Mercedes-Benz 220 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 24 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Mercedes-Benz 220 (1994–1996) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 14. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (15 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 220 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 5 | 181,500 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1995 | 14 | 89,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1994 | 5 | 113,000 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system15 56%
- Vehicle speed control3 11%
- Fuel system3 11%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)2 7.4%
- Transmission and drivetrain1 3.7%
- Suspension1 3.7%
- Body and structure1 3.7%
- Equipment1 3.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1995: “Insulation cracking and falling off the wiring harness on my 1995 c-220 mercedes. Car stall and will not run after driving thru a car wash.. Mercedes is responsible, and a great danger for a fire and fatal accident. I retired after working for ford motor company as a safety engineer. I have a college degree in mechanical engineering.”
NHTSA complaint #10386629, filed 2011-03, 10,000 miles1994: “My 1994 c220 has had its check engine light on for awhile and there seems to be some intermittent electrical issues with the car either not starting properly, strange noises when I turn the radio on when the antenna goes up, the heat automatically turns on, the front headlights keep going out, the car hesitates when shifting from park to in gear or from neutral to in gear or park or reverse. …”
NHTSA complaint #10232616, filed 2008-06, 174,000 miles1996: “My 1996 mercedes c220 has 190,000 miles on it. The wiring harness completely disintegrated and I was told by my repair shop that the faulty wiring harness shorted out the computer. I called mercedes customer service and sent a letter to paul halata. They were very sorry, but the car is not under warranty and there is nothing they can do. The car is sitting in my garage - not running.”
NHTSA complaint #10168867, filed 2006-09, 190,000 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,963 complaintsMercedes-Benz E350
2,215 complaintsMercedes-Benz E320
1,164 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML350
952 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLK350
901 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML320
740 complaintsMercedes-Benz C250
725 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLC 300
657 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology