Mercedes-Benz E-Class Complaints

3,253 consumer complaints on file.

#11715242February 3, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The driver-side seat belt retractor on my 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 (W213) has failed to fully retract, leaving significant slack across the driver's chest and lap. An authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer has diagnosed the issue as a failed seat belt motor. This component is part of the vehicle's electronic PRE-SAFE system. Because the belt no longer retracts into its stowed position or maintains tension, the vehicle is in a state of non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 209 (Seat Belt Assemblies). Specifically, it fails to meet the retraction requirements necessary to ensure the webbing properly locates on the occupant's body. Furthermore, the failure of the motor disables the PRE-SAFE tensioning function, which is a critical safety system. Despite being a safety component and the vehicle being less than 10 years old, the manufacturer has refused to remedy this safety defect under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. A non-retracting seat belt is an unreasonable risk to safety as it increases the probability of injury or ejection during a crash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714883February 2, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake lines leaking because corrosion under frame from ABS module which is essential a safety aspect that should not be happening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714458January 30, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle through a car wash, water started leaking into the vehicle from around the sunroof frame. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V874000 (Visibility); however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714019January 28, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Reverse not Possible - Service Required" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact waited for approximately five to ten minutes, and the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic shift lever had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact picked up the vehicle from the dealer, and two days later, the same message was displayed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The message "Reverse not Possible - Service Required” was displayed. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the contact waited before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713777January 27, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel odor is very apparent (while idle) but difficult to identify location. Same models seem to have recalls for fuel injectors/rails but not this specific VIN. I believe the issue might be of similar recall. I will have the car diagnosed soon.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711970January 19, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, STRUCTURE:BODY
Car was found to have the rear subframe corrosion for issue. But also the brake lines were corroded very badly. They should be covered under the rear subframe extended warranty replacement. The rear brake lines are an frequent issue and almost always shows up when the subframe begins to rot. Also the pattern of the corrosion seems to be consistent across multiple incidents. Look at photos I uploaded and the Reddit post; identical. Look at this post from Reddit, almost identical corrosion on the rear brake lines as mine. Furthermore, it always is the rear brake lines, almost never the front. This is a manufacturer issue that needs to be looking into. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710469January 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350. The sale was a private sale. The contact's friend, a dealer, requested a Carfax report, which indicated that mileage was last reported at 200,000. In addition, the Carfax report indicated that the last reported repair service was performed in 2014 and the mileage then was 66,000. The contact stated that the advertisement reported the mileage at 88,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710180January 11, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The rear backup camera intermittently will open for a second, display the rear view (when in reverse), then immediately closes. This often happens after the trunk has been opened / closed, as when we go shopping and put items in the trunk. Sometimes it resets when you turn off the ignition and restart the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709449January 7, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
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)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708627January 4, 2026
ENGINE
I brought my car in for routine service and was told I needed a rear main seal. I had the car inspected when I purchased it appx 13k miles ago because I saw online there was a lot of people having this issue with their vehicles. It’s a known manufacturer defect. At that time there was no issue. Now at 40k miles it began to leak. This is round about the mileage most people have experienced this issue. A car with 40k miles shouldn’t have a defect like this that could cause the vehicles oil to leak out the seal and destroy the motor. I believe MBUSA should be replacing all of these seals on all of the affected vehicles. A consumer shouldnt be charged $6500 at 40k miles to repair a seal that is failing on so many vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708688January 4, 2026
POWER TRAIN
With the car only have about 15,000 miles the transmission has failed . I have seen there have been recalls of other models with similar complaints of transmission failure .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708086December 31, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My car displayed all of the issues listed below for the Electrical system recall. The fuel gague went "blank", other gagues acting irradical, the check engine light stay on, etc. My car make and model fall under this recall but have been excluded. I had to pay out of pocket $4678.50 to replace the entire fuel tank due to this and the Manufacture (Mercedes Benz) is refusing to reimburse me. (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP MAY NOT RECEIVE A CRASH SIGNAL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO DISCONNECT AND PREVENT FUTURE FUEL DELIVERY AS DESIGNED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707695December 30, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Dealer notes: Replace rear brake lines, found to be rusty recommend replacement with rear subframe replacement. This is a very well known issue and is not covered under recall from manufacturer. It will cost $3200 for brake line repair alone, not including the subframe. This is an extreme safety hazard and a common problem that has been acknowledged by the manufacturer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707570December 29, 2025
