Fuel System complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was driving my car and the inside started to smell like gasoline, and after that I noticed it was leaking from outside, and when I started to investigate, it started to come from it looked like my fuel pump on the drivers side, fuel started to leak out the fuel pump or fuel tank and leaking to the outside to the rear left side of the car
Stepped into my 2006 E55 AMG in the morning to a strong fuel odor, drove the car a few miles, still smelled the fuel. When I came home I jumped on to the computer and searched on google about fuel oder inside w211 chassis cars. Found a lot of other owners have experienced same symptoms, confirmed by lifting up rear seats to find fuel puddle under the seat cushion behind the driver side. The cushion, sound deadening material and wires were all wet from fuel. Immediately took the car to Mercedes at foothill ranch in ca, and they stated there is a open recall and warranty extension. Hoping to get this fixed.
The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle and arriving to the residence; the contact became aware that after parking the vehicle in the garage, there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact saw fuel leaking from the fuel tank. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was part of an Extended Warranty program however, the Extended Warranty Program had expired. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Fuel pump housing failed allowing gas to leak, further degrading parts of the fuel system, ultimately causing the locking ring to fail and gas to leak under rear passenger seat. Fumes filled the cabin while my family and I including two young children were inside. Fortunately, this issue was discovered rather quick, if not the fuel could have leaked onto the hot exhaust under the tank and ignited. I recently found this issue is well known in the Mercedes-Benz W211 chassis. You have multiple complaints on file. Mercedes had in fact issued an extended warranty of the fuel system however, it has since expired. The car provided no warning messages prior to failure. The car has yet to be inspected by the dealer, mechanic, or insurance.
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E55. The contact stated that upon placing fuel into the gas tank, a strong gasoline odor began to emit from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact removed the rear seat and saw that fuel had leaked from the fuel pumps. The contact reached out to the manufacturer through the manufacturer's website and his request to repair the vehicle was denied. The contact wrote a letter to the manufacturer and the manufacturer denied the repair a second time. The contact stated that the same failure occurred back in 2008 and that the vehicle was repaired under a manufacturer's recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
When the vehicle is has a full tank of gas, there are heavy fumes of gasoline in the interior of the car. It appears to be the fuel pumps that are underneath the rear seats, leaking fuel on top, next to the the wiring. It is a hazard for fumes and possibly a fire
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz AMG E55. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside of the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the rear seats, the contact observed gasoline pooling underneath the rear seats. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to TSB: 2008-020001. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
While the vehicle was on the highway on a long road trip, there was an increasingly large rattle when the vehicle was under load. Eventually the rattle stopped. Then when I tried to fill up the car with gas, it leaked everywhere causing a massive fire hazard. While this was put under extended warranty for 15 years by Mercedes Benz, a 2003 model is out of warranty by 3 years. This is completely unacceptable as it left me stranded in rural montana on a road trip (I'm from wa) and posed a massive fire hazard in the blazing heat of summer. I had to tow it back on a uhaul to prevent further damage to the car or a potential fire. Even the mechanics at a near-ish (200 miles away from the montana highway I broke down on) were hesitant to even move the car due to fire hazard. This issue should have been recalled for safety reasons or been given a much longer extended warranty. …
NHTSA investigations
Fuel System (Tank/Sender) Leakage
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 20 consumer reports.All of the vehicles were E55 AMG models and the complainants alleged fuel leaks or a strong odor of gasoline both inside and outside of their vehicle, particularly after refueling.Some complainants alleged that the leaks may be related to a 2008 Mercedes Benz emission recall (Campaign No.
Fuel Leakage From The Fuel Tank
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation on January 23, 2012 as PE12-001 based on 20 consumer reports in model year (MY) 2003-2006 E55 AMG vehicles.Based on new reports in other E-Class vehicles, ODI upgraded the investigation to Engineering Analysis (EA) 13-003 on March 15, 2013, and expanded the scope to all E-Class vehicles through MY 2008.The complainants alleged a strong odor of…
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (130), 2004 (106), 2003 (63) and 2006 (32) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 98% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for any Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz AMG E55 fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 18% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › fuel pump (18 mentions), followed by the storage › tank assembly (8).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.