1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class problems
NHTSA has received 43 complaints about the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class, and 47% of them involve suspension. After that come body & structure (14%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 43 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Suspension 47% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 90,000 miles 27 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 4 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 27 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 90,000 miles. For suspension specifically, the median reported mileage is about 94,000 miles (18 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 7 model years of the Mercedes-Benz E Class with enough data (10 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz e420. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH in lightly drizzled weather conditions. There was a loss of steering control. The driver experienced difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Suddenly, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to slow down. The vehicle crashed into a utility pole. The police was called to the scene. The driver sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was towed to the residence.
Consumer believes both front rotors were well below specs and failed at low mileage and before the computerized brake wear sensor went off. Nlm
While driving at 35 MPH down a small hill the front passenger spring mount (perch) on my 1997 e 300 diesel (w210) broke off causing the coil spring to fall off of the car. This was an unbelievably dangerous occurrance and luckily it did not happen when I was going 65 MPH. I have brought the car my autobody shop and we are still working on who will cover the cost of my repairs (insurance or mb)
My mb e300d's engine will cut off for no apparent reason. It started gradually just cutting off while sitting at an intersection or while slowing to a stop. Feeling it was anything from fuel to computer problems I took it to the shop on several occasions. They advised they could not find the problem and wanted to start replacing parts like relays. The problem came to a head while my wife was accelerating on an interstate ramp into traffic running 70MPH. The car cut off causing near catastrophic accidents.