Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
MB USA is not honoring Recall 2005110001 for 25 years per NHTSA Bulletin. The Mercedes Benz Representative said that the recall is closed for a 2003 car, but which should not be closed until 2028 for my car. The Mercedes Benz Representative agreed that she does see the car matches the 2003-2006 E class with chassis of A336226 falling between A0- and A7- for the recall. The Mercedes Benz Representative gave no explanation as to why the 25 year recall has closed prior to 2031. The faulty SBC has caused numerous problems. If the recall is not honored, I plan to file a lawsuit against Mercedes. A formal complaint is being filed with the NHTSA for MB USA's lack of adhering to the recall for the full 25 years.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-320. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the braking system became inoperable. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated after the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 2005110001. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the failure was due to the sensotronic brake control (SBC) braking system. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Brakes just when out on it and they have a recall but is good for just 10 they need to be respons for this problem making cars with no brakes is a deith wish I hope you guys do something about it is not safe at all
My wife and I were traveling northbound on texas hwy 281 just north on marble falls texas. I noticed a train coming and started to slow down and made the decision to stop for the train! Well at that time my brake dash warning came on and it was all red and my brakes failed. Their I was not able to stop going 75 miles per hour (legally) and I could not stop and it was way to late for the train to stop also so I floored it to get over the tracks then I finally came to a safe stop. I searched the internet for a fix and to my surprise Mercedes had known of this for many years and stopped all help with the issue when the car reached 10 years old. This car should be fixed by the company that knowingly put it on the road with an experimental new type of braking system then tells owners down the road to kiss their butt. And its now the owners problem. …
I was driving down a side road by a college in lowell ma and my dash board lite up and starting beeping. Said brake failure sort stopping distance, visit work shop asap. I tried to stop the car but it was very hard stopping it, I honked the horn because I was coming up on a school crossing( thank god) they all moved out of the way because I would have ran over them all. I got the car stopped and shut it off, police over saw the whole thing and pulled up behind me and I explained what happened, we went to go start the car up and all the light where off and the car seemed fine, there was no way I was taking that chance again so I called a tow truck and had it towed to my garage, mechanic just called me and said nothing was stored in the computer system and the brakes are working fine now. …
This vehicle is equipped with sensotronic brake control that has a service threshold. When this threshold is reached the brake system defaults to non power assisted hydraulic mode to the front wheels only. This occurs without any prior warning and results in increased stopping distance. I do believe that this issue is relayed in the Mercedes service bulletin s142.46-p-0012a which addresses this issue. Mercedes stopped installing this system in 2006.I purchased the vehicle in December of 2007 as a used vehicle with aprox. 40,000 miles. I have not been sent anything from mbenz notifying of this issue.vehicle put in shop 4-16-20015 at Mercedes. Diagnosis was faulty sbc pump system at a cost for repair $2400.00. …
Vehicle presented with red light indicating to take vehicle to workshop in red. Braking was extremely difficult, SRS system stalled the vehicle, emergency mode was activited,we were unable, at first to turn on the ignition switch. The vehicle operated as if it was paralyzed. We finally got the vehicle to run and turned vehicle into mb dealership. We were informed that the sbc unit was in need of replacement, we were beset with 1,800.00 repair. The vehicle is very dangerous to drive if you are not prepared for longer stopping distances, thankfully my husband was able to get the vehicle to the dealership. I found myself not strong enough to press on the brake pedal for adequate braking distance. Fuel: upon fueling vehicle, the fuel handle will stop and immense amounts of fuel will spurt out from fuel tank. There is also a smell of gas/fuel in the cabin after fill up. …
When I'm stoping the car, the breaks did not work as it should, and the stop distance increased by 50% !! On August 10th I was in the on the way between charlotte and nashville, in the mountains curves way down, I used the breaks, the car almost got out of control.... I felt like the front and rear breaks don't do any synchronization to stop the car, its making the car losing control on the curves..... I red on this issue on internet I found that Mercedes has used a new breaking system for this car and stop installing this system it in 2006! The reason why they stop using this because it 100% electronic breaks system, it called sbc (sensotronic brake control ) when this threshold is reached the brake system defaults to non power assisted hydraulic mode to the front wheels only. This occurs without any prior warning and results in increased stopping distance. …
I been driving Mercedes for passed 20 years but never experienced scary moment like this. Thursday 09/01/16 on my way home from work out of nowhere red brake warning light lid up my whole dash with big stop sign in the middle, flashing with ESP and ABS saying visit workshop and I lost 90% of braking power.luckily, it happened on open road with cars far ahead of me. Pulled aside and after few restarts warning went off and I made it safely home without towing service, keeping my left foot close to emergency brake pedal. Google search revealed to my surprise very common problem with Bosch sbc units installed in this model. Is this even possible for one of the top names in the world to limit their service cycle to 300,000 brake pedal applications? Are some of the top engineers involved out of their mind? Mercedes, is it safe to drive this car in highway speeds with two kids in it? …
I have a 2003 E320 Mercedes Benz with sbc brake system. The company has admitted having issues with the system and has extended the warranty to 25 years on the sbc pump. My car has on about 4 or 5 incidents gave me a red warning on my dash to stop the vehicle and see workshop. Each time this happens my braking ability is significantly reduced to the point of needing a lot of distance to stop. I have had the brake system flushed, that worked for a while. Around January of 2018 the dealer updated some kind of software package. January 2020 the brake issue happen again. I am being told that unless a certain default code is indicated they cannot replace the pump. …
Brake complaints in other E320 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320?
NHTSA has 77 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320, 36% of the model year's 214 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 106,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.