Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. In addition, the engine began to sputter while idling. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the fuel tank sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; and the mechanic discovered that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while refueling, the contact smelled an abnormal fuel odor. The contact stated that the odor was present whether the vehicle was turned off or running. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Very strong gas smell both inside and outside of the car with check engine light on. This happened in May of 2022. Could not park the car inside the garage. Contacted MBUSA, they said there is an extended warranty for this vehicle for this problem, advised me to take it to Mercedes dealer. I took the car to the dealer. They checked it out and said it is not covered under the extended warranty because it has passed the mileage ceiling for PZEV which I do not know what PZEV is. I checked The NHTSA website, it says 15 years unlimited miles. I had no other choice but to fix the car at the dealer and pay for the cost. A few months later MBUSA sent me a letter telling me although it has passed the mileage I might be eligible for a refund and wanted me to file a claim at the dealership. I did and after over two months the dealer again told me it is not covered. …
My car displayed all of the issues listed below for the Electrical system recall. The fuel gague went "blank", other gagues acting irradical, the check engine light stay on, etc. My car make and model fall under this recall but have been excluded. I had to pay out of pocket $4678.50 to replace the entire fuel tank due to this and the Manufacture (Mercedes Benz) is refusing to reimburse me. (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP MAY NOT RECEIVE A CRASH SIGNAL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO DISCONNECT AND PREVENT FUTURE FUEL DELIVERY AS DESIGNED.
On [redacted] I was driving and the vehicles stalled in the middle of the street, I couldn't start it back. I managed to contact AAA and had the vehicle towed to my home because it around 6pm and auto repair shops were closed. Next morning I had AAA towed the vehicle to a local auto repair shop and they told me that fuel pump failed. It would have been very dangerous if we were driving on the freeway, not to mention I had my 85 year old mother in the passenger seat. Please help me as I am sure what I need to do now. It's a Mercedes-Benz model E350 2008. I can be reached at [redacted] my name is [redacted] . My car has 87,200 miles. Thank you in advance for all your helps.
My car has smelled like gas for the past few years. Also it has not past inspection for the past 2 years. Mercedes said it was due to a defective intake manifold. Paid to replace the intake manifold and Mercedes said 2 new codes appeared. Now the gas tank, fuel pumps, brackets and hoses need to be replaced at a cost of of over 3500. The fuel pumps were replaced in 2014. Not sure why I continue to have problems with fuel pumps and now gas tank. Was informed this year after replacing the intake manifold that there was an extended warranty that concluded December 2022. I think Mercedes should resolve this as other vehicles had this same safety issue.
This is a PZEV vehicle. When the car is filled over 3/4th of the way, the driver's side near the back tire starts to leak the fuel. There was no warning lights, just the smell and the leaks. It's obvious why this is a safety hazard. This was not inspected by anyone other than myself as it was quite obvious after removing the back seat and accessing the sending unit location. This started after I resolved a fuel pump issue (back in March, resolved this month) Mercedes refused to handle ($3k) and noticed on or around 9/24/24.
Smell Heavy gas smell inside of the vehicle but not in the engine bay. Stronger smell in the back seat. Afraid car my catch fire while driving. Having to drive with windows down so i don't get droggy.
I purchased the vehicle used in May of 2014 from a non-Mercedes dealer. Towards the end of December of 2014, I noticed a strong odor of gas in our garage every time I filled up the tank. The odor would dissipate after the gas level went down but the strong odor returned every time I filled up the tank. I did notice moisture on the garage floor but it would evaporate by the time I drove back into the garage so I didn't think much of it. The odor was so strong that I finally took the car to my independent Mercedes repair shop to have it checked out. It turns out that there is a defective seal on the gas tank which requires the entire tank to be replaced to the tune of $2200 just for the gas tank-no labor included yet. Fortunately, I purchased an extended warranty but the company is sending out an inspector to my mechanic to verify that a new tank needs to be replaced in a 2008 Mercedes. …
Fuel has been pooling on the top of the fuel pump near sending, for months I would smell gas after filling up or even at about 3/4 of a tank. Assuming I had put in too much; inside fuel filler cover it warns not to top off tank. Something I didn't see until after the smell of fumes. Under mb's pzev warranty it states that if this is a part that could become defective and has given owners 15 years/150,000 whichever comes first to file a warranty claim and have it repaired or replaced at no cost to the owner. My vehicle has been out commission for almost 2 months because they simply believe that I have not maintain service of my vehicle, according to a comment made by one of their customer service representatives ( calls are recorded, debbie was the agent's name and call was made approximately around 10:15 am on Tuesday 2/19/2019. …
NHTSA investigations
Fuel Leakage From The Fuel Tank
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation on January 23, 2012 as PE12-001 based on 20 consumer reports in model year (MY) 2003-2006 E55 AMG vehicles.Based on new reports in other E-Class vehicles, ODI