NHTSA Data Explorer

Mercedes-Benz 400SEL

Data refreshed October 26, 2026

Select a model year to filter results to that year of the Mercedes-Benz 400SEL.

Complaints

14

Active records

Recalls

3

Active records

TSBs

4

Active records

Filing history

Monthly totals over the last 20 years. Click a legend item to show or hide that series.

Reported severity

Based on consumer complaints filed since 2000. Recalls and TSBs do not include severity data.

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Crashes

1

Fires

2

Top reported issues — Mercedes-Benz 400SEL

Click a category to expand its values.

Condition issue

11

Electrical issue

2

Engine behavior

2

Operating state

1

Performance issue

1

Thermal issue

1

Recent filings

The 10 most recent filings for each type.

1993 MERCEDES S CLASS

Filed Mar 12, 2014


THE FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS HAS INSULATION THAT IS BADLY CRACKED AND FLAKING OFF CAUSING FAULT CODES AND POOR RUNNING. THE BODY HARNESS HAS CRACKED INSULATION AS WELL. WHILE THIS IS AN OLDER CAR IT IS LOW MILES AND HAS SPENT ITS LIFE STORED INDOORS. I HAVE A 1968 MODEL AMC CAR. THE WIRING IS FINE STILL. THIS WAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW FROM DAY ONE. IT WOULDN'T BE SO BAD IF THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT SO EXPENSIVE - 750 DOLLARS. *TR

1993 MERCEDES BENZ MERCEDES BENZ

Filed May 16, 2013


Fire

THE ENGINE / FUEL INJECTION WIRING HARNESS OF MY 1993 MERCEDES-BENZ 300E 156000 MILES), HAS CRACKED INSULATION THROUGHOUT AND IS BEGINNING TO SHORT-CIRCUIT 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. *TR

1993 MERCEDES BENZ MERCEDES BENZ

Filed Nov 25, 2012


MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WENT BAD , COZE OF WIRING HARNESS .. *TR

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400

Filed Apr 21, 2010


THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1993 MERCEDES 400SEL IS DEFECTIVE. AFTER TALKING WITH A MERCEDES MECHANIC, HE INFORMS ME HOW IMPORTANT THIS HARNESS IS AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN IT FAILS. THE WIRES ARE CRACKING AND SPLITTING AND ARE DRIED OUT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. AFTER DOING THE RESEARCH, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MERCEDES KNOWS THE HARNESSES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM. NO INJURIES OR DEATH AT THIS TIME. *TR

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400

Filed Feb 4, 2009


I HAVE A 1993 400 SEL MERCEDES BENZ THAT HAS HAD PROBLEMS FOR YEARS AND NOW TURNS OUT TO BE A DEFECTIVE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. IT HAS LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY RECENTLY WHICH ALMOST GOT ME KILLED WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. *TR

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400

Filed Jan 27, 2009


TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400 SEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED WITH SUMITOMO HTRZ2 TIRES AND TIRE SIZE, 245/35R20. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SPLIT ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS LATER, HE NOTICED NUMEROUS SPLITS ON THE TIRE. HE ALREADY REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED, BUT THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THESE TIRES NEED TO BE RECALLED. WHEN THE FIRST TWO TIRES WERE REPAIRED, THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE NOT INSPECTED AT ANY SHOP. THE…

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400

Filed Apr 7, 2007


1993 400 SEL WIRING HARNESS # 140 540 1132 ROTTED AWAY. *AK

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400

Filed Jun 24, 2006


HELLO, RECENTLY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY ASR SYSTEM ON MY 1993 MB 400E AND THE SERVICE WRITER TOLD ME MY WIRING HARNESS WAS FAULTY,CRACKED AND WAS TURNING TO DUST ! HE SAID IF I DIDN'T FIX IT WOULD CAUSE ME SERIOUS PROBLEMS - EVEN POSSIBLY AN ENGINE FIRE ! HE TOLD ME COST TO REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS + LABOR WOULD BE ABOUT $ 1080.00. COME TO FIND OUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WHY DON'T YOU FOLKS GET MERCEDES TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL !! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR…

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 400

Filed Jun 4, 2006


ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATED COMPLETELY CAUSING ENGINE PROBLEMS,STALLING IN TRAFFIC. IT WAS CORRECTED BY BUYING A NEW WIRING HARNESS. THE OLD PART WAS KEPT. IT IS UNDERSTOOD BY ME THAT THE INSULATION USED WAS BIODEGRADABLE. *JB

1993 MERCEDES BENZ 140

Filed Feb 4, 2006


DISINTEGRATION OF WIRING HARNESS INSULATION ON 1993 (AND OTHERS) S-CLASS CARS CREATING FIRE HAZARD, DANGEROUS STALLING PROBLEMS AND FAILURE OF VEHICLE DRIVABILITY. *NM

Data sourced from NHTSA's public datasets. Issue classifications are generated by Repair Surge. About this data.

Updated October 26, 2026. Refreshed nightly.