AI Damage1994 Mercedes-Benz E320: common problems
Owners of the 1994 Mercedes-Benz E320 filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 64% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 27% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 18% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 18% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 9% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 9% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (64% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
Surges forward or backwards on its own. While backing it out of garage, it surged backwards so fast the brakes would not hold. Hit tractor parked in driveway before getting it stopped. Broke rear bumper cover. I have older vehicles (1974 chevy) (1990 chevy pickup) with absolutely no wiring problems.
Tl* the contact owns a 1994 mercedes-benz e320. While removing the rear driver side wheel, the vehicle's factory equipped jack failed. As a result, the vehicle fell on the contact. The contact sustained injuries to the collar bone that required medical attention.
Car was not starting brought to mercedes dealer replaced a sensor and the mechanic and advisor showed me the wire harness told me I should change it it is brittle and I will have future problems I only have 60,000 miles on this vechicle
I smell gasoline inside my 1994 e320 when I'm driving, just started smelling it on 3/20/15. Never before this date.
After replacing the ovp, $100, the car started fine and ended up being drivable but the owner noticed a very significant loss of power. It appears that there is misfire, in at least one of the cylinders leading from the ecu to the distributor.
Under normal driving condition engine started revving up to about 3500 rpm as if I pressed the accelerator pedal. Freaky experience but luckily the road wasn't too busy.
The mechanic advised that the wiring harness be replaced since it was deteriorating and could cause a fire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 150,508.
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 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E320 has 73 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1994 Mercedes-Benz E320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, engine. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (18%), A/C or heater (9%), loss of power / limp mode (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1994 Mercedes-Benz E320?
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 1994 Mercedes-Benz E320 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 1994 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.