What breaks most · 1994 to 2009 model years
Mercedes-Benz E320 problems by year
Owners have filed 1,075 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz E320 across model years 1994 to 2009. Three years stand out: 2005 for fuel system complaints, 2003 for fuel system complaints and 2004 for fuel system complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 2007 and 2002.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2003, 2004
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 2007, 2002
- Complaints on file
- 10751994 to 2009, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005213 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 6028 fires · 63 injuries · 4 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 98kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 21Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 95 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (88) | |
| 45 | 6 | 0 | Suspension (19) | |
| 61 | 4 | 0 | Suspension (31) | |
| 37 | 3 | 0 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 82 | 12 | 0 | Engine and cooling (18) | |
| 41 | 2 | 0 | Air bags (12) | |
| 35 | 6 | 0 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 22 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 192 | 7 | 2 | Fuel system (65) | |
| 177 | 6 | 2 | Fuel system (73) | |
| 213 | 9 | 3 | Fuel system (79) | |
| 38 | 2 | 4 | Brakes (13) | |
| 14 | 1 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (5) | |
| 5 | 0 | 3 | Steering (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (2) |
What fails on the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 37% |
79 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 19% |
41 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 16% |
34 | 3 | Shop brakes parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
| Air bags | 10% |
21 | 5 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 8% |
16 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
10 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
10 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 |
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.
-
Battery light came on so it was charged then reconnected, everything good, turn key to on position everything good, turn key to start and bang! Loud bang and white smoke everywhere, engine continued to smoke for several minutes after explosion, hole in front of engine
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Mercedes informed that they would not honor their warranty to cover their faulty fuel pumps. I have had several conversation with susan (executive referral manager) and she declined my request to pay for the invoice. My fuel pump failed and i had to have it replaced before the car had serious problems.
-
While parked, engine would die immediately after i started it. Mechanic discovered fuel seeping out of top of fuel sending unit in fuel tank.
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 30, 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 E320 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2003, 2004 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz E320. The 2005 alone has 213 complaints, led by fuel system.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz E320 problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system with 79 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz E320 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz E320 complaints that include mileage is about 98,000 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.