Total Complaints
9 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ S420 · model year
1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1995MERCEDES-BENZS420 carries 9 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 S420 is electrical system with 4 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (1) and electronic stability control (esc) (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 S420. 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
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20170130ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS USING SOY BASED INSULATION DEGRADES THEREBY ALLOWING WIRES TO SPONTANEOUS AND/ OR INTERMITTENT SHORTS. THIS HAS CAUSED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS. VERY DIFFICULT TO TROUBLESHOOT UNLESS AND UNTIL ONE DISCOVERS INSULATION FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN AND IS WIDELY KNOWN TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ERA OF CARS. EXTREMELY BAD ENGINEERING DECISIONS WERE MADE. VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. MERCEDES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MALFEASANT AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW; HAD SERVICE ONLY AT THE DEALER; WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OLDER CARS WITH MORE MILEAGE WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH THE MERCEDES. VERY DISAPPOINTING. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES; ALL HYPE! *TR
Mileage: 210,000
20170130ENGINE
ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS USING SOY BASED INSULATION DEGRADES THEREBY ALLOWING WIRES TO SPONTANEOUS AND/ OR INTERMITTENT SHORTS. THIS HAS CAUSED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS. VERY DIFFICULT TO TROUBLESHOOT UNLESS AND UNTIL ONE DISCOVERS INSULATION FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN AND IS WIDELY KNOWN TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ERA OF CARS. EXTREMELY BAD ENGINEERING DECISIONS WERE MADE. VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. MERCEDES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MALFEASANT AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW; HAD SERVICE ONLY AT THE DEALER; WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OLDER CARS WITH MORE MILEAGE WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH THE MERCEDES. VERY DISAPPOINTING. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES; ALL HYPE! *TR
Mileage: 210,000
20170130POWER TRAIN
ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS USING SOY BASED INSULATION DEGRADES THEREBY ALLOWING WIRES TO SPONTANEOUS AND/ OR INTERMITTENT SHORTS. THIS HAS CAUSED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS. VERY DIFFICULT TO TROUBLESHOOT UNLESS AND UNTIL ONE DISCOVERS INSULATION FAILURE. THIS HAS BEEN AND IS WIDELY KNOWN TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ERA OF CARS. EXTREMELY BAD ENGINEERING DECISIONS WERE MADE. VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. MERCEDES SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MALFEASANT AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW; HAD SERVICE ONLY AT THE DEALER; WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OLDER CARS WITH MORE MILEAGE WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE WITH THE MERCEDES. VERY DISAPPOINTING. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MERCEDES; ALL HYPE! *TR
Mileage: 210,000
20160901ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
THROTTLE BODY WIRE HARNESS WENT BAD AND WAS ON INTERSTATE AND COULD NOT DO SPEED LIMIT AND NEARLY GOT DEMOLISHED BY A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER. AFTER A HORRIBLE EXPENSE I NOW FIND OUT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CAR IS BAD AS WELL. WELL DONE MERCEDES BENZ YOU HAVE ENDANGERED MY FAMILY'S LIVES WITH YOUR SUB STANDARD BUSINESS PRACTICE. YOU SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND REPAIR ALL SAFETY ISSUES.
Mileage: 98,356
20160901ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THROTTLE BODY WIRE HARNESS WENT BAD AND WAS ON INTERSTATE AND COULD NOT DO SPEED LIMIT AND NEARLY GOT DEMOLISHED BY A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER. AFTER A HORRIBLE EXPENSE I NOW FIND OUT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CAR IS BAD AS WELL. WELL DONE MERCEDES BENZ YOU HAVE ENDANGERED MY FAMILY'S LIVES WITH YOUR SUB STANDARD BUSINESS PRACTICE. YOU SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND REPAIR ALL SAFETY ISSUES.
Mileage: 98,356
20160901FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
THROTTLE BODY WIRE HARNESS WENT BAD AND WAS ON INTERSTATE AND COULD NOT DO SPEED LIMIT AND NEARLY GOT DEMOLISHED BY A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER. AFTER A HORRIBLE EXPENSE I NOW FIND OUT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CAR IS BAD AS WELL. WELL DONE MERCEDES BENZ YOU HAVE ENDANGERED MY FAMILY'S LIVES WITH YOUR SUB STANDARD BUSINESS PRACTICE. YOU SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND REPAIR ALL SAFETY ISSUES.
Mileage: 98,356
20151127ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I HAVE TAKEN MY 95 S420 TO TWO DEALER LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF THE DISINTEGRATING ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. THEY ALL CLAIM THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF IT. THE DEALER IN NANUET, NY TELLS ME THAT THEY CANNOT HELP ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE "EVERY" MAINTENANCE DONE THROUGH THEIR DEALERSHIP. I MUST SAY, FROM ALL THE DEALERSHIPS I'VE BEEN TO... MERCEDES DEALERSHIPS TREAT PEOPLE WITH OLDER CARS LIKE GARBAGE. ANYWAYS, THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE CAR STALLED AT AN INTERSECTION. SO EMBARRASSING, BUT GLAD I DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. SO I TOW THE CAR TO A SHOP. MY MECHANIC USED A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER TO CHECK FOR ERRORS. HE THEN TOLD ME MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS DISINTEGRATING. HE SAID THESE WERE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES CARS FROM CERTAIN YEARS IN THE 90'S. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OF "DISINTEGRATING ENGINE HARNESS", AND I SAW TONS OF MERCEDES(ONLY) OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I HOPE MERCEDES WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DANGER
Mileage: 170,000
20150130ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 MERCEDES BENZ S420 (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FOB FAILED TO UNLOCK THE DOORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 03/30/15*LJ UPDATED 10/20/2015*JS
Mileage: 88,000
20141008EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
A/C QUIT WORKING. TOOK TO THE MERCEDES DEALER. WAS NOTIFIED OF VAPOR CORE FAILURE AND TOLD IT IS MOST COMMON ON ANY MILEAGE OF THIS MODEL. COST $3500.00 IF IT IS MOST COMMON IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON IT. COMPANY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOTHING TO CORRECT IT.
Mileage: 53,000
Compare 1995MERCEDES-BENZS420 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 have?▼
The 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420?▼
The most-complained component for the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC).
Is the 1995 MERCEDES-BENZ S420 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.