Mercedes BENZ E Class Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Mercedes BENZ E Class options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Mercedes BENZ E Class has 407 owner complaints and 0 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
- Make
- Mercedes BENZ
- Model
- E Class
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 407
- Safety recall campaigns
- 0
- Crash-related complaints
- 14
- Fire-related complaints
- 11
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Poor
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS has 407 NHTSA complaints and 0 recalls on record. 14 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 407 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 0 federal recall campaigns
- 14 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Oct 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
0 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
No NHTSA recalls were found in our database for this model. Always verify open recalls using your specific VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 407 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
407 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
AC Compressor failed on a 4 year car. These compressors shed metal pieces when they fail effecting other parts of the vehicle and creating potential for the whole car to shut down as others with this problem have experience. Also AC going out randomly in a region with heat waves causes unexpected safety and heat risk issues.
I own a 2022 Mercedes-Benz E350. The front glass roof panel located directly above the windshield developed a large crack while the vehicle was parked. The crack extends nearly the full length of the panel and includes areas where the glass has separated along the fracture. I am not aware of any collision, road debris, or object striking the vehicle before the damage was discovered. The damaged panel is available for inspection. I am concerned that if this type of failure were to occur while the vehicle is in motion, broken glass could fall into the passenger compartment or be shed onto the roadway, creating a potential safety hazard for the driver, passengers, and other motorists. The vehicle has been inspected by a Mercedes-Benz dealership, and the damage has been documented for repair. To my knowledge, there were no warning messages, alerts, or other symptoms before the crack appeared. The cause of the failure is unknown. I am aware of reports from other Mercedes-Benz owners describing similar cracking of roof glass panels. Based on those reports, I am concerned this may indicate a broader design or manufacturing issue and respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether this represents a pattern affecting similar vehicles.
When turning the steering to maximum wheel camber, the wheel rims roll over the sidewall of the OEM low-profile Pirelli tires, damaging the tires and causing bubbling in the sidewall. This happens at a negligible speed, such as exiting a parking space. This vehicle is 3+ years old with 15k miles. Low-profile tires appear to be incompatible with the steering design.
This vehicle on an ongoing basis is reporting false speed limits. It consistently abruptly drops the indicated speed limit from 70MPH on [XXX] northbound in Salt Lake City. the vehicle slows itself abruptly in traffic that is sometimes dense and traveling 70 to 80. An eventual rear end collision seems likely which could involve multiple vehicles. It intermittently presents the same risk in other locations with no as yet recognized associated variables such as the one location on [XXX]. Exact start and stop of the erroneous speed limit are not consistent. Sometimes brief and sometimes for a mile or more. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Major issue found with engine cylinder head in various models with 2.0 Liter Turbo charged engines (Engine code M260 or M264). Cylinder heads have premature wear at valve seats, causing engine misfires and unsafe driving conditions. (Sudden loss of power, even on freeways.) Mercedes-Benz had improved cylinder head design to mitigate this issue, thus proving that they knew it was their product quality that is causing these unsafe issues. Mercedes-Benz even put out a service bulletin to address these defective cylinder heads. This publication can be found under XENTRY, Topic Number LI01.30-P-072328, Version 8, published 9/26/2023. My contact at Mercedes Dealer informed me that they are seeing a drastic increase in this problem affecting roughly over 25% of the models with these engines. They are beginning to fail at around the same time as the warranty expires. There are numerous stories on the internet concerning this issue, examples can be found in the following links: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mercedesbenzowners/posts/10162557430080937/ https://www.mercedesgleforum.com/threads/cylinder-head-replacement-11-500.4399/ We contacted Mercedes-Benz US Headquarters, they do not believe it is their problem and throws petty money around in attempt to strong-arm owners to shut us down. All we request was for Mercedes-Benz to own up to their quality issues and handle the repairs at their expense. Please help me among all the other owners that this is affecting. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.
Twice within a year a "48 voltage battery malfunction" warning appeared on my dashboard. Then a red warning light appears and I had about 30 seconds to find a safe place to pull over as loss of power causes deceleration of the vehicle . The cause, according to the diagnostic test performed by 2 different Mercedes dealerships, is that a software update is needed. A know of no situation where the machine crashes first then you're told to update its software. I am concerned that this will unexpectedly happen again and possibly on a road where pulling over to a shoulder may not be possible in the little time given before power failure.
Read 14 more owner reports
An underbody splash shield (one of three, I believe), covering the transmission (the middle of the three) detached at highway speed and fell off the vehicle. This caused the leading edge of another shield to detach, which then, due to air flow, began dragging the highway. It was quite a noise; initially I thought it was a tire blow out. I quickly decelerated to try to move to an exit (it was urban highway with no shoulders), at lower speeds, the panel stopped dragging. There was no road debris involved in the event. The first panel simply detached (and was not recovered / recoverable due to the location) leading to the second. The initial mechanic replaced two bolts to secure the second panel. He said this is not uncommon on Mercedes Benz vehicles and seemingly knew exactly what was needed (I was expecting duct tape on a weekend morning). Later, after some discussion, the dealer (the car was under warranty; only 13,000 miles) replaced the missing panel as a "courtesy" but not under warranty (because they said I did not have the missing part).
On June 16, 2024, while driving my 2022 Mercedes E 350 with my two young children in the car, my sunroof suddenly and literally exploded. Fortunately, the sunroof screen was closed, which prevented us from sustaining any direct injuries. However, the entire sunroof shattered and is now gone. The explosion sounded like a gunshot, causing immediate and extreme distress. My body began shaking uncontrollably from the shock and fear of the incident. This unexpected event posed a severe safety hazard, and I am deeply concerned about the potential risks to other drivers with similar vehicles. **Vehicle Information:** - Make: Mercedes-Benz - Model: E 350 - Year: 2022 - Mileage: 87,000 miles **Incident Information:** - Date of Incident: June 16, 2024 - Description of Incident: Sunroof explosion while driving with children in the car. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter as it is a critical safety issue that could have resulted in serious injuries or worse.
Auto break suddenly activated during traffic with no obstruction ahead. Also Automatic Headlamp Mode Inoperative comes on and off
My vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of road. It showed gas tank empty though tank had half tank gas. i would have been hit by a vehicle behind me. Fortunately, there were no vehicles behind me. i filled the remaining half tank , then car started again. I believe that gas sensor was not working. I dropped the vehicle for service to the mercedes benz dealerwith full tank of gas. It was showing empty gas tank and i can drive zero miles. Dealer told me after 3 days that gas tank needs to be replaced. My concern is that , manufacturer might have made a defective gas sensor or gas tank. This may lead for deaths. It may need a recall , if you have received similar complaints. I contacted the dealer who sold the vehicle by email. I didn't get any response. I am unable to upload that file here. upload file in this link is not working.
there is a recall on my vehicle for over 4 months now. i keep going/contacting the local dealers about the issue and they keep telling me to come back in a month and every time they tell me there is no remedy yet and they dont know when exactly they will be able to fix it. and according to NHTSA this could increase the risk of crash or injury. please help me either get this fixed or make sure its safe for me to drive. thank you
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes Benz E450. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool showed no open recall.
The panoramic sunroof exploded while inside the car without warning. Contacted the dealership/service center on Friday 9/15/2023, was told they have not received a memo regarding the panoramic sunroofs in the 2022 E350, however; this is a know problem. I was told that this is not covered of my warranty because they assume something had to hit the glass, provided evidence via my security camera that not fell and hit the glass. Even after this happened the warning system did not even go off to indicate there was a problem.
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz E450. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2022 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact was able to turn off and restart the vehicle. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed a fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the following day she smelled a fuel odor coming from the vehicle and became aware of a puddle of fuel on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that she checked the fuel gauge and noticed that the fuel level was low. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to tow the vehicle back to the dealer. The contact stated that she received the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,403. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz E450. The contact stated that on three occasions the driver's side front seat independently adjusted when the vehicle was started. On another occasion, the vehicle started by independently. Additionally, the head-up projected display moved up the windshield instead of remaining in place. The contact stated that the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and there was unknown software that needed to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 400.
It started with a humming sound in the front right wheel well and then I was driving on the freeway and my steering wheeled jerk to the right and slammed me into the side of a semi truck vehicle is available to be looked at it almost killed me. And I contacted the dealer where I bought the car from and another dealership and they both refuse to look at my car. I believe the effective component could be either the assisted steering or lane keeping and or a bad wheel bearing at manufactured
It would seem to be the steering and related component’s including the computer. I have heard a low-pitched oscillating sound coming from the passenger front wheel well. well occasionally it would pull the car to the right, not all the time just randomly whenever traveling in the 40-70 mph range. The 2 dealerships I have taken the car to they say it’s my aftermarket exhaust, so they blow me off. the sound can be heard without accelerating and is not consistent as the droning of exhaust would be with consistent gas. This defect slammed me and my e53 into the side of a semi-truck about 4 days ago. I called the dealership I purchased it from and they told me to take the car elsewhere. so, it has not been inspected or looked at but it is available to be inspected upon request. the symptom would be the oscillating sound coming from from right wheel well.
I was driving the car on a road I drive daily with my son in a child seat in the back row. The car inexplicably slammed on the brakes at full force, stopping in time to avoid driving over the shadow of a tree. Approximately thirty minutes later, there was a loud popping / explosion sound from inside the engine compartment, the car lost all power, coasted along for approximately 100 feet, and then restarted while coasting. This is the second time in under a year that the car has experienced a major electrical system malfunction.
Backup Camera doesn't engage when putting the car in reverse. It's a completely blank screen.
Showing 20 of 407 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Mercedes BENZ E Class
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Mercedes BENZ E Class, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Mercedes BENZ E Class has 407 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Mercedes BENZ E Class has 0 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 14 of the Mercedes BENZ E Class's 407 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Mercedes BENZ E Class vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Mercedes BENZ E Class vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Mercedes BENZ E Class has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Mercedes BENZ E Class reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Mercedes BENZ E Class reliable?
Poor. The Mercedes BENZ E Class has 407 NHTSA owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Mercedes BENZ E Class years to avoid?
Check individual year pages for complaint breakdowns.
What are the most common Mercedes BENZ E Class problems?
Top reported issues: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (86 complaints); ENGINE (85 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (69 complaints).
Does the Mercedes BENZ E Class have recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are currently on record for the Mercedes BENZ E Class. Always verify with a VIN check as recalls can be added at any time.