1995 Mercedes-Benz C-Class from North America - Comments

In November 2000 the head gasket had to be replaced.

In June 2002 the engine wire harness had to be replaced.

In June of 2002 the throttle actuator had to be replaced.

I have owned Mercedes since 1980 and my family since 1959.

This is the first time we have experienced problems to this degree and Mercedes Benz has just brushed us off!

You bought this car with 60k miles. Doesn't it make you wonder why a person would get rid of their mercedes with only 60 thousand miles. My friend once told me that when you buy a used car you are buying somebody elses problems.

We have a 94 C280 that is in the shop, that's why I'm reading and posting this. They say the engine harness shorted out, neccessitating the replacement of the engine harness, throttle actuator, and what the service advisor called the "brain" which I assume to mean the electronic ignition control module. This plus a seized air pump is costing us over $4300 dollars. We bought it used with 38K miles on it about a year ago, now its at 54K. This is without a doubt the first and last MB I will ever own. Plus the fact that I'm still waiting for the CD-Rom to come out with the factory manual. I call every few months and they always say its not ready yet. I'm through with MB! Think twice before you buy! You may be buying a money pit!

The 1993-1995 wiring harnesses on ALL Mercedes were defective due to a biodegradable insulation. This wiring was used inside the throttle actuators also. The TA controls the cruise control and the idle. The head gaskets were defective during these years too. Usually it results in an outside oil leak. If the wiring harness is not replaced it COULD short out other items like your computer. It is possible.

Read carefully: I would not put any trust in a Mercedes dealer further than you can throw them. They will rip you off at any chance you give them. If you have an existing factory warranty then the dealer can be used. However, after that find a good independent mechanic that works on German cars if you are going to own a MB. It never ceases to amaze me what LIES they tell people, and incorrect repairs. This is why people become so frustrated with owning a MB.

That being said, they did have some problems with these models. However, it is not the end of the world. If you can find a model that has had the wiring harness, and head gasket replaced it can be a great car. The TA is not cheap either and run around 1000 bucks just for the part. This can certainly be something to bring the asking price down. Get the seller to knock off 2k, replace the faulty parts, and drive for many many years to come. This is not for everybody obviously. I do not mind because I perform all the work on my cars myself. I had my head gasket replaced by the person who sold me the car before buying it. I will replace the wiring harness in the next couple of months.

MB will replace some of these items on a "Goodwill" policy SOMETIMES. I got zero response from my local dealer when I asked about this. No help, no answer, nothing. I figured as much, but I thought I would try anyway.

Despite the flaws, they are great cars. There is a wealth of information on the web about these models. I would recommend that anybody who is thinking of buying one read as much as you could BEFORE you run out and buy one. The most important thing is to have an independent tech and not a dealer to rely on. If you rely on a dealer you will spend your last dime and still have a car that does not run right.

I'm sorry to hear about people's ownership experiences with MB. The Dealers really do ruin it for everybody. MB started building cars more on a price as well. I feel that the 80's probably put out some of the best Mercedes ever. While the 190e 2.6 was not as much fun to drive as my c280, it has a lot less quality issues than the c280.

I found this site because my 1996 C220 is in the dealers shop. Two months ago the air pump seized and this time the throttle actuator failed. 'Check Engine' light came on in both cases and each time it cost me well over $1000 to fix. I bought my car new and it's 81,000 miles. Only shortly after the 6 year 60,000 miles emission warranty has expired. It's been a great car, but if things start to fail this early on then MB has a problem.

In October of 1996, I have purchased my Mercedes-Benz C220 brand new from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer and it has been a great car. Currently, I have 131,000 miles and it still runs great. The only minor repairs that had to been done were the water pump, fan belt pulley, front drivers tight rod, and other related maintence requirements. Obviously, the above minor repairs are wear and tear.

If you ever buy a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz be sure to do the following:

* Go to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer not from an unauthorized party.

* Be sure that the vehicle has gone through the starmark certification process (Ask the sale rep for a copy)

* Ask and check in the maintenance record book for service documentation & stamps.

* Rigorously test drive the car.

* Ask for a car fax report.

I try my best to steer clear of cars with major defects in design that would affect reliability and cost. I've been reading up on various used luxury cars that I'm interested in for my next. I must say I'm really frustrated and disappointed in how many "high end" luxury cars are plagued with major design defects. Most of my previous vehicles have been more basic transportation, like Toyota, Chrysler, Ford. I've had problems with those cars too. But what's the point of spending all the extra hard earned money on an upscale car like a Mercedes when not only is it still going to be riddled with major problems like the cheaper cars, but it will also cost 3 times as much to get those common problems fixed? That's insane! It seems the more flashy a car is, the more problematic it's going to be. Once upon a time I had a 300E, which was the most upscale car I've ever owned, but also such a nightmare. It had more problems by 100k miles than my Acclaim, Sundance, Ranger, Camry, or 240. The only car that's come close to being so dissapointingly unreliable is my Chrysler Lebaron covertible. At least the Lebaron is a heck of a lot cheaper to fix though. I thought I would give Mercedes another shot by buying a C-class, but judging by the MAJOR problems they seem to have, I just may go back to Volvo, which so far has treated me the best. You want a flashy car, buy a Mercedes. You want a dependable car that'll last 300k miles, buy a Volvo.

To 22:37. I agree also with your comments. My experience with Merc is the same - especially disappointing rust protection. Here in the UK, most C and E class Mercs are rusting quite badly by the time they reach 10 years old! I would also agree with your next car, my Volvo's have been brilliant with regards to reliability (as well as other factors). I would try the S60 - luxury bargain of the year and generally exceptionally reliable!

I cannot believe the last comments. The C klass from the '90s is one of the most reliable and durable cars ever made. The mileages these cars can stand are amazing. These are tough cars, very strong, just as a tank, maybe only second to W124.

My experience with the pre 1997 C-Class is not all that good, build quality is much lower than that of the earlier 190 series (drives "heavy" for a smaller car).

I drove a lot of these early C-Classes and they rattle as much like a B model Opel Vectra, more engine noise and other annoying things... build quality is not like a Benz should be, later cars though are much improved.

Still.. it's like there smaller on the inside than a 190 series.. it's like driving a new Volvo S40/V50.. no headroom.