Tl* the contact owns a 1994 mercedes benz c280. The driver was traveling 20 MPH when smoke filled the interior of the vehicle from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic for diagnosis. The dealer advised that the engine wiring harness needed replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 221,000.
The worst 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical10
- Brakes2
- Engine2
- Fuel system2
- Acceleration1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical10
- Brakes2
- Engine2
- Fuel system2
- Acceleration1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class 3
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1994 mercedes benz c280. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the contact noticed smoke emitting from under the hood. The vehicle was driven to the side of the roadway. The contact detected extremely small flames and sparks coming from the engine wiring harness. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. The dealer was notified of the defect but the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Fire and sparks caused by mercedes engine wire harness! The engine wire harness was poorly made, and was insulated below standard. I just found out this is a common problem with mercedes .they should recall all their vehicles for safety! Mercedes vehicle not safe if they do not correct this huge problem!
I recently acquired this 1994 c-class 4 cyl from my father who drove it very little around town. It only had 108,000 miles on when I got it in feb., 2008. On march 24, 2008 I had to put the car in the shop because it was running very rough. I paid $1,400.00 for a new lower engine wiring harness to be installed. Today aug. 12,2008 I will be picking up my car at the shop for the upper wiring harness to be replaced for the cost of $450.00. These replacements are both due to the harnesses cracking, and splitting throughout the whole wiring harnesses. This allows for the vehicle to short and cause fires under the hood or elsewhere. This is a potential safety hazard. There are many complaints of this nature regarding the wiring harnesses on mercedes benz. I can't believe that mercedes benz will not even acknowledge that there is a problem.
Wiring harness on 1994 mercedes c280.
Engine wiring harness has brittle insulation; has hundreds of cracks; insulation is falling off of wires; is short circuiting, motor is running rough; missing some; sounds like its not running on all cylinders. Wiring harness is heating where it is short circuiting. I have seen some smoking; was on fire once so far.
I was pulling into a gas station to fill up, then all of a sudden a few warning lights came on and smoke started pouring out of my heater vents. Opened the hood and saw a melted wiring harness, and further inspection showed me that the rubber was falling off of the wires, disintegrated.
The wire harness is deteriorating, making the engine shaking and rough idling. Some of instrument lights are no working due to the wire shorted out. Under the hood inspection by a qualified mb mechanic revealed some wire connectors are cracking with nake copper wires exposed. Mb is aware of the wire harness problem as they admit to using an experimental plastic to insulate these wires which breaks down when the wires get hot. Mb should initiate a recall on these affected model years and replace the harness fee of charge.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 30mph., the engine began revving on its own and accelerating vehicle's speed on the speedometer. As the contact turned into a driveway, the engine continued to race faster and the speed indicator needle moved passed the maximum speed indicated on the dash. The vehicle vibrated and shook as the brakes failed to hold the progress of the racing engine. The engine was turned off stopping the vehicle. On the first visit, the vehicle was inspected by the dealer. The replacement part unavailable, therefore the original part was cleaned and placed back into the vehicle. On the second visit, the dealer service technician was unable to diagnose the problem however they were able to recreate the problem. The manufacturer has been alerted.
My c280 started surging from idle and it is really hard to control especially in traffic or just maneuvering in a parking areas. I have no total control of the car and it is very unsafe to drive. I found out that the wiring inside the engine compartment is deteriorating and cooper wires are exposed causing wrong engine signal from the computer sensors. I am but the wiring harness is so expensive, this must be ruled as a safety recall, please help!
Compare the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class
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Questions about the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class
Is the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class reliable?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class, 1.2 times a typical C Class model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class?
Electrical system, with 10 complaints, typically around 122,000 miles. Next is brakes (2).
How many recalls does the 1994 Mercedes Benz C Class have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Mercedes Benz C Class have the most electrical problems?
The Mercedes Benz C Class model years with the most electrical complaints are 1995 (45 complaints) and 1994 (10 complaints).
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