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1995 Mercedes Benz C280 problems

The most common problem on the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 is electrical system, typically around 142,000 miles. It has fewer complaints than a typical C280 model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
16
Recalls
0
Service bulletins
6
Worst area
Electrical
Fuel economy
20mpg

The worst 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Electrical
    13
  • Engine
    6
  • Airbags
    1
  • Fuel system
    1
  • Transmission
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Electrical
    13
  • Engine
    6
  • Airbags
    1
  • Fuel system
    1
  • Transmission
    1
  • Visibility
    1

Recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Technical service bulletins for the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 6

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

1995 Mercedes Benz C280 fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.8L 6‑cylRWD182420

What 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Sep 12, 2020 · Electrical · NY

Mercedes with full knowledge installed disintegrating wiring insulation in many cars knowing full well the insulation would fail rendering any and all cars unreliable dangerous and ultimately useless

Filed May 14, 2017 · NY

Car stalled on highway at about 50 miles per hour. Not a good experience. It too about ten minutes to start.

Filed May 14, 2017 · NY

Vehicle stall while driving on highway . It took ten minutes to start. Not a pleasant experience. Very dangerous.

Filed Feb 23, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 143,000 miles · WA

The car was barely used in about 2 years. Before it had never had a problem, now it can't be taken to emissions because the check engine light is on. It was discovered that this is because the engine wiring harness was deteriorating. Through internet research, I have discovered that mercedes-benz knows about this common problem very well even though they blatantly disregard their customers' safety, claiming they have no such knowledge and requiring customers to pay for it themselves or continue driving an unsafe vehicle. There is no reason other than irresponsible greed that mercedes-benz ignores this problem, and this puts unknowing consumers at serious risk. I am appalled that mercedes-benz has not owned up to their responsibilities and I would be very happy to see action taken to force mercedes-benz to actually value protecting their customers' safety above keeping their pockets lined with money.

Filed Feb 9, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 121,482 miles · MD

I recently bought this used 1995 c280 mercedes benz,almost immediately after I bought it -electrical system started malfunctioning,gauges go on and off continuously, car refused to start -then starts as if nothing happened.windows work-and then they don't. Obdii system reads different codes-obviously unreliable. After having a mechanic look at it -he stated that wiring harness is failing. After coming here to look for recalls-I see that over 90% complaints on this car are for a defective wiring harness-a fact that mercedes benz should be well aware of by now. This could create a fire hazard and serious driving hazard. Why haven't they dealt with this possibly disastrous defect? I'm totally disappointed that a car company that stresses safety,and dependability put something like this in the market and hasn't made any attempt to help out the owners of hundreds of thousands of defective cars they produced. Another myth falls by the wayside-mercedes benz uber alles? What a bad joke-people that own cheap nissans get 200,000 miles-a high dollar lemon? Shame on you mercedes benz-btw if you go to mercedes recall page,they don't even mention this problem..has mercedes dropped their standards to screwing their customers? Apparently so-.another legend turns out to be nothing more than a lie.

Filed Jul 31, 2014 · Electrical · 120,000 miles · AR

Car started running funny. Had it looked at and the wiring harness was found to be brittle and falling apart. Car cannot be driven until a new harness is installed.

Filed Jul 23, 2014 · Airbags · 178,000 miles · GA · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 mercedes benz c280. While driving 35 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise followed by the deployment of both frontal air bags. The windshield was smashed and the passenger sustained a bruised arm due to the impact. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000.

Filed Jul 4, 2014 · Electrical, Engine · 95,000 miles · CA

Several intermittent issues recently began to occur with my c280. Instrument panel started to intermittently not work and as a result I ran out of gas in several occasions in areas where my personal safety was at question. Car also began to intermittently cease from starting leaving me stranded until the car was able to start. After an investigation by a certified mercedes mechanic, they had determined that the engine wire harness was defective and that the wiring insulation was seriously degrading. During the evaluation the wiring was starting to smoke and system shut down due to safety concerns. It is very possible that continued operation of the vehicle could have caused safety issues to driver, passengers and others as unpredictable and serious actions could have resulted from engine wire harness electrical shorts. I am very surprised and disappointed that mercedes benz had not provided any warning or recall for this condition, which they apparently already knew is a common defect for this model and year.

Filed Jun 27, 2014 · Electrical · 142,000 miles · TX · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 1995 mercedes benz c280. The contact stated that the vehicle was emitting smoke and the wiring harness was melting. The contact stated that the tail lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ECM and the wire harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 142,000. Updated 11/12/14*lj updated 4/29/2015

Filed Apr 9, 2014 · Electrical · 256,600 miles · CA

Engine wiring harness is defective. This caused engine to cut out unexpectedly when merging into traffic.

Compare the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280

Other model years

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Questions about the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280

Is the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 reliable?

Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280, fewer than a typical C280 model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280?

Electrical system, with 13 complaints, typically around 142,000 miles. Next is engine (6).

How many recalls does the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 have?

No recalls on record.

What gas mileage does the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 get?

Official estimates for the 1995 Mercedes Benz C280 range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.8L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 18 city and 24 highway.

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