AI Damage1995 Mercedes-Benz 320: common problems
Owners of the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 320 filed 29 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 29
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 55% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 3% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (55% of all).
- Air bags: 4 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (10% of all).
- Visibility: 2 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 29 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Engine stalled, causing accident. Air bag failed to deploy. 526781 dup of 524465, posted on 03-n0v-98.
Vehicle's body did not shield well during an accident, resulting in death and injury.
No deployment of driver's/passenger's air bags during a four vehicle collision, resulting in a fatality and injury.
While driving the check engine light came on. Took the vehicle to a local mercedes dealer. I was told the light came on due to a "bad" wiring harness. Cost to repair was $1,500.00. Was told if the repairs were not done the vehicle may or may not have problems.
During 60,000 mile maintenance check the mechanic stated that the engine wiring harness was corroded. The vehicle was being repaired. The current and failure mileage was 59,000. Updated 03/19/07.
Car cuts off at very high speed while traveling in traffic.
1995 mercedes benz e320; my car has been hesitating at idle, worst when a/c is on, when accelerating, making turns, backfires constantly which frightens me that my car could catch fire and injure the kids in the car and cause an accident on the road.
I contacted two dealers and three independent mercedes mechanics and they all reported the same thing. Mercedes used a new type of gasket material on the mercedes in-line six engine and there has been repeated failures with there gaskets.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,958 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 320 has 23 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 29, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 29. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (21%), stalls while driving (7%), unintended acceleration (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 320?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1995 Mercedes-Benz 320 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1995 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.