1995 Mercedes-Benz 420 Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 420. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
3
2fires
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
1
ENGINE
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
1
Total complaints16

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“There seems to be a problem that mercedes is well aware of with the engine wiring harness. The insulation was poorly done, which causes the wiring to breakdown. This is a very expensive fix for the consumer. Safety is the issue here when this causes the car to fail to accelerate. *tr”

ENGINE · reported 2012-05-16

“The engine wiring harness on my 1995 mercedes benz s420 has disintegrated. The wiring insulation is cracked and broken in many places, which has resulted in a non-operating condition. The car has stalled 3 times so far, in traffic, and will now not run at all. Apparently the wires have broken down…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2012-04-01

“The engine wiring harness on my 1995 mercedes benz s420 has disintegrated. The wiring insulation is cracked and broken in many places, which has resulted in a non-operating condition. The car has stalled 3 times so far, in traffic, and will now not run at all. Apparently the wires have broken down…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2012-04-01

“1995 420s mercedes is having problems firing. Concerned about wiring harness. Was check and may be causing the problem. Why is there not a recall on this if so many people that own these vehicles are having the same problem? Car is hesitating when key is turned to right and will not fire…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2008-07-21

“1995 e420 mercedes benz: wire harness has prematurely disintegrated, causing unsafe operating characteristics to appear in vehicle such as: sudden loss of power and unresponsiveness to accelerator input. *ak”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING · reported 2007-04-05

“Shortly after purchase of a 1995 mercedez-benz e420, I was told by an independent mechanic of the need to replace wiring harnesses in the engine compartment because the wiring insulation becomes brittle, cracks, and falls off. This was demonstrated to be the case on my car, with the mechanic…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD · reported 2005-06-15

“Two major failures of wiring on my 1995 s420. (1) main wiring harness shorted, burned insulation and failure to operate. Dealer claimed normal with a car this age. (2) throttle actuator wiring harness shorted, again burned insulation and operate in limped mode only. Contacted regional manager and…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD · reported 2004-07-15

“After parking the vehicle, the consumer noticed smoke coming from the steering column. As a result of the failure, fire came through the firewall. The local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. *ak there were no prior problems. The vehicle had filled with black smoke with the ignition…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD · reported 2003-07-28
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz 420 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.