What breaks most · 2019 to 2024 model years
Mercedes-Benz E 450 problems by year
Owners have filed 62 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz E 450 across model years 2019 to 2024. Three years stand out: 2019 for electrical system complaints, 2023 for engine complaints and 2022 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2020.
- Years to check closely: 2019, 2023, 2022
- Fewest complaints: 2020
- Complaints on file
- 622019 to 2024, all trims
- Worst year
- 201917 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12 fires · 3 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 8kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 46Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | 12 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 8 | 0 | 7 | Backup camera and sensors (3) | |
| 7 | 0 | 14 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 11 | 0 | 5 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 17 | 0 | 4 | Engine (6) | |
| 2 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2019 Mercedes-Benz E 450
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 29% |
5 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 24% |
4 | 1 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 24% |
4 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 24% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 18% |
3 | 1 | Shop all forward collision system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Backup camera and sensorsCameras and park sensors | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all backup camera and sensors parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 6% |
1 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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I parked the vehicle in a parking lot. I walked away and it immediately started smoking. Shortly after that, flames appeared coming from the hood. Shortly after that, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames.
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I had just left home and was about two blocks from my house when the engine stopped running and the word “malfunction†appeared on the display. It would not restart until I hit the off button and then I restarted it. Definite safety issue if I had been on the freeway or a busy street.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz E 450 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2019, 2023, 2022 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz E 450. The 2019 alone has 17 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz E 450 problem?
On the 2019 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 5 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz E 450 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz E 450 complaints that include mileage is about 8,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.