Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
We just purchased a 2006 Mercedes for our teenage sons and had a dealer look at it before we purchased it. They told us there were a couple of codes that were worth watching but that it wasn't anything significant right now. After the car started jerking and shaking while driving it, we brought it in to dealership where they told us it had a common code for Mercedes in this timeframe P0016. Repair estimate is nearly $5000 to replace timing chain and balance shaft, or a new engine which would be roughly the same. After researching on my own upon being told this code, I found all of the information about the class action lawsuit and settlement, which of course we are too late to be a part of. The dealer said there is a potential that the car could just seize up at some point, so I don't want my young sons to be out on the road when that happens. …
Certain Mercedes-Benz models 2005- 2007 M272 V6 and M273 V8's have faced or are facing issues regarding the balance sprocket in which drives the camshaft and crankshaft of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz had made a decision to make certain engine components out of soft metals, when such metals are not adequate in handling the stress of the engine. In particular, in many cases, the balance sprocket was made with inadequate materials and gradually deteriorated to the point in which it could not engage the timing chain and cause camshaft-crankshaft misalignment. I personally did not experience such failure yet but it is more of a concern as this is a common issue , the repair is quite substantial and the failure can damage the engine even more
The engine in these cars are defective and can cause serious harm due to a part that was put inside the motor made of plastic. There was a lawsuit but if you didn't get in on it you losses out for not knowing. I was recently at Mercedes dealership to fix recalls and they brushed me off. The car can catch fire and I'm already experiencing engine failure after only owning the car for a year. They don't care because it's an old car but it's still being sold to unsuspecting buyers. I'm not the only one there are thousands of us who are at risk driving these cars because Mercedes won't admit their off the showroom floor mistake.
Engine codes P0016 and P0017 reads cam shaft and crank shaft correlation it is everywhere on the internet and on the Mercedes Benz Forum.This is a know problem that Mercedes has ignored. its on all 2004 thru 2008 vehicles with the 3.5 engine. Calls for a balancer shaft replacement. This should definitely be a recall issue.The industry knows that is was poorly manufactured part. Your help with rectifying this issue would greatly help the and restore the reputation of Mercedes and restore faith in Mercedes Benz owners. My vehicle is a 2006 E350 4 Matic with only 113,634 miles
The crankshaft pulley is a two piece item. When excessive pressure is on it the pieces separate and disable the car. Upon replacing the belt or belt tensioner more pressure is exerted on the crankshaft pulley. Thus it fails and again disables the vehicle. When doing either of the replacement tasks Mercedes fails to check this or mention it to customers. Thus months later it fails and previous belt replacement of belt tensioner replacement has to be done again. This creates a dual expense without fixing the issue the first time. Expense is in the thousands.
Driving the vehicle on several occasions on Interstate 66 and the vehicle spontaneously went into limp mode. Now we find out it's a balance shaft issue and is a known problem from Mercedes in the M272 engines for our 2006 E350 4-matic. They evidently used balance shafts with materials that were too soft, resulting in premature wearing of the balance shafts with all of the M272 engines produced during this time having the problem. There was a previous class action lawsuit, which Mercedes settled, however, the consumers were not adequately notified and no recall was ever issued for the cars. Now we have 2nd or 3rd owners having these problems that didn't get a notice and have no idea there is a huge expensive and dangerous problem with their vehicle. On I-66 traffic moves at 70 mph (regular lanes) or 75 mph (express lanes). …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mercedes Benz E350. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, a warning message of 'restricting system manufacture' illuminated and 07:02 the vehicle lost all power. The contact lost control of the steering, and the brakes failed. As a result, the contact crashed into a wall at 8-10 MPH, but did not sustained injuries. The vehicle was restarted and was able to drive normal however, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The contact called an unknown dealer and informed them of the failure and was provided with the number to NHTSA. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,663.
I arrived home after driving 2 miles from work and when I stopped I saw smoke coming from the engine. I turned off the car and opened the hood. The smoke would almost stop and then become thick again, in cycles of about 1 minute. The smoke was coming from the cooling fan. After several cycles it burst into flames. Fortunately we were ready with a fire extinguisher and put the fire out right away. The fuse, which I believe should have popped and stopped the cycling of the fan, never did blow. I bought my car used but it only has 50,000 miles on it. All information in the carfax indicates it was maintained. I didn't take pictures of the fire.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Mercedes-Benz e350w. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags deployed. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The contact's vehicle was towed from the scene to Mercedes-Benz of ontario (3787 e guasti rd, ontario, ca 91761), but was not diagnosed. The contact's insurance company confirmed that the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.
I am reporting a very serious, disturbing, shocking and tragic accident on 9/12/2015 on randall road in elgin, il USA at 2:35 pm just after big timber road signal.my southbound 2006 Mercedes Benz E350 car was hit by the high speed out of control northbound 2014 Toyota corolla, which had crossed/swerved the center line and resulted in a head on collision/crash.....updated 10-27-15
Engine complaints in other E350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350?
NHTSA has 72 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350, 18% of the model year's 400 complaints. The component named most often is engine (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350, though it has 4 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 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 4 fires and 10 injuries and 1 death to engine & cooling 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.