Mercedes-Benz Electrical System: Wiring

Mercedes Benz is recalling about 50,000 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. A short circuit can cause the wires to overheat, stall the engine, or inadvertently deploy an airbag, any of these increases the potential for a vehicle crash.

Campaign
95V031000
Manufacturer
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.
Reported
21 February 1995
Vehicles
50,000
Built between
Feb 1991 – Oct 1994
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
15 March 1995
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between February 1991 and October 1994. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1992-1995 Mercedes-Benz 124Built February 1991 to October 1994
  • 1992-1995 Mercedes-Benz E Class

What the defect is

The front passenger metal foot rest can, over time, abrade through the wiring harness under the foot rest causing the wiring harness to short circuit.

What could happen

A short circuit can cause the wires to overheat, stall the engine, or inadvertently deploy an airbag, any of these increases the potential for a vehicle crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL WIRING HARNESS CABLE FASTENER TIES AND EDGE PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR SHARP EDGES OF THE METAL FOOT REST.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtFebruary 1991 to October 1994
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA21 February 1995
  3. Owners notified15 March 1995

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 21 February 1995.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Official source

Recalling manufacturer
MERCEDES-BENZ USA, INC.
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

System: electrical; wiring.vehicle description: passenger vehicles.note:if your vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided free of charge within a reasonable time, contact mercedes benz at 1-800-367-6372. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand