MERCEDES-BENZ 500 · model year

1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500

20 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1992MERCEDES-BENZ500 carries 20 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, 0 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 1992 500 is electrical system:wiring:front underhood with 7 filings, followed by electrical system (4) and seats (2). 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 1992 500. 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.

20
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

20 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 SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
SEATS2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1

Recent Complaints

20081130ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MAIN ENGINE/FUEL INJECTION ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS, HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND IS DISINTEGRATING CAUSING WIRES TO RUB TOGETHER AND BEGINNING TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS TO INCLUDE FIRE INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I'VE DISCOVERED FROM DLR HARDNESS INSULATION IS MADE OF BIODEGRADABLE MATERIAL RESULTING IN EARLY DETERIORATION. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXHIBIT STALLING ISSUES, ROUGH RUNNING, AND INCORRECT FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER. *TR

Mileage: 185,900

20080828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISENTIGRATING. *TR

Mileage: 171,600

20080705ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE CUTTING OUT . ALL WIRES IN THE ENGINE HARNESS AND ELECTRIC CABLE CRACKED AND EXPOSED. *TR

Mileage: 99,000

20071222ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS PN 124-543-95-26; WIRING INSULATION COMPLETELY ERODES OVER TIME WITH NORMAL USE, RESULTING IN NUMEROUS SHORT CIRCUITS. *TR

Mileage: 94,000

20070209ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WIRE INSULATION ON MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAS DISINTEGRATED EXPOSING THE INTERNAL WIRING COMPLETELY, ESPECIALLY IN BENT AREAS. THIS IS A RESULT OF NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. AS THIS HAPPENS THE ENGINE RUNS WORSE, PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED INCLUDE SURGING IN IDLE, STUMBLING OF ENGINE UPON INITIAL ACCELERATION AND STALLING OR RUNNING ENGINE. THE ONLY COURSE OF ACTION IS TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A "NEWLY" PURCHASED HARNESS FROM MERCEDES BENZ. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IDEA IS I WILL BE PURCHASING A WIRING HARNESS MANUFACTURED DURING ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME THE VEHICLE WAS IN PRODUCTION THAT USES THE SAME DEFECTIVE, ADVANCED DEGRADING WIRING. *JB

20060531ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS, AND STARTER/ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500E (61,000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT OUT WITH THE RISK OF CAUSING DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND EVEN FIRE INSIDE MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ CARS OF THE SAME AGE RANGE HAVING THE EXACT SAME DEFECT. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL. **NM

Mileage: 59,000

20060528ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

UPPER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 500E (81,000 MILES) HAS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED. THE INSULATION HAS BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACKED AND FLAKED OF THE HARNESS CAUSING ELECTRICAL SHORTS WITHIN THE IGNITION SYSTEM CAUSING FAILURE TO START OR RUN CONDITIONS. THROUGH RESEARCH ON THE WEB I HAVE DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON SITUATION WITH THE W124 CHASSIS CARS. SINCE IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM I FEEL THAT MERCEDES BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA IS OBLIGATED TO INITIATE A RECALL OR VOLUNTARILY REPLACE THIS KNOWN FAULTY ITEM. *JB

Mileage: 81,872

20060513ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 SEL WAS REPLACED ONCE AND NOW HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT, I MIGHT ADD, THIS NEW HARNESS IS "SUPPOSED" TO BE THE NEW AND IMPROVED UPGRADED VERSION. IT DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER THAN THE ORIGINAL. THE WIRES ARE ALL EXPOSED BECAUSE OF THE CRACKED INSULATION. PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A RARE WIRE, ALL OF THEM ARE CRACKED AND DAMAGED AND EXPOSED!!! BECAUSE OF THE OUTSIDE RUBBER CASING WHICH HOLDS ALL OF THE WIRES, I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM UNTIL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOOO LATE. LUCKILY, MY MECHANIC, ED AT EDS MBZ IN GLENDALE CALIFORNIA, (818) 247-2369 WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY CUT THE OUTSIDE CASING TO LOOK INSIDE. I AM STILL AMAZED A CAR COMPANY MAKING AN 80,000 TO 100,000 DOLLAR CAR WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL ELECTRICAL PARTS THE WIRING HARNESS SO BAD. WIRE HARNESSES ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR- ITS A SAFETY ISSUE!!! IT IS BEGINN

Mileage: 132,500

20060505ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

UPPER AND LOWER ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADED TO POINT WHERE CAR WOULD NOT RUN. INSULATION ALL DRIED UP AND CRUMBLED AWAY...I UNDERSTAND MANY 500E OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM...MERCEDES ACKNOWLEDGES USING INFERIOR 'BIO-DEGRADABLE' MATERIALS. *JB

Mileage: 132,000

20050930ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

UPPER ENGINE WIRE HARNESS FAILURE - ERRATIC IDLE, POWER LOSS, RF NOISE EXCESSIVE, INCONSISTENT ECU FAULT CODES. REPLACED HARNESS AND ALL DEFECTS NO LONGER OCCURRED. *NM

Mileage: 95,000

20050913ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, DROVE HOME AT VERY REDUCED SPEED. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS, A COMMON DEFECT ON THIS MODEL CAR 1992 MERCEDES BENZ 500E. *JB

20021226FatalELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

FAULTY WIRING IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISENTIGRATING FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN AGE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO EXIBIT STALLING ISSUES AND ROUGH RUNNING, ALSO FAULT CODES ARE PRODUCED ON THE CAR COMPUTER.

Mileage: 100,000

19990223EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

AIR CONDITIONER FAILED.

19990223SEATS

DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED.

19990223EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

RADIO ANTENNA FAILED.

19990223VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

LEFT REAR WINDOW FAILED.

19990223SEATS

LEFT REAR SEAT FAILED.

19990223ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUALLY ILLUMINATING REQUIRING REPAIRS.

19970325FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

19951005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

INTERMITTENT STALLING. *AK

Compare 1992MERCEDES-BENZ500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 have?
The 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 has 20 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500?
The most-complained component for the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and SEATS.
Is the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 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.