Takata recall; maybe. I was driving on fwy-405, heading south, it was around 4:00pm. I was going the traffic speed. There was no traffic jam. My speed was between 60 and 65 MPH (the vehicle was in motion). I didn't hit my breaks, I was driving under the conditions I just stated; then all the sudden my airbags deployed. First the driver side; then immediately (almost spontaneously) the passenger airbag deployed too. I tried my best to control the car. The car came to a complete stop taking two lanes on the highway. Engine had stopped. The aftermath after: complete stop, smoke and smile of deployed airbags, a non stop sound of the horn, and the car was no longer in a drive mode (it was shifted). I switched the car key and the horn noise stopped. Then I called 911.
The worst 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical17
- Engine6
- Fuel system5
- Brakes3
- Acceleration2
- Body2
- Suspension2
- Airbags1
- Driver assistance1
- Seat belts1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 9
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- NTG5.5
- If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single...
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- Throttle lift-off clunking noises at drive shafts of front axle
- Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- Driver and front passenger seats make cracking noise when cornering
- Clunking noise from front axle suspension strut or rear axle shock absorber on short strokes of the damper
- The COMAND unit does not start or the COMAND display remains dark
- Mercedes vehicle: the anti-lock brake system (ABS) return flow pump running without control with...
1996 Mercedes Benz C220 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | RWD | 21 | 27 | 23 |
What 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Wiring throughout vehicle is insulated with a bio-degradable plastic. Shorting out of ignition and emission looms kill many who stall on freeways and 'inconvenient spots'. The insulation flakes off like corn flakes and electrical loss in many looms disable and imperal occupants.
Car had unexpected accelleraton during a routine left hand turn in an intersection with a stop light; pressing on the brake did not stop the forward accelleration, crashed into a wall, occurred downtown, early evening, no other vehicles or pedestrians hit; driver injured. Driver not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Brakes serviced recently.
Was driving all gages went crazy started to back fire and died on the highway so I had a friend pull off the highway back to the shop the shop said the wiring haress was degraded and it cost 2,700 dollar to fix the sad thing is this car only has 30,000 mile's
My 1996 mercedes c220 has a defective engine wiring harness. The check engine light came on and I took it to my mechanic. He told me that this was due to the type of insulation that mercedes used for the wiring and the engine harness needs to be replaced asap. Mercedes used a bio-degradable wire cover that with high temps cracks and falls off. This has caused the engine to run rough, stall and loose power and is not safe to drive in traffic. This should have been taken care of with a recall by mercedes. Mercedes has been of no help except for me to pay to have it repaired.
Engine wiring harness, and the transmission wiring harness, and the ignition coil harness, degraded to the point there are inches and inches of bare wires touching and shorting which causes the engine to quit. All three separate harness which reside with other harness which have not degraded. The engine quit on the freeway in rush hour traffic and nearly caused several accidents at 65 miles per hour. Repair shop want $3500 to change out the three harness with no assurance that the problem will not come back.
During brake inspection right front lower suspension control arm was observed to be on verge of failure due to internal rust out of control arm at the ball joint junction. Wheel would have separated from control arm within a few more miles as the control arm was already split apart with only a thread of metal remaining. Failure at any significant speed would likely have been life threatening.
Upper spring perch rusted away from car causing my 16year old son to crash. I bought the 1996 c220 for him for safety. Come to find out this is a common problem and mercedes should be held accountable for this known problem.
Car went dead.
While accelerating the mercedes c220 will surge, stall and cut engine power or "cut out". Idle is unstable. Wiring harness insulation is crumbling.
Compare the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220
Other model years
Questions about the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220
Is the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 reliable?
Owners have filed 30 complaints about the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220, close to a typical C220 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220?
Electrical system, with 17 complaints, typically around 78,393 miles. Next is engine (6).
How many recalls does the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Mercedes Benz C220 have the most electrical problems?
The Mercedes Benz C220 model years with the most electrical complaints are 1995 (30 complaints), 1994 (17 complaints) and 1996 (17 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 get?
Official estimates for the 1996 Mercedes Benz C220 range from 23 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, RWD) gets 21 city and 27 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1996 Mercedes Benz C220?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history