2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 problems
The 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 has 281 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (32%) concerns fuel system. Next are brakes (28%) and electrical system (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 281 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 12 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 16 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 97,000 miles 203 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 | 21 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 6 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 23 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 36 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 30 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 26 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 21 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 11 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 5 |
| 200k+ miles | 5 |
What the data shows
Of the 203 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 97,000 miles. For fuel system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 105,000 miles (72 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 12 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 16 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Mercedes-Benz E320 with enough data (61 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
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.
The vehicle's air bags did not deploy properly upon impact. On aug 2004 the consumer was involved in an auto accident and the vehicle slid under the rear of a ford excursion. The consumers stomach hit the steering wheel branding her stomach with the mercedes emblem scalding her left arm. The consumer had to get assistance getting out of the seat belt. Reported problem with the SRS system in dec 2002. Airbag did not deploy.
The consumer was involved in a frontal collision, in which the speed was undetermined. The seat belt failed to hold the consumer. The consumer received head injuries and was transported to the local hospital.
Sending unit leaks gasoline into the cabin of the vehicle letting in intense fuel vapors as well as actual liquid fuel into the cabin. Furthermore the faulty sending unit causes a fuel leak from the gas tank to the exterior of the vehicle leaving puddles outside of the car while parked and continuing to leak while driving. Both of these pose an extreme danger of fire hazard, as well as a health risk from constantly inhaling gasoline fumes.
The car develops a very strong smell of gasoline after filling the gas tank. Other owners of mercedes e class vehicles have investigated where the smell is coming from and found that gasoline is pooling up under the rear seat on the fuel sender unit. When I went to my dealer, they told me that it in fact was the fuel sender unit that was causing the strong smell of gas inside my garage, and sometimes car.