1996 Mercedes-Benz E320 problems
The 1996 Mercedes-Benz E320 has 62 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (32%) concerns suspension. Next are electrical system (21%) and engine (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 62 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Suspension 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 108,000 miles 36 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 | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 6 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 7 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 5 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 36 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 108,000 miles. For suspension specifically, the median reported mileage is about 90,000 miles (12 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1996 ranks 11th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Mercedes-Benz E320 with enough data (9 complaints in that window).
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.
I lost control of the car at the end of a freeway off ramp on a rainy day and went off the road into an embankment and after one spin bounced into a utility pole, hitting the car on the driver side. The driver side door was pushed into the steering wheel. The car is a total loss. None of the air bags front or side deployed, which in view of the nature and magnitude of the impact is unbelievable.
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 mercedes e 320. The contact was driving approximately 10 MPH, black smoke circulated throughout the air vents inside the vehicle. The contact shifted the gear into park and exited the vehicle. Immediately, the vehicle engulfed into flames and was completely destroyed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The manufacturer was notified and sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. The investigator stated "there was no product defect regarding the fire".
Tl* the contact owned a 1996 mercedes benz e320. While driving 65 MPH, the air bags failed to deploy after the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The driver sustained knee, back, neck, and chest injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,000.
While driving the front left coil spring failed. The coil spring failure caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle.
I have a 1996 e320 and the first thing to go was the condenser fan, when you turn the AC on its the fans that help keep your car cool, but then that went out and my car would run hot if I constantly ran AC. Then my AC blower just went out one day. Then I took it to a mercedes specialist and he noticed that the wiring harness was frail and worn. He called my car a time bomb and said it would be a matter of time before it died on me. But I thought that mercedes last a long time.