MERCEDES-BENZ 500 · model year

1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500

24 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1993MERCEDES-BENZ500 carries 24 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 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 1993 500 is electrical system:wiring:front underhood with 8 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring (5) and electrical system (4). 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 1993 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.

24
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

24 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 UNDERHOOD8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20160213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WIRE HARNESS DEFECT CAUSING SHORT IN SYSTEM SMOKE INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON A COUNTY ROAD IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER CUTTING OTHER DRIVERS OFF JUST TO GET VEHICLE IN A SAFE AND SECURED LOCATION.

Mileage: 217,000

20120109ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE LIGHT ON DUE TO FAULTY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, INSULATION CRACKED ALL THROUGHOUT HARNESS. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT!! *TR

Mileage: 89,000

20110527FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 SEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD OVERHEATED AND CAUSED SEVERAL WIRES TO MELT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Mileage: 116,000

20071208ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

" EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ENGINE WIRE HARNESS " I BELIEVE THE FAULTY WIRE HARNESS COATING WAS MANUFACTURED FROM 1991 TO 1996 BY MERCEDES BENZ. THE PLASTIC COATING THAT PROTECT THE WIRES FROM TOUCHING AS THEY GO TO EIGHT FUEL INJECTORS, COMPLETELY DISSOLVE IN MANY AREAS.....CAUSING A MULTITUDE OF EVENTS: 1) SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE 2) ENGINE FIRES 3) EXTREME LOSS OF POWER, CAUSING CAR TO JERK INTENSELY WITH THE POWER STEERING GOING IN AND OUT MAKING IT "ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE" TO CONTROL CAR. I HAVE REPLACED THE "ENGINE WIRE HARNESS" ONCE, & NOW NEEDS ANOTHER ON MY 93 MERCEDES 500 SEL WITH 170,000 MILES (THIS WILL BE THE 3RD WIRE HARNESS). (M.B.U..S..A.) IS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THEIR "FAULTY HARNESS" AND HAVE BEEN SENT PICTURES OF CARS BURNED TO THE GROUND, THOUSANDS OF LETTERS AND PICTURES CONSUMERS CONSUMERS, BUT REFUSE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS "DEFECTIVE-PART" ((THEY REFUSE TO RECALL THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY HARNESS)) THIS PROBLEM IS SO INTENSELY DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE ON A

Mileage: 175,000

20071129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WHEN MY 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 500 SEL WARMS TO ITS NORMAL RUNNING TEMP. IT BEGINS TO ACT AS IF IT IS NOT GETTING FUEL. IT CUTS OUT INTENSELY AND THEN DIES OUT COMPLETELY. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN PULLING OUT ANYWHERE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS. WHEN THE CAR FINALLY QUITS COMPLETELY, YOU ARE STRANDED ROADSIDE OF AT LEAST 15 MIN. UNTIL IT WILL START AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WIRE HARNESS HAS CAUSED FIRES WHICH HAVE DESTROYED OTHERS WITH THIS SAME DEFECTIVE WIRE COATING. PLEASE HELP US MAKE MERCEDES DO A RECALL, THEY ARE RISKING OUR LIVES! I WAS STRUCK BY A DRIVER WHEN HAVING TO PUSH MY CAR TO THE CURB WHEN STALLING FROM THIS WIRE HARNESS PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT HIT AT A FASTER SPEED. ALL I RECEIVED WAS SOME MAJOR BRUISING ON MY HIP FROM THE CARS BUMPER. I SUFFERED WITH PAIN FOR OVER A WEEK. I AM NOT FILING FOR GETTING HURT, ONLY TO FIX THIS WELL KNOWN DEFECTIVE COATING ON THE MERCEDES BENZ WIRING HARNESS. PLEASE HELP US WITH OBTAI

Mileage: 170,000

20071107ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME ON 11/3/2007 THAT THE WIRE HARNESS ON MY 1993 MERCEDES 500 SEL COULD CAUSE FIRE OR DEATH TO MY FAMILY AND THAT MERCEDES BENZ U.S.A. KNOWS ABOUT THE FAULTS IN THE WIRE HARNESS AND KNOWS THE PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER AND HAVE YET TO DO A RECALL ON YEARS (1992 THROUGH 1996) PLEASE HELP US GET A RECALL IN THE WIRE HARNESS BEFORE PEOPLE GET BURNT OR DIE THESE WIRES JUST FALL APART AND THEN TOUCH EACH OTHER AND THAT IS WHEN THE DANGER STARTS, THIS REALLY IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS SITUATION AND WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP. THANK YOU! *TR

Mileage: 100,000

20070828ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY 500E SEDAN WAS EXPERIENCING ERRATIC THROTTLE CONTROL AND INTERMITTENT STALLING WHILE DRIVING, THUS PLACING ME AT RISK OF NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR AN EXAMINATION OF BOTH THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND THROTTLE-BODY SHOWED DISINTEGRATION OF THE WIRES PROTECTIVE INSULATION. BOTH ITEMS WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROX. $1,900.

