The 1994 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 50,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE FRONT PASSENGER METAL FOOT REST CAN, OVER TIME, ABRADE THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE FOOT REST CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO SHORT CIRCUIT.
A SHORT CIRCUIT CAN CAUSE THE WIRES TO OVERHEAT, STALL THE ENGINE, OR INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY AN AIRBAG, ANY OF THESE INCREASES THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE CRASH.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL WIRING HARNESS CABLE FASTENER TIES AND EDGE PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR SHARP EDGES OF THE METAL FOOT REST.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Wire harness decay, defective head gasket. *tr”
“Engine occasionally stalling at any speed including highway traffic. Mechanic traced to defective engine wiring harness shorting. The driving is unsafe as there is a real possibility of a fire with many fires reported. *tr”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1994 mercedes benz e320. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a loud noise at the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle proceeded to pull to the right. He took the vehicle to a repair shop and the mechanic stated that the front coil springs and struts were…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1994 mercedes benz e320. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a loud noise at the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle proceeded to pull to the right. He took the vehicle to a repair shop and the mechanic stated that the front coil springs and struts were…”
“1. Poor engine performance, unsafe drivability, hesitation and stalling. 2. Frequency of problem is very often. Qualified mercedes-benz repair shop diagnosed issue as engine wiring harness insulation degradation. They have seen a lot of these harnesses fail, according to their head mechanics. In…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1994 mercedes benz e-320. The contact stated that the vehicle would sporadically stall when approaching a complete stop. In addition, the engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the engine warning harness needed to be replaced…”
“I turned on the switch of my 1994 e320 mercedes noticed smoke coming from under hood on passenger side. Opened hood it was on fire. Air flow sensor had just been replaced. I have since replaced wiring harness, plugs, but car is still surging not idling properly. Replaced intake air sensor,…”
“Crumbling engine wiring harness in my car. I've collected and restored cars for many years, and find this manufacturing defect to be unbelievable - especially from mercedes benz. Furthermore the lack of response or recall is further evidence that mb is indifferent about existing owner…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1994 Mercedes-Benz E-Class as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.