000 miles on the odometer. this car's original purchase price was more than $72000. even though I take very good care of this automobile, and while it IS mostly garaged as it IS my weekend sedan, over $7K has…
I have owned three previous mbz automobiles. today, I own a 1993 300se with less than 46000 miles on the odometer. this car's original purchase price was more than $72000. even though I take very good care of this automobile, and while it IS mostly garaged as it IS my weekend sedan, over $7K has been spent in correcting known problems of this model. to name just a few of the larger items corrected, a leaking head gasket, bad motor mounts, and inoperable pneumatic self closing doors. will I continue my affair with mbz, lexus may be getting a call&& *ak
- Electrical system › Wiring
Wiring harness on 1993-1994 mercedes benz 300E. This IS a known fault by mercedes benz resulting in a premature corrosion of the wiring harness running along the top of the engine. Mercedes IS well aware of the problem and has a large stock to meet the demand!*jb
Every Mercedes Benz 300 Series model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.