AI Damage1995 Mercedes-Benz 420: common problems
Owners of the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 420 filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 47% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (47% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (7% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
No deployment of driver's airbag, causing injury in accident.
There seems to be a problem that mercedes is well aware of with the engine wiring harness. The insulation was poorly done, which causes the wiring to breakdown. This is a very expensive fix for the consumer. Safety is the issue here when this causes the car to fail to accelerate.
The car has stalled 3 times so far, in traffic, and will now not run at all. Apparently the wires have broken down due to the heat of the engine compartment. I believe the wires were not suitable for the application they were used for.
1995 420s mercedes is having problems firing. Concerned about wiring harness. Was check and may be causing the problem. Why is there not a recall on this if so many people that own these vehicles are having the same problem? Car is hesitating when key is turned to right and will not fire correctly.
1995 e420 mercedes benz: wire harness has prematurely disintegrated, causing unsafe operating characteristics to appear in vehicle such as: sudden loss of power and unresponsiveness to accelerator input.
Complaint registered with customer services center, mercedes-benz, usa via telephone on september 13, and 16, 2002, with no results taken to resolve faulty seat belt.
Brakes vibrate, causing roaring sounds when applying brakes firmly after driving long distances.
After turning right, steering wheel resists turning back to left position.
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 9,288 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 420 has 7 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 15, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 420?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (20%), loss of power / limp mode (13%), vibration (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 420?
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 420 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 2026-11-06.