Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Car purchased and always serviced at fletcher johes, newport beach, ca..a total of 20 plus faults and 13 weeks in repair out of 12 month of ownership...had asked dealer to take the car back and replace it with an alternator. Dealer wants us to trade in and purchase a new car. After paying $50,000 for a quality name, this seems like a joke. 1. Foul amonia small from A/C when car is first started. Dealer changed ventilation filter but smell continues. 2. Radio button sticks. Dealer says mb does not want to fix this. Car is warranty for another four years. 3. Convinence settings for lights and mirror keep resetting. Dealer says they found no fault code but this problem remains. 4. When going up hill the transmission upshifts and the car goes to a crawl then stalls, when accelator is pressed, the transmission downshifts to 1st gear and the car leaps forward. …
Throttle control failure causing exactly a 20 second delay before the car would actually accelerate after pressing the accelerator. This caused me to be in nearly 3 accidents, because the car did not move when I was in the middle of an intersection and pulling out of a parking spot, cars were coming, but I could not move forward, until after the 20 second acceleration delay. When I turned the car into parkplace Mercedes, the invoice showed that they had to replace my ignition system as well as the throttle control system.
I reiterate ....this vehicle is a death trap! Mercedes Benz installed power seat controllers in this car that fail very frequently. This design flaw causes the unit to run power seat components constantly even when the car is parked, key removed and the car is locked. Within 2-11 hours, the activity of this fault seat controller unit drains the car battery! When you try to jump start the car as per Mercedes Benz owners manual instructions, the process causes the rear left sam (signal acquisition and actuator module driver side) to lose partial or full memory. This affects a whole host of systems including fuel delivery, tail & head lights. Items that are essential to operating a vehicle on the public roads safely! The other day, April 25th, 2014, the fuel delivery on my 2002 mb c32 amg failed suddenly while I was on the highway! …
Instrument cluster lighting faded to point of barely being able to see pixels in display.no temperature reading-no clock reading and speedometer is barely readable.manufacturer acknowledged fault on other Mercedes models but not the e-Class.don't drive car much at night because of barely readable display.
The stop lamp switch, which activates the stop lamps, ant-lock brakes, traction control mechanisms, on my 2001 Mercedes Benz e320 has needed to be replaced 4 times in the past 5 years. The part number that continually goes bad is 001-545-64-09. The most recent replacement was 09-12-09.
2001 Benz e320 wheel bearings failed. ***** the consumer noticed a scraping noise coming from the front passengers side of the vehicle. The noise became progressively worse until the vehicle became undrivable. The consumer also noticed that the vehicle was pulling to the right. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who indicated that the vehicle needed new bearings on both front wheels and a new left spindle, rotor and brake pads. The dealer has replaced the instrument cluster (3 times), fuel level sensor, oil level sensor, A/C control and regulators ( 3 times), steering lock and key, right headlight assembly, both catalytic converters and the right rear window regulator. All these repairs were covered under warranty.
My 2000 Mercedes e320 has inoperable displays for the gear, temperature, and time. I am very concerned about this because this is my wife's vehicle. With the display being defective, it is possible for an inexperienced driver to put the vehicle in the wrong gear because there is no visual verification at eye level, as is required on all cars. I have even been in the car with her and witnessed her putting the car in the wrong gear because she wasn't able to see the gear without looking down at the center console. Mercedes is aware of this design defect in the instrument cluster, but refuses to repair it without charging the customer. This defect hs been known for years and they even continued to install them after customers reported the defect to them by the hundreds. …
While driving the vehicle, a small amount of condensation dripped from a water bottle sitting in the center cup holder. Immediately, the widows went down startling me as to what was happening. The window became unresponsive and at this point was stuck in the down position. I was able to put the window up using the keyless remote. Later that day, the switch began to work the windows but the rear windows no longer work from the front switches nor does the left side mirror. Upon investigation, others have had this same issue proving a design flaw. The electronic circuitry positioned below the cup holder is not water proof and the slightest amount of water will short circuit the system. Others have had the entire transmission lock due to the water ingress. Mercedes Benz should provide repair under a recall and provide a repair that will water proof the circuits.
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system
Mercedes-Benz is recalling my 2006-2008 m-class, r-class, my 2005-2009 slk-class, my 2005-2008 c-class, my 2003-2004 and 2006-2008 clk-class, my 2003-2008 e-class, my 2004 and 2008 cl-class, my 2008 cls-class, my 2004 and 2007-2008 s-class, my 2003 g-class, and my 2003-2004, 2006 and 2009 sl-class vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will recode the scn free of charge. The recall began on August 30, 2008. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Electrical system › Wiring
The front passenger metal foot rest can, over time, abrade through the wiring harness under the foot rest causing the wiring harness to short circuit.
Remedy: Dealers will install additional wiring harness cable fastener ties and edge protective covering for sharp edges of the metal foot rest.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz E Class years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1995 (15), 2000 (11), 2003 (9) and 1996 (6) model years. Electrical complaints make up 71% of all complaints for the 1995.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz E Class electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 08V-303 (electrical system, Jul 7, 2008); 95V-031 (wiring, Feb 21, 1995). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz E Class electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles; 31% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the wiring › front underhood (10 mentions), followed by the instrument cluster/panel (6).
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.