20070828ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 500SEL WIRING HARNESS FAILURE- INSULATION ON WIRING BECAME BRITTLE AND BEGAN TO FALL OFF. SHORTS IN WIRING LEAD TO TROUBLE LIGHTS COMING ON AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *JB

Mileage: 100,000

20070404ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 500E ENGINE WIRING HARNESS INSULATION CANNOT STAND UP TO THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND LOSES ITS INSULATION, CREATING AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD.*AK

Mileage: 91,000

20060905ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1993 MERCEDES 500E WIRING HARNESS DISINTEGRATED. THE IGNITION MODULE WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE *TS THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION MODULE HAS CUT SPARK TO HALF THE CYLINDERS IN THE ENGINE. *NM

20060825ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

SHORTING IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS CAUSING FAILURES OF IGNITION AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS INTERMITTENTLY. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT FAILURE OF THE SHEATHING AND MATERIALS OF THE WIRING HARNESSES CAUSE CORRUPTION OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS AND REQUIRE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF HARNESSES DUE TO POOR QUALITY MATERIALS. *JB

Mileage: 230,040

20060825ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

SHORTING IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS CAUSING FAILURES OF IGNITION AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS INTERMITTENTLY. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT FAILURE OF THE SHEATHING AND MATERIALS OF THE WIRING HARNESSES CAUSE CORRUPTION OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS AND REQUIRE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF HARNESSES DUE TO POOR QUALITY MATERIALS. COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE WIRING HARNESSES WAS COMPLETED IN JULY OF 2005. *JB

Mileage: 198,788

20060619ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

CAR WILL QUIT ALL OF A SUDDEN AND LEAVE ME WITH NO BRAKES AND NO STEERING. THIS IS DUE TO A BRAKE DOWN IN THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL HARNESS. THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND OR A FIRE. *NM

Mileage: 134,465

20060531ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS DEGRADED AND STARTED BECOMING BRITTLE RESULTING IN WARNING LIGHTS, FAILED WATER TEMPERATURE SENSING AND ULTIMATELY POOR RUNNING OF ENGINE AND WIRING HARNESS CRUMBLING. *NM

Mileage: 74,000

20060424ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

BOTH ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESSES OF MY 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500E (115,000 MILES), HAVE CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT. THEY ARE SHORTING OUT, CAUSING STALLING AND THE IMPOSITION OF (INVOLUNTARY/UNACCEPTABLE) RISKS OF DANGEROUS ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS AND/OR FIRES INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES OF THE SAME AGE DOCUMENT SAID (IDENTICAL) DEFECTS. ALTHOUGH THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN TO MERCEDES-BENZ, A RECALL HAS BEEN REFUSED, OUTRIGHT/HAS YET TO TRANSPIRE. PLEASE ADVISE, ASAP; THANK YOU. *NM

Mileage: 60,000

20050915ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 500E - STALLS, ROUGH IDLE AND HESITATION. THE CAR DUE TO WIRING DEFECT SHUTS DOWN DURING DRIVING ACTIVITIES IE. PULLING INTO TRAFFIC AND ALMOST IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS WAS REPORTED TO MERCEDES USA AND REPORTED TO DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED UNAWARE OF PROBLEM BUT WOULD REPLACE FOR $1200. PER CLUBS AND USER GROUPS (WWW.500ECSTASY.COM) ALL OWNERS HAVE REPLACED OR EXPERIENCED SAME PROBLEMS. *JB

Mileage: 70,000

20050728ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

MERCEDES BENZ WIRING HARNESS DEFECT.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES. *JB UPDATED 08/22/06. *JB UPDATED 12/07/15.*JB

20050423ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

THE ENGINE/FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500E (64,000 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 ISSUE. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH MERCEDES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RECALL. *NM

Mileage: 60,000

20030630UNKNOWN OR OTHER

POSSIBLE ODOMETER TAMPERING. *AK

Mileage: 80,455

20011004SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

REAR SEAT BELT DOES NOT FUNCTION SINCE PURCHASE.

Compare 1993MERCEDES-BENZ500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 have?
The 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 has 24 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500?
The most-complained component for the 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1993 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.