Total Complaints
15 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 320 · model year
1996 MERCEDES-BENZ 320
15 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996MERCEDES-BENZ320 carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, 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 1996 320 is unknown or other with 3 filings, followed by structure:body:door (1) and power train:automatic transmission (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 1996 320. 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.
15
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| WHEELS:RIM | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120810ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAR WENT COMPLETED "DEAD" AT STOP SIGN. COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE. CALLED MECHANIC AND WIRES WITHIN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD SHORTED OUT DUE TO WIRE INSULATION CRACKING AND BREAKING OFF AND SHORTING WITH OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. MECHANIC STRIPPED OUT WIRE AND SPLICED IT. STATED THE WIRES ARE IN BAD SHAPE DUE TO THE TYPE OF INSULATION MERCEDES USED FROM 1991 TO 1997. HE STATED I SHOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AS IT WOULD CONTINUE TO SHORT OUT COMPONENTS AND WOULD BE NOT ONLY A DRIVING HAZARD BUT ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. *TR
Mileage: 108,921
20120810ENGINE
CAR WENT COMPLETED "DEAD" AT STOP SIGN. COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE. CALLED MECHANIC AND WIRES WITHIN ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD SHORTED OUT DUE TO WIRE INSULATION CRACKING AND BREAKING OFF AND SHORTING WITH OTHER ENGINE COMPONENTS. MECHANIC STRIPPED OUT WIRE AND SPLICED IT. STATED THE WIRES ARE IN BAD SHAPE DUE TO THE TYPE OF INSULATION MERCEDES USED FROM 1991 TO 1997. HE STATED I SHOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AS IT WOULD CONTINUE TO SHORT OUT COMPONENTS AND WOULD BE NOT ONLY A DRIVING HAZARD BUT ALSO A FIRE HAZARD. *TR
Mileage: 108,921
20080417ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
CRACKED WIRING HARNESS. DISCOVERED WHEN REAR LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK. *TR
Mileage: 54,000
20080320FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
MY 1996 MERCEDES BENZ S320 CAUGHT ON FIRE 3/16/08 DUE TO A DEFECTIVE HARNESS WIRING THAT CAUSE BURNED WIRES IN THE CONSOLE, UNDER THE SEAT, THE DOOR PANELS, DAMAGED THE VACUUM LINES, SIDE VIEW MIRROR AND POTENTIALLY THE CONTROL UNITS. YOUR NHTSA HAS RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE MERCEDES VEHICLES [EARLY 1990 MODELS]. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT AT MERCEDES HEADQUARTERS TWO OF THEM DENIED A PROBLEM WITH WIRING CATCHING ON FIRE AND TWO DEALERSHIPS SAID THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY CASES INVOLVING FAULTY WIRING. THE MECHANIC THAT SPOKE HONESTLY SAID THAT THERE ARE AS MANY AS 30,000 VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT MERCEDES IS IN DENIAL AND ARE AVOIDING A MAJOR RECALL. THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN AMONG DEALERS AND MECHANICS WHO ARE TRAINED TO REPAIR MERCEDES VEHICLES. I WANT MY COMPLAINT ADDED TO THE OTHERS THAT ARE ON YOUR LIST AND COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS THE NHTSA SAYING ABOUT THIS MERCEDES PROBLEM AND WHAT IS THE NEXT M
Mileage: 139,044
20020411AIR BAGS
SRS DID NOT DEPLOY UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITION.*AK
19980420ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ELECTRONIC SENSOR FAILED.
19980402UNKNOWN OR OTHER
KNEE BOLSTER ON DRIVER'S SIDE IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND RESTRICTS ACCESS TO THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL.
19971106VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED.
19970926WHEELS:RIM
TWO RIMS FAILED.
19970325SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
REAR SEAT BELT FAILED.
19970325UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED TWICE DUE TO DEFECTIVE CHIP.
19970325UNKNOWN OR OTHER
REMOTE CONTROL RECEIVER INOPERATIVE.
19960909PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
PARKING BRAKES REPLACED.
19960816POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT PULL OUT OF LOW GEAR WHEN COLD. *AK
19960130STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
WHEN DOORS ARE NOT PROPERLY CLOSED THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THE DOOR BEING OPEN. TT
Compare 1996MERCEDES-BENZ320 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 have?▼
The 1996 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 MERCEDES-BENZ 320?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1996 MERCEDES-BENZ 320 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.