STEERING
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to steer in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure NHTSA Campaign: 16V899000(Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707258December 27, 2025
ENGINE
Engine keeps having a misfire that Mercedes put a TSB out for and once the misfire happen I cause the vehicle to go in a limp mode which causes the vehicle to loose power happened to me in the freeway. The car had 54K miles and Mercedes refused to repair the issue as the engine part failure isn’t common.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706318December 20, 2025
SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2008 MercedesE350 (W211) Driver’s seat heater, ~11:48am Location: Lidl Parking Lot, 2017 St. Joseph’s Dr., Bowie/Upper Marlboro, MD While I was sitting in the driver’s seat with my back fully against it, the seat heater burned through the leather on the left side of the seat. The cabin immediately filled with smoke. The burning stopped only after I turned off the seat‑heater button. I was inside the vehicle during the failure, and the situation created a direct fire hazard; the seat could have ignited, and I could have caught fire. I don’t know if the passenger seat heater is also affected, so passengers cannot safely use their seat warmer. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms pre failure. Evidence Available: Video/photo of the aftermath (burned seat left‑side damage), the vehicle and damaged seat are available for inspection. Smoke in video/photo. Has the Problem Been Reproduced or Confirmed?: I’ve not attempted to reproduce the problem for safety reasons, and it has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. However, publicly available information shows Mercedes previously settled a $54 million class action for the same seat‑heater defect in model years prior to 2008. My 2008 model was not included despite experiencing the same dangerous failure. Mercedes is aware this is a known issue.Has the Vehicle Been Inspected?: A dealership inspection at Mercedes‑Benz of Alexandria scheduled 12/23/23 at 11:00 a.m. Warning Lamps or Prior Symptoms: None. Safety Risk Summary: This defect created immediate danger to my safety. The heater burned through the seat while I was sitting in it, filling cabin with smoke and creating a risk of burn injury and the possibility that I could have caught fire. The defect may also endanger passengers if both seats are affected. Broader Concern: Prevent others from experiencing defect, causing serious injury/vehicle fire. Limits safe use of vehicle for self and passengers. Plus Mercedes is aware. Can’t upload video.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705557December 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Report of Unresolved Recall Issue Dear NHTSA Team, I am writing to report an issue concerning an open safety recall on my 2019 Mercedes-Benz E300. I have received official notification that there is an active recall on this vehicle. However, when I brought the car to the Mercedes-Benz dealership in Harlingen, Texas, the dealership refused to perform the recall repair and instead attempted to charge me for it. As this is a safety matter, I wanted to bring it to your attention so that you can take any necessary steps on your end. I appreciate your assistance in ensuring that all safety recalls are properly addressed. Thank you for your time and attention. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705480December 17, 2025
SUSPENSION, STEERING
The steering and suspension system appears to be malfunctioning. The vehicle consistently pulls to the right during normal driving and does not track straight when the steering wheel is held centered. This condition requires constant steering correction and affects vehicle stability and control. My safety and the safety of others are put at risk, particularly at highway speeds or during emergency maneuvers, where unintended lane deviation may occur. The issue is repeatable and occurs on straight, flat roads at both city and highway speeds. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership, including alignment checks, but the condition has not been corrected. No warning lights or dashboard messages were displayed prior to or during the occurrence of this issue. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705220December 15, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am filing a complaint regarding the loss of safety-related and remote vehicle features on my 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 400 due to discontinued cellular connectivity between Mercedes-Benz and T-Mobile, effective 12/31/2025. This vehicle is paid for, has low mileage, and is otherwise in excellent condition. However, Mercedes-Benz has notified owners that key features will stop working, including remote start and safety-related services accessed through the Mercedes-Me app. As a consumer, I pay a monthly subscription for these services. This is the second Mercedes-Benz vehicle I have owned where features were removed after purchase due to technology decisions made by the manufacturer and its partners. In addition, the app has been unreliable for a significant period of time, often failing to function properly even while the subscription was active. Rather than correcting the issue, the service is now being eliminated entirely. As a woman who travels, the loss of safety features is a serious concern. These systems were a factor in my decision to purchase this vehicle and brand. The removal of functionality reduces vehicle safety, usefulness, and value, leaving the consumer to absorb the loss or install third-party systems. I am not seeking reimbursement. I am seeking accountability. Vehicles should not lose safety or core functionality while still within their reasonable service life. Consumers should not bear the consequences of manufacturer technology decisions made years after purchase. I believe this issue impacts many owners and raises concerns about vehicle safety, consumer protection, and long-term support of installed systems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704778December 12, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
sunroof
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Mercedes-Benz E-Class