NHTSA vehicle safety data

1995 Mercedes Benz E320 Recalls & Complaints

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320 right now, so this page doesn't state a recall count — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for current campaigns. 96 owner complaints are on file.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

1995 Mercedes Benz E320 owner complaints

Owners have filed 96 complaints with NHTSA about the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320, describing incidents dated March 13, 1995 to December 5, 2019.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 88 complaints
Engine 9 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 7 complaints
Air Bags 2 complaints
Structure 2 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 2 complaints

Of the 96 complaints on file, 3 report a fire (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11288779 · Filed December 12, 2019
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION FALLING OFF - COPPER WIRES EXPOSED AND MAY RESULT IN SHORT AND ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH.*DT CONSUMER STATED WIRING IS DEFECTIVE AND THAT MERCEDES HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE NATURE OF THE DEFECT FOR MANY YEARS.*JB
ODI #10767373 · Filed September 22, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THERE WAS SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS…
ODI #10663297 · Filed December 10, 2014
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL LINES AND THE FAN BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE…

Read all 96 complaints

Owner-reported

1995 Mercedes Benz E320 mileage at failure

77 of the 96 complaints on file for the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320 give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Electrical System	Median 105,000 miles	Middle half 80,000–145,000 miles	Based on 72 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320 right now — this is not a confirmed "no recalls". Check the VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls for the official status.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

96 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Mercedes Benz E320.

Electrical System

ODI #11288779

Incident: December 5, 2019 · Filed: December 12, 2019

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION FALLING OFF - COPPER WIRES EXPOSED AND MAY RESULT IN SHORT AND ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH.*DT CONSUMER STATED WIRING IS DEFECTIVE AND THAT MERCEDES HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE NATURE OF THE DEFECT FOR MANY YEARS.*JB

Electrical System

ODI #10767373

Fire

Incident: August 1, 2015 · Filed: September 22, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THERE WAS SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #10663297

Incident: November 3, 2014 · Filed: December 10, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ E320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL LINES AND THE FAN BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,664. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Electrical System; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #10649566

Incident: January 1, 2014 · Filed: October 24, 2014

ON THIS 1995 MERCEDES E320, WOULD NOT PASS EMISSIONS, TOOK TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $1500. THE WIRING HARNESS WAS CRUMBLING EVERYWHERE. I CHECKED ONLINE AND IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL E20. I CHECKED NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, THE COATING TO THE WIRING HAS DISINTEGRATED AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THESE CARS. I HAVE SPENT OVER $2,000 TO TRY TO GET THIS CAR TO PASS EMISSIONS, IT FAILS SO BAD I CANT EVEN GET A WAIVER. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10639713

Incident: September 27, 2014 · Filed: September 29, 2014

PURCHASED IN LATE SPRING 2014. FIRE IN RIGHT DOOR ELECTRICAL WIRING MID JUNE. STALL AT RED LIGHT IN MID JULY. STALL ON HIGHWAY, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IN MID SEPTEMBER. AND STALL AT A RED LIGHT SEPT. 27, 2014. BOUGHT IT, IT HAD 107,000MILES. *TR

Electrical System; Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ODI #10621856

Fire

Incident: August 12, 2014 · Filed: August 12, 2014

I DROPPED OFF MY CAR AT AUTO SHOP DUE TO MY CAR STARTING ROUGH, THE AC AND FAN CUT OFF, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD BE THE WIRE HARNESS AS I HAD READ ABOUT PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, AND HAD DISCUSSED POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH VARIOUS MERCEDES MECHANICS. I WAS TOLD THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAD INSTALLED BIO DEGRADABLE WIRE HARNESS THAT WERE RESULTING IN PREMATURE DETERIORATION. WHILE MY CAR WAS IN THE SERVICE BAY AT S THE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP MY ENGINE WIRE HARNESS CAUGHT ON FIRE! THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE ENTIRE CAR AND HIS SHOP CAUGHT ON FIRE. I HAVE ASKED HIM TO RETAIN HARNESS FOR EVIDENCE, HE SAID HARNESS IS IN PIECES DUE TO EXTREME HEAT OF THIS ELECTRICAL FIRE. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AT THE SHOP, OR MY ENTIRE FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I SAY THIS AS MY ELECTRIC LOCKS WERE MESSED UP, AND SOMETIMES I HAD TO WAIT UP TO A MINUTE OR MORE TO OPEN THE CAR DOORS AND TRUNK, AND ALSO TO LOCK MY VEHICLE DUE TO SOME SORT OF SHORT. WE COULD HAVE ALL BURNED TO DEATH IF THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND WE COULD NOT OF EXITED THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL. THERE ARE OVER 700 COMPLAINTS, ALONG WITH DOZENS OF FIRE COMPLAINTS, REGARDING ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEFECT ON MERCEDES BENZ BUILT BETWEEN 1991-1997 WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. HOW MANY SAFETY REPORTS, ENGINE HARNESS FIRES, AND POSSIBLE HARNESS FIRES RESULTING IN DEATH DOES IT TAKE FOR ACTION IN THE FORM OF A RECALL BY MERCEDES BENZ AND THE NHTSA? THIS IS NOT A MATTER "IF" THESE WIRE HARNESS WITH FAIL, BUT WHEN AND HOW. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION REGARDING MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS THAT FAILED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND RESULTING DAMAGE TO MY CAR. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10542528

Incident: September 7, 2013 · Filed: September 8, 2013

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILED. THE WIRES CRUMBLED. VEHICLE NO LONGER RUNS. *LN

Electrical System

ODI #10512752

Incident: April 10, 2013 · Filed: May 19, 2013

THE ELECTRICAL INSULATION ON THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE. MY CONCERN IS EITHER AN ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD CAUSE A FIRE OR COMPUTER FAILURE. *TR

Electrical System

ODI #10507263

Incident: April 5, 2013 · Filed: April 5, 2013

WIRING HARNESS DETERIORATION DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT. WIRING HARNESS INSULATION DETERIORATES LEADING TO OTHER COMPONENT FAILURES, AND COMPROMISED SAFETY, FIRE HAZARD, DRIVABILITY COMPROMISED. *TR

Electrical System; Engine

ODI #10504193

Incident: March 22, 2013 · Filed: March 22, 2013

THE WIRES IN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTING TO THE COILS FOR THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ARE DISINTEGRATING. CURRENTLY THIS IS CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE POWER, RUN ROUGH, ONLY 2-4 CYLINDERS ARE FIRING. MY MECHANIC SAID HE FOUND ON THE WEB THAT THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT TO MERCEDES CARS MADE DURING THE TIME PERIOD MY CAR WAS MADE BUT MERCEDES NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS HUGE PROBLEM. MY COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WAS ESTIMATED AT $3200.00 OR MORE DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH OF THE WIRING SYSTEM HAS DISINTEGRATED AND WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE AFFECTED. I CALLED MERCEDES ON HOWE AVE IN SACRAMENTO AND AFTER CHECKING MY VIN NUMBER SAID MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

Other Mercedes Benz E320 model years

Check your 1995 Mercedes Benz E320 VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Mercedes Benz E320 at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Mercedes Benz VIN