Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The driver of the Mercedes was traveling east on interstate 80 in a rural area of california. The driver claims to have fallen asleep while driving the vehicle and allowed the vehicle to leave the south side of the freeway while traversing a left curve in the roadway. The vehicle launched off a slight downhill embankment south of the roadway and the vehicle traversed an undulated vegetative area prior to striking a large diameter tree with the front of the vehicle. The impact was right of the center of the front of the vehicle. The driver and front passenger were wearing their type-2 safety belts. After striking the tree, the vehicle overturned onto its left side and came to rest on its roof. The driver front and side-curtain airbags deployed as did the front passenger side-curtain airbag. The front passenger front airbag did not deploy. …
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320. While the contact was driving at a low rate of speed, another vehicle switched lanes into the path of the contact's vehicle. The contact swerved to the right and crashed into a curb to avoid the other vehicle. Some of the air bags deployed. Smoke appeared inside and outside the front passenger side of the vehicle. There were no injuries. The insurance company towed the vehicle to a facility. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320. When the vehicle was started, the front passenger air bag warning chime was audible. The contact stated that the warning chime continued until the seat belt was secured even though there was no passenger seated in the front passenger seat. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. Mercedes-Benz of florence (2199 david h mcleod blvd, florence, sc 29501, [phone]) stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed, but declined to do so. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
Car was elevated on a 2 post car lift and we were working on the underside of the body. 2 sharp blows were struck on a bolt head on the underside of the car with a hammer in an effort to loosen the bolt. After the second blow, the drivers side side airbags deployed. The car was stationary, the transmission was in neutral and the ignition key was turned to the accessory position.
SRS warning light on. Replaced seat control a 211 870 05 26. No help. Service technician could not find the problem. Service decided to replace entire seat frame at a cost in excess of $2,800 including parts and labor. SRS code was identified when the car was stationary and just started in enclosed parking space with door open.
Electrical problems out of service 18 days, SRS/airbag failures out of service 18 days, ac/defrost blower motor failures out of service 12 days, brakes out of service 9 days, transmission (idle surge/up shifting/stalling) out of service 10 days, front end/tires out of service 10 days. During the lemon law final repair attempt, the dealer wrote on work order that they had installed new brakes because they found "after market brakes" on car. The only place the car has ever been serviced was the dealership where we purchased it. We asked the service advisor and assistant service manager (first they said the brakes were thrown out and then they said the parts were shipped to mb) and wrote two certified letters to Mercedes Benz for the removed parts so we could track the serial numbers. We were ignored. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that the fuel gauge and the speedometer gauge displayed inaccurate readings on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 08V303000 (electrical system). The dealer did not recode the scn, but rather emptied the fuel tank and replaced the fuel and the fuel lever sensor. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was also not included in NHTSA action number: ea13003 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact reported the safety concern with the air bag sensor, which was not included in pe: 10017 (air bags and electrical system). The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer more than twice, but the failures persist. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
2005 Mercedes E320 steering column wiring failure ( 'clock spring" & steering wiring module & SRS air bag "failure). Partial repair corrected loss of turn signals, horn and speedometer at a cost to me ( owner of $749.). One day later SRS (air bag fail indicator) came on again. Back to dealer who said a wiring harness in the steering column is also bad & needs to be replaced at an additional fee of $516. But that they would do repair for $429. ??? Did not affect repair yet. Just noticed defect investigation?? What should I do ?? (failure light for SRS is still on etc.). Can I recover (past $749) and future? ($516 / $429) costs???
Dt: the contact stated the passenger's air bag sensor was not working properly. When an adult passenger was sitting in the seat the light illuminated, indicating the air bag was not functioning. When a child or a person under the weight guidelines sat in the passenger's seat the air bag would not be activated. The light came on/off randomly, making it difficult to determine if the air bag was functioning when necessary. The dealer attempted to correct the problem four times, and have been unsuccessful. The dealer planned to contact the manufacturer for assistance in determining the cause of the problem.
SRS light on - message on dash that SRS has malfunctioned. Took car to dealer on 2/20/06 and was told I could wait for car. As it turned out I did not get my car back until 6 pm on 2/22/06. Per dealer's repair invoice...check codes and evaluate. Check actual values and check dtb. Perform repairs, replace wiring to steering wheel control module. On 06/29/06 SRS light on again with malfunction message. Took to dealer and advised same problem as on 2/20/06. Car is at dealer awaiting repair and has been promised for today, 6/30/06.
NHTSA investigations
Driver Air Bag Circuit High Resistance
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the…
Airbag complaints in other E320 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320, 10% of the model year's 231 complaints. The component named most often is side/window (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320, though it has 3 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 1 fire and 7 injuries to air bags 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.