1996 MERCEDES BENZ C220 Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
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 ...
Mileage: 128,000
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.
Mileage: 217
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 INFLU...
Mileage: 110,000
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 INFLU...
Mileage: 110,000
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
Mileage: 30,000
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
Mileage: 30,000
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
Mileage: 30,000
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 CO...
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 CO...
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 EN...
Mileage: 94,655
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 EN...
Mileage: 94,655
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 EN...
Mileage: 94,655
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 THREA...
Mileage: 158,000
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. *TR
Mileage: 167,000
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. *TR
Mileage: 167,000
CAR WENT DEAD. *TR
Mileage: 140,000
WHILE ACCELERATING THE MERCEDES C220 WILL SURGE, STALL AND CUT ENGINE POWER OR "CUT OUT". IDLE IS UNSTABLE. WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IS CRUMBLING. *TR
Mileage: 146,000
WHILE ACCELERATING THE MERCEDES C220 WILL SURGE, STALL AND CUT ENGINE POWER OR "CUT OUT". IDLE IS UNSTABLE. WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IS CRUMBLING. *TR
Mileage: 146,000
WHILE ACCELERATING THE MERCEDES C220 WILL SURGE, STALL AND CUT ENGINE POWER OR "CUT OUT". IDLE IS UNSTABLE. WIRING HARNESS INSULATION IS CRUMBLING. *TR
Mileage: 146,000
RECENTLY THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR. THE TEMPERATURE GAGE WAS SHOWING THE VEHICLE AS HEATING UP. THE TEMP WOULD REACH CLOSE TO 120 F. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY OUR MECHANIC, THE VEHICLE NEEDED THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL WIRING TO BE REPLACED. OUR MECHANIC SAID THAT IF NOT REPLACED, THE CAR WOU...
WIRING HARNESS DAMAGED CAUSING DECREASED PERFORMANCE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND LOWER FUEL ECONOMY. *TR
I WAS DRIVING HOME, WHEN I HEARD THE SEAT BELT START SQUEAKING, THEN AFTER A WHILE I SMELLED SMOKE AND THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I PUSHED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OPENED THE HOOD TO LET THE SMOKE OUT. I WAS THINKING I...
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES C220. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A SQUEAKING NOISE AND STARTED SMOKING. THE VEHICLE STALLED MOMENTS AFTER THE SMOKING BEGAN. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE DRIVE BELT PULLEY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED. THE FAIL...
Mileage: 75,000
ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WIRE INSULATION IS BEGINNING TO BIODEGRADE AND CRUMBLE APART. CAR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS EMISSIONS WITHOUT A REPLACEMENT PART, WHICH COSTS NO LESS THAN $1350 (FOR A WIRE BUNDLE AND HOOKUPS THAT ARE DOOMED TO FAIL AGAIN IN THE SAME WAY), PLUS 4-7 HOURS OF LABOR COSTS. CAR HAS ...
Mileage: 60,000
THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO START (DOESN'T FIRE IMMEDIATELY), THE IDLE SPEED RACES HIGHER AND LOWER WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT. THE CAR LOOSES POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT. *TR
I HAVE A 1996 MERCEDES BENZ. THE CAR LITERALLY SHUTS OFF ON THE ROAD. I HAVE REPLACED MAF AND O2 SENSORS REPEATEDLY TO NO AVAIL. I'M TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE PROBLEM IS A CORRODED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. *TR
CAR SURGES, STALLS, IDLES ROUGH, AND ALSO REVS AT ABOUT 4000 RPM. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP, WAS TOLD ELECTRICAL HARNESS WAS DETERIORATING CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS AND ALSO OTHER PROBLEMS. MECHANIC STATED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR EARLY 90S MERCEDES. WIRING HARNESS COST $1,198.75. HAVE NOT REPAIRED AT ...
Mileage: 138,000
MY MERCEDES BENZ 220C WENT DEAD AT STOP LIGHT CAUSING DANGER TO WHO EVER WAS DRIVING. I TOOK AUTO TO MERCEDES DEALER WHO INFORMED ME THAT WIRE HARNESS WAS DETERIORATING AFTER ONLY 80,000 MILES ON CAR. ALSO AIR FLOW WAS BAD. *TR
Mileage: 78,000
ENGINE KEEPS SHUTTING OFF WHILE ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING SOMETIMES IN THE LEFT LANE AND THEN HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE. VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE!. ! I TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
Mileage: 169,000
THE 1996 MERCEDES C220 HAD A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I SERVICED THE CAR. THE MECHANIC MENTIONED THAT MERCEDES USED A RECYCLED WIRING COVER THAT WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE CRACKED AND EVEN MELTED. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT HE CHANGED A FEW, ...
1996 MERCEDES C220 - WIRING HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT OF THE CAR NO LONGER RUNNING, BUT THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $1080 JUST FOR THE 30 FEET OF WIRING HARNESS TO REPLACE IT - NOT TO MENTION LABOR CHARGES. DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR JUST FLOODED OUT, STARTED SMOKING, AND QUIT. NOW IT WILL ...
Mileage: 169,000
THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE SURGES UP AND DOWN. VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. *NM
THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE SURGES UP AND DOWN. VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. *NM
SEVERE DEGRADATION OF THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WHICH SHORTED OUT THE AIR MASS METER AND THROTTLE ACTUATOR. THE VEHICLE STALLED IN HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THIS WIRING DETERIORATION COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN A VEHICLE FIRE, AS HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECT. MERCED...
Mileage: 78,393
WIRING HARNESS ON A 1996 MERCEDES C220 WITH 74,000 MILES INTERMITTENTLY FAILING, AND CAUSING CAR TO STALL ON FREEWAY AND SURFACE STREETS. THIS IS PUTTING ME AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER, AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS. MERCEDES DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS AS A PROBLEM, THERE ARE NUMEROUS WEBSITES DEDICATED TO THIS...
Mileage: 74,250
DURING VEHICLE FRONT END COLLISION THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS WHICH RESULTED IN INJURY TO THE CONSUMER (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER). *MJS
DURING VEHICLE FRONT END COLLISION THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS WHICH RESULTED IN INJURY TO THE CONSUMER (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER). *MJS
GAS GAUGE FAILED.
DOOR HANDLE FAILED.
EMERGENCY BRAKE CABLE FAILED.
FAILED PART WITHIN THE AIR CONDITIONER UNIT.
BRAKES FAILED.
BRAKES FAILED.
SEAT BELT FAILED.