1966 Mercedes Benz 600 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
0 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1966 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
No owner complaints are recorded for this selection. A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
No usable records for this chart.
| Category | Count |
|---|
No records.
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
No usable records for this chart.
| Category | Count |
|---|
No records.
Pattern summary
There is not enough complaint evidence to summarize patterns.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
0 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1997 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 112.5%ODI 10419382 · 86,661 miTHE BODY AND ENGINE HARNESS HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE CONTAINING MANY BARED WIRES BECAUSE THE WIRE COVERING IS DEFECTIVE. MY MERCEDES 600S SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND BECAUSE OF THIS I WAS REAR ENDED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I FOUND OUT LATER AT A MECHANICAL SHOP THAT THE ENGINE WENT INTO SOMETHING CALLED "LIMPMODE" AND THIS CAUSED THE SUDDEN DECELERATION. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT THIS ACTION WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT CIRCUIT IN ONE OF THE BARED WIRES OF THE ENGINE BODY HARNESS. UPON OBSERVATION THE WHOLE BODY WIRE HARNESS OF MANY WIRES EXHI… | 466.7%ODI 10232347 · 115,000 miVEHICLE IS A 1993 MERCEDES BENZ 600SEL. THE ASR (ACCELERATION SLIP CONTROL) WARNING LIGHT APPEARS AFTER THE ENGINE HAS STARTED (USUALLY LESS THAN 10 MINUTES). THE ENGINE SUFFERS LOSS OF POWER AND VEHICLE BECOMES UNDRIVABLE. MERCEDES MECHANIC STATES THE ENGINE HARNESS BODY MOUNTED (PART NO 1405404805) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE WIRING IN THE HARNESS HAS APPARENTLY DEGRATED TO THE POINT WHERE SHORTING IS OCCURRING IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT(S).MERCEDES WANTS $3600 FOR THE PART ANT $650 FOR LABOR. THIS IS A PART THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE REPLACED… | 337.5%ODI 10243123 · 110,000 miI BOUGHT A CAR ON EBAY, THE OWNER DECLARED THE CAR WAS FINE AND I PROCEEDED WITH THE SALE. I DROVE UP TO PA. TO PICK THE CAR UP AND THE GENTLEMAN SAID THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS SOON AS HE STARTED IT THAT MORNING. WE THEN WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS A O2 SENSOR, AND QUOTED ME $200,00 INSTALLED. I DECLINED AND BROUGHT THE CAR HOME TO HAVE MY OWN PEOPLE WORK ON THE CAR. WHEN I WENT TO THE REPAIR SHOP THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING HARNESS WAS SHOT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. $2,000.00. I TOLD THE SELLER AND HE SAID TOO BAD FOR YO… | 342.9%ODI 10109530THE ASR LIGHT WAS ON . VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN AND ABRUPT LOSS OF POWER WHILE BEING OPERATED ON THE FREEWAY. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FAILED AND SHORTED OR DAMAGED OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONETS. *JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 10040317WHILE DRIVING, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO WARNING. *AK THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD SUDDENLY DISENGAGE AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE WINDOW HAD BLOWN OUT DURING BAD WEATHER, THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL DID NOT FUNCTION MOST OF THE TIME, THE ABC WARNING HAD COME ON, THEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD GONE OUT, THE BRAKE-LINING HAD GONE THIN, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED EMPTY WHEN THE TANK WAS FILLED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD GONE OUT (AGAIN), THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR WASH WHEN WATER GUSHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WITH THE W… |
| Electrical System:Wiring | 562.5%ODI 10159751INTENSE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DETERIORATING WIRING HARNESS IN MY 1992 600 SEL MERCEDES. THE WIRES ARE CRACKED IN NUMEROUS PLACES RESULTING IN INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTIONING OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS. *JB | 116.7%ODI 10152808 · 79,452 mi1993 MERCEDES BENZ 600 SL - ENGINE MAIN WIRING HARNESS HAS DISINTEGRATED. THIS CAR HAS UNDER 80,000 MILES ON IT. *JB | 225.0%ODI 10188056 · 56,000 miI PURCHASED A 1994 SL600 ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO WHICH HAD ONLY 56,000 MI ON IT. IT WAS SOLD TO ME AS A LIKE NEW AUTO. WELL, IT IS FAR FROM LIKE NEW BUT THE PROBLEM I WILL MENTION TO YOU IS THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH HAS VIRTUALLY DISINTEGRATED AND HAS TO BE REPLACED AT AN EXORBITANT PRICE. THE DISINTEGRATING WIRING HARNESS HAS CAUSED ME ENORMOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR,NOT TO MENTION THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING A FIRE HAZARD. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES 91-96 MODELS AND I WANT TO ADD MY NAME TO THE LISTS OF COMPLAINTS. *JB… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 10414468 · 90,000 miTHE WIRING HARNESSES FOR THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CAR HAVE DISINTEGRATED DUE TO DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. THE INSULATION ON THE WIRES DETERIORATE PREMATURELY ALLOWING THE WIRES TO SHORT OUT AND AFFECT AND HARM MOST OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE CAR. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT, BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION OR TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY. THE ASR, & SRS SYSTEMS WERE DISABLED INTERMITTENTLY, THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE WOULD SURGE OCCASIONALLY. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED, BUT IT WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDI… | 228.6%ODI 10051193 · 102,000 miTHERE IS A DEFECT IN THE MERCEDES V12 ENGINE WHICH CASES THE CYLINDERS TO OVERHEAT AND BECOME SCRACHED, USUALLY AROUND 100,000 WITH NO WARNING OR OVERHEATING INDICATIONS. MERCEDES KNOWS THE ENGINE IS BAD BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOLEDGE AND/OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 10294096AT APPROXIMATELY 1:45AM ON JULY 4, 2009 WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 65 NEAR MARSHALL, ARKANSAS I WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION (IN THE INSURED VEHICLE A 2001 S600 MERCEDES-BENZ) WITH A COW THAT RAN ONTO TO THE HIGHWAY IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND STATE FARM. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR STATE FARM APPROVED AUTO REPAIR SHOPS IN THE AREA, STEVE'S BODY SHOP, WHICH IS NOT A CERTIFIED MERCEDES REPAIR FACILITY. DUE TO STATE FARM'S REQUIREMENT THAT I LEAVE THE CAR AT STEVE'S BODY SHOP, A NON-MERCE… |
| Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood | 112.5%ODI 10153736 · 100,000 miRECENTLY I FOUND OUT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS ON MY 1991 600 SE IS DETERIORATING, ON SOME PLACES YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE BARE WIRES. THIS CAR IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF OTHER REPAIRS, AND BEFORE WE CAN DO ANYTHING ELSE WE MUST REPLACE EVERY SINGLE HARNESS IN THE ENGINE BAY. WE ARE NOT A VERY RICH FAMILY AND CAN NOT AFFORD THAT. I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR ALMOST EVERY DAY AND AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF IT. WHY DOESN'T MERCEDES DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? THAT IS BEYOND ME. *JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 10179001VEHICLE HAS HAD VARIOUS ANOMALIES OCCURRING OVER SEVERAL MONTHS INVOLVING ENGINE SPUTTERING AND ABUNDANT SMOKE FROM ENGINE. NUMEROUS SERVICE ATTEMPTS DID NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM AS ALL CLUES WERE INTERMITTENT. WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH FOR "CHECK ENGINE" "SRS" "ASR" AND OTHERS WOULD APPEAR CERTAIN TIMES UPON IGNITION, WHILE OTHERS APPEAR NEXT TIME. FINALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY START BUT NOT MAINTAIN IDLE INDEPENDENT OF APPLYING ACCELERATOR, AND THEN ONLY TRAVEL AT A MAX SPEED OF 20 MPH AT 3000 RPM. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT DETERIORATED ENGINE H… | 114.3%ODI 10197154 · 29,000 miI RECENTLY TOOK MY 1995 MERCEDES SL 600 TO A FACTORY AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND GOING OFF. AFTER DOING A COMPUTERIZED ANALYSIS, THEY TOLD ME MY MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS WERE BAD. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH AT A COST OF OVER $1200. WHEN THEY RECHECKED THE COMPUTER, IT THREW MANY CODES AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK , THEY FOUND OUT THAT MY ENGINE WIRING HARNESS WAS SO BADLY BURNT THAT THE WIRES WERE TOUCHING, THROWING OFF THE COMPUTER, MY TIMING, YOU NAME IT. I SAW FOR MYSELF HOW BADLY THE WIRES HAD BEEN BURNED , DUE TO … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 233.3%ODI 10482633 · 122,000 miI WAS DRIVING MY 1993 MERCEDES TO A GAS STATION IN MY TOWN BEFORE A PLANNED TRIP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES OF OPEN HIGHWAY. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. I SLOWED DOWN AND TURNED ONTO A SIDE STREET. SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE TRANSMISSION HUMP SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RAN TO FIND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHILE CALLING 911. POLICE ARRIVED AND KEPT ME AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH BURST INTO FLAMES. AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HOSED IT ALL DOWN THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND I WAS VERY SHA… | 112.5%ODI 10308743 · 49,000 miTHE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY DEVELOPED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SWITCHING FROM PARK TO REVERSE OR ANY OTHER GEAR. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED, IT ALMOST RAN OVER MY CHILD WHO WAS PLAYING NEARBY AND I WAS TRYING TO BACK UP THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE FOR A WASH. ONE MOMENT THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE, THE NEXT IT SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATES TO A HIGH RPM, EVEN BURNING TIRES IN THE PROCESS.AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR ("ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ACTUATOR" "THROTTLE BODY") WIRING HARNESS HAD MULTIPLE SHORT CIRCUITS A… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 112.5%ODI 10308743 · 49,000 miTHE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY DEVELOPED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SWITCHING FROM PARK TO REVERSE OR ANY OTHER GEAR. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED, IT ALMOST RAN OVER MY CHILD WHO WAS PLAYING NEARBY AND I WAS TRYING TO BACK UP THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE FOR A WASH. ONE MOMENT THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE, THE NEXT IT SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATES TO A HIGH RPM, EVEN BURNING TIRES IN THE PROCESS.AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR ("ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ACTUATOR" "THROTTLE BODY") WIRING HARNESS HAD MULTIPLE SHORT CIRCUITS A… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 8021082CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE ENGINE FAIL AND LOST POWER AND IT WAS HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 225.0%ODI 10308743 · 49,000 miTHE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY DEVELOPED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SWITCHING FROM PARK TO REVERSE OR ANY OTHER GEAR. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED, IT ALMOST RAN OVER MY CHILD WHO WAS PLAYING NEARBY AND I WAS TRYING TO BACK UP THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE FOR A WASH. ONE MOMENT THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE, THE NEXT IT SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATES TO A HIGH RPM, EVEN BURNING TIRES IN THE PROCESS.AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR ("ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ACTUATOR" "THROTTLE BODY") WIRING HARNESS HAD MULTIPLE SHORT CIRCUITS A… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Air Bags | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 540082FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAG WHILE STANDING STILL IN PARK LOT RESULTING IN DRIVER BEING KNOCKED OUT AND TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1997: 1 complaints · 2001: 3 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component |
|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.