What breaks most · 2010 to 2017 model years
Mercedes-Benz E550 problems by year
Owners have filed 182 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz E550 across model years 2010 to 2017. Three years stand out: 2010 for air bags complaints, 2011 for air bags complaints and 2012 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2015, 2013 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2015, 2013, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 1822010 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 201067 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 42 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 30Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (29) | |
| 61 | 3 | 3 | Air bags (32) | |
| 17 | 1 | 4 | Air bags (8) | |
| 16 | 0 | 5 | Air bags (8) | |
| 16 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (9) | |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Air bags (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 5 | Communication (1) |
What fails on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 43% |
29 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 40% |
27 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
4 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 3% |
2 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
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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When vehicle is parked overnight the front suspension frequently drops low to the ground with error message "vehicle too low". Vehicle loses air suspension ability to drive in lowered position.
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The airmatic suspension on this vehicle has premature wear as do many others. The air shock components leak air causing the car to lower dangerously to the ground. It occurs stationary, while in motion, at various driving situations.
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I was backing the car when the steering became stiff and a message stating 'power steering malfunction see owners manual' appeared. I turned the car off and restarted an hour later and the same message appeared. Steering was very difficult. Thankfully, it didn't happen at a high speed or turning.
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 E550 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2011, 2012 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz E550. The 2010 alone has 67 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz E550 problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 29 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz E550 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz E550 complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 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.