Model year record
1995 Mercedes-Benz C280 recalls & problems
The 1995 Mercedes-Benz C280 has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 16 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (13 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 1995 Mercedes-Benz C280.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Fuel economy
C280
| City / highway | 18 / 24 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
2.8 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Rear-Wheel Drive · about $4,100/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 13 | 135,250 mi |
| Engine | 6 | 146,500 mi |
| Unknown or other | 2 | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | — |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | — |
| Power train | 1 | — |
| Air bags | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Electrical system
MERCEDES WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE INSTALLED DISINTEGRATING WIRING INSULATION IN MANY CARS KNOWING FULL WELL THE INSULATION WOULD FAIL RENDERING ANY AND ALL CARS UNRELIABLE DANGEROUS AND ULTIMATELY USELESS
- Unknown or other
CAR STALLED ON HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 50 MILES PER HOUR. NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE. IT TOO ABOUT TEN MINUTES TO START.
- Unknown or other
VEHICLE STALL WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY . IT TOOK TEN MINUTES TO START. NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE. VERY DANGEROUS.
- Electrical system
THE CAR WAS BARELY USED IN ABOUT 2 YEARS. BEFORE IT HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM, NOW IT CAN'T BE TAKEN TO EMISSIONS BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS BECAUSE THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATING. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MERCEDES-BENZ KNOWS ABOUT THIS COMMON PROBLEM VERY WELL EVEN THOUGH THEY BLATANTLY DISREGARD THEIR CUSTOMERS' SAFETY, CLAIMING THEY HAVE NO SUCH KNOWLEDGE AND REQUIRING CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES OR CONTINUE DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO REASON OTHER THAN IRRESPONSIBLE GREED THAT MERCEDES-BENZ IGNORES THIS PROBLEM, AND THIS PUTS UNKNOWING CONSUMERS AT SERIOUS RISK. I AM APPALLED THAT…
- Electrical system
I RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS USED 1995 C280 MERCEDES BENZ,ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER I BOUGHT IT -ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED MALFUNCTIONING,GAUGES GO ON AND OFF CONTINUOUSLY, CAR REFUSED TO START -THEN STARTS AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.WINDOWS WORK-AND THEN THEY DON'T. OBDII SYSTEM READS DIFFERENT CODES-OBVIOUSLY UNRELIABLE. AFTER HAVING A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT -HE STATED THAT WIRING HARNESS IS FAILING. AFTER COMING HERE TO LOOK FOR RECALLS-I SEE THAT OVER 90% COMPLAINTS ON THIS CAR ARE FOR A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS-A FACT THAT MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF BY NOW. THIS COULD CREATE A FIRE HAZARD AND SERIOUS DRIVING HAZARD. WHY HAVEN'T THEY DEALT WITH THIS POSSIBLY DISASTROUS DEFECT? I'M TOTALLY…
- Electrical system
CAR STARTED RUNNING FUNNY. HAD IT LOOKED AT AND THE WIRING HARNESS WAS FOUND TO BE BRITTLE AND FALLING APART. CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL A NEW HARNESS IS INSTALLED. *TR
- Air bags1 injury
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C280. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY THE DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS. THE WINDSHIELD WAS SMASHED AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BRUISED ARM DUE TO THE IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000.
- Electrical system
SEVERAL INTERMITTENT ISSUES RECENTLY BEGAN TO OCCUR WITH MY C280. INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORK AND AS A RESULT I RAN OUT OF GAS IN SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN AREAS WHERE MY PERSONAL SAFETY WAS AT QUESTION. CAR ALSO BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY CEASE FROM STARTING LEAVING ME STRANDED UNTIL THE CAR WAS ABLE TO START. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY A CERTIFIED MERCEDES MECHANIC, THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THE WIRING INSULATION WAS SERIOUSLY DEGRADING. DURING THE EVALUATION THE WIRING WAS STARTING TO SMOKE AND SYSTEM SHUT DOWN DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUSED SAFETY ISSUES TO…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.