Total Complaints
9 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 600 · model year
1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 600
9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1992MERCEDES-BENZ600 carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 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 1992 600 is electrical system:wiring with 5 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (1) and electrical system:wiring:front underhood (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 1992 600. 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.
9
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110814CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE BODY AND ENGINE HARNESS HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE CONTAINING MANY BARED WIRES BECAUSE THE WIRE COVERING IS DEFECTIVE. MY MERCEDES 600S SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND BECAUSE OF THIS I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I FOUND OUT LATER AT A MECHANICAL SHOP THAT THE ENGINE WENT INTO SOMETHING CALLED "LIMPMODE" AND THIS CAUSED THE SUDDEN DECELERATION. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT THIS ACTION WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT CIRCUIT IN ONE OF THE BARED WIRES OF THE ENGINE BODY HARNESS. UPON OBSERVATION THE WHOLE BODY WIRE HARNESS OF MANY WIRES EXHIBIT AN UNBELIEVABLE CONDITION WHERE YOU CAN VISUALLY OBSERVE THE WIRE'S COVERING DISINTEGRATING UNTIL NOTHING COVERS THE WIRES AND THEY ARE TOTALLY BARED. THE POSSIBLE RISK OF FIRE DUE TO THIS CONDITION IS WORTH AN IMMEDIATE RECALL BY MERCEDES IN ITSELF. WHY HAS THE NHTSA NOT ORDERED MERCEDES TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS PRODUCTION PROBLEM THAT I HAVE LEARNED IS COMMON TO HUNDREDS OF V-12 ENGINES FROM 1992-1995? DOES SOME ONE HAVE TO DIE IN A FIRE
Mileage: 86,661
20070930ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
MERCEDES BENZ WIRING FAILURE. *JB
Mileage: 54,000
20070904ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS ON MY '92 600 SEL FAILED BECAUSE IT WAS MADE OF WIRING THAT WAS NOT ADEQUATELY TESTED. THE WIRING FAILED IN 2007 DUE TO THE WIRING BE DESIGNED TO BE BIODEGRADABLE. REPAIR COST WAS $7000 !!!!!! *JB. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ THE WIRING HARNESS BRITTLE AND CRACKED. UPDATED *JB
Mileage: 84,580
20061128ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I OWN A 1992 S600 MERCEDES BENZ AND ALSO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. MY FAMILY AND I CAN BE DRIVING AND THE CAR AUTOMATIC DROP SPEED AND GO INTO LIMP MODE WHICH IS VERY DANGER. I ALSO HAD THE CAR CHECK OUT ALSO AND IT WILL PUT OUT CODES THAT DON'T EVEN EXIST. THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALER NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS OF THE CAR. BECAUSE IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE. *JB
20061128ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
I OWN A 1992 S600 MERCEDES BENZ AND ALSO EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH MY WIRING HARNESS. MY FAMILY AND I BE DRIVING AND THE ASR LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE CAR AUTOMATIC DROP SPEED PUTTING OUR LIFE IN DANGER. I HAD TO DONE LOTS OF REPAIRS. NOW THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTROL UNIT AND THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR. THESE REPAIRS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. *JB
20060613ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
INTENSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DETERIORATING WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 600 SEL MERCEDES. THE WIRES ARE CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES RESULTING IN INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS. *JB
20060613ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
INTENSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DETERIORATING WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 600 SEL MERCEDES. THE WIRES ARE CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES RESULTING IN INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS. *JB
20060326ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
RECENTLY I FOUND OUT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1991 600 SE IS DETERIORATING, ON SOME PLACES YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE BARE WIRES. THIS CAR IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF OTHER REPAIRS, AND BEFORE WE CAN DO ANYTHING ELSE WE MUST REPLACE EVERY SINGLE HARNESS IN THE ENGINE BAY. WE ARE NOT A VERY RICH FAMILY AND CAN NOT AFFORD THAT. I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR ALMOST EVERY DAY AND AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF IT. WHY DOESN'T MERCEDES DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? THAT IS BEYOND ME. *JB
Mileage: 100,000
19960529FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
PARK PLACE MOTOR CARS IN DALLAS TX WORKED ON VEHICLE FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON CONSTANTLY, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HAD FLAMES COMING FROM EXHAUST. *AK
Compare 1992MERCEDES-BENZ600 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 600 have?▼
The 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 600 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 600?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 600 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1992 MERCEDES-BENZ 600 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.