Most common 2011 Mercedes-Benz E problems
Share of the 10 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz E complaints by model year
Best E years: 2007, 2005. Compare all years →
2011 Mercedes-Benz E recalls (4)
Fuel system, diesel
Mercedes-Benz USA (mbusa) is recalling certain model year 2011 vehicles including e-class (212 platform), manufactured from July 2010 through February 2011, r-class (251 platform), manufactured from April 2010 through April 2011, ml-class (w164 platform), manufactured from January 2010 through March 2011, gl-class (x164…
Remedy: Mbusa will contact owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the diesel fuel filter if necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on November 30, 2011. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz USA at 1-800-367-6372.
Engine and engine cooling
Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2011 e-class model w212 and s212 vehicles manufactured from July 8, 2010, through July 12, 2010. Insufficient adhesive between the vibration damper and its inner mass damper ring could cause a sudden separation of the inner mass damper ring from the vibration damper.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace parts as necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on April 8, 2011. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Fuel system, other › Fuel filter
Mercedes Benz is recalling certain model year 2011 m-class, model w164, gl-class, model x164, e-class, model w212, r-class, and model v251vehicles. The o-ring May not have been properly lubricated in all cases. Lack of lubrication can lead to leakage of the fuel filter.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel filters free of charge. The safety recall began on November 24, 2010. Owners May contact Mercedes Benz at 1-800-367-6372. This campaign has been superseded .
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Pump
Mercedes Benz is recalling certain model year 2010 c-class, model 204, e-class, model 212, and model year 2010-2011 e-class coupe/cabriolet model 207 vehicles. The power steering system in the subject vehicles May fail due to the loss of power steering fluid.
Remedy: Dealers will check and retorque the connection fitting free of charge. The safety recall began on October 31, 2010. Owners May contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
What 2011 Mercedes-Benz E owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
2011 Mercedes Benz e class-this vehicle has an electronic shifter just behind steering wheel. It is difficult to tell if it goes into park or not. My wife had engine running, got out of car to check the trunk and thought she put the vehicle in park. It started to move and she was able to jump inside and hit the brake. Later that morning I pulled into a parking spot and thought I hit the park. I got out leaving the engine running with my wife in the passenger seat on the phone. When finished she shut the engine off and the car started to roll backwards. She couldn't reach over the console to hit the brake. She tried pushing the park button and nothing happened. The vehicle (72 hours old) stopped when it hit a car behind it in another parking space. Fortunately, nobody was behind the car or someone could have been killed. …
You put the car in park the digital display says "park" but it is not. You put the car in drive or reverse the digital display says drive or reverse and car does not move. In order to correct the problem you have to turn off the car and turn it back on then it will start to work properly again. I have taken photo's of the issue with the RPM up to 4K and the car MPH at zero and it says "drive" in the display. I provided the photo's Mercedes and the dealer and they keep saying they cant find anything wrong or duplicate the problem. The problem occurs once or twice a month. I spent some time trying to figure out how it gets in this mode and from what I determined is when the car is in drive if you move the lever to go in park you don't hear the transmission engage when it is not working properly but the digital display says "park". …
Wheels & tires
All four tires on 2011 Mercedes e550 have tread separation. Tread separation is occurring on the back side of the tire and is unknown until the tire begins to lose tire pressure. Tires are original equipment Michelin radial x tires. Failure between 38,000-40,000 miles.
5 months into my 2011 mb e350 bluetech lease the front left tire blows on a highway. The tires are runflat Bridgestone turanza el400-02 moextended 245/45r17 95h. Stopped the car and saw the rim made a cut in a sidewall. Not repairable, had it replaced. 45 days later another front tire is again blown on a highway the same way. Put on a spare and ordered replacement. 2 days later - third tire blows the same exact way. All incidents are on the roads I travel for 10 years and never had any issues with my previous cars. Complained to local dealer and was told it was caused by my "way of driving". Ridiculous! Tire repairman told me these run-flats are not flexible and have a very thin sidewall so it gets punctured by the rim. Since Mercedes did not want to replace the tires for free, how do I get compensated for what I paid replacing their tires?
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E a good car?
Based on 10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 E rates average: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the E at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E?
The transmission & drivetrain — 3 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the wheels & tires (3) and electrical system (2).
How many recalls does the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E, the most recent from October 3, 2011 (fuel system, diesel). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz E?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007 and 2005. See the full Mercedes-Benz E years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Mercedes-Benz E problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 0 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.