MERCEDES-BENZ 124 · model year

1995 MERCEDES-BENZ 124

8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1995MERCEDES-BENZ124 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1995 124 is electrical system with 3 filings, followed by engine (2) and unknown or other (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1995 124. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
ENGINE2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
SUSPENSION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20131120ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS HAD MELTED IN TWO LOCATIONS. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE PREVIOUS OWNER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD REPLACED THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS. *TR

Mileage: 117,000

20131120ENGINE

THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS HAD MELTED IN TWO LOCATIONS. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE PREVIOUS OWNER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD REPLACED THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS. *TR

Mileage: 117,000

20120619ENGINE

THE CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AT A SLOW SPEED AT ANY STOP. THE ENGINE ALMOST DIES IF YOU DON'T GIVE GAS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *JS

Mileage: 100,000

20120427ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION HAS DISINTEGRATED, CRACKED AND FLAKED OFF OF THE WIRES EXPOSING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF BARE COPPER INCLUDING CONNECTIONS TO THE GLOW PLUG RELAY AND EVERY CONNECTOR DIRECTLY ATTACHING TO AN ENGINE COMPONENT. REMOVAL OF THE WIRING HARNESS SHOWS CRACKING AND DISINTEGRATION IF THE HARNESS INSULATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE HARNESS. WAS CAUSING INSTRUMENTATION MALFUNCTIONS IN GLOW PLUG CIRCUITS. SIGNIFICANT EXPOSED POWER WIRE COPPER WOULD GROUND THE SYSTEM OUT IF EVEN A SLIGHT SHIFTING OF THE HARNESS TOOK PLACE AS WOULD HAPPEN IN ANY MINOR ACCIDENT. I HAVE SAVED SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF THE DEFECTIVE WIRING. *TR

20120427ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION HAS DISINTEGRATED, CRACKED AND FLAKED OFF OF THE WIRES EXPOSING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF BARE COPPER INCLUDING CONNECTIONS TO THE GLOW PLUG RELAY AND EVERY CONNECTOR DIRECTLY ATTACHING TO AN ENGINE COMPONENT. REMOVAL OF THE WIRING HARNESS SHOWS CRACKING AND DISINTEGRATION IF THE HARNESS INSULATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE HARNESS. WAS CAUSING INSTRUMENTATION MALFUNCTIONS IN GLOW PLUG CIRCUITS. SIGNIFICANT EXPOSED POWER WIRE COPPER WOULD GROUND THE SYSTEM OUT IF EVEN A SLIGHT SHIFTING OF THE HARNESS TOOK PLACE AS WOULD HAPPEN IN ANY MINOR ACCIDENT. I HAVE SAVED SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF THE DEFECTIVE WIRING. *TR

20120426SUSPENSION

RIGHT FRONT SPRING PERCH AND SURROUNDING RAIL IS CRUMBLING. ONE LEG OF THE PERCH AT THE WELD HAS COMPLETELY BROKEN LOSE. THERE IS NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE VEHICLE. IF THIS FAILS, THE SPRING MAY BREAK THROUGH THE RAIL INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, OR THE SPRING MAY FALL OUT. AT SPEED, THIS COULD BE A VERY BAD SITUATION. *TR

Mileage: 250,000

20120207ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER, AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, SAID THAT A CODE INDICATING THAT THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS FAULTY HOWEVER THEY DETERMINED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE "THIS YEAR CAR WAS DESIGNED WITH A HARNESS THAT WAS BIODEGRADABLE." THE INSULATION HAS BEGUN TO CRUMBLE REQUIRING A NEW HARNESS. THE PART IS ABOUT $1100 PLUS LABOR FOR INSTALLATION. *TR

Mileage: 84,013

20020322UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THIS CAR HAS ONLY 33000 MILES AND THIS KIND OF PROBLEM SHOULD'T BE HAPPENING .I TALKED TO THE DEALER THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL ABOUT IT.ONLY THING THEY SAY IT IS NOT UNDER WARANTY.I DONT UNDERSTAND THAT I THIS CAR EVER BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS KIND PROBLEM?

Compare 1995MERCEDES-BENZ124 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ 124 have?
The 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ 124 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ 124?
The most-complained component for the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ 124 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ 124 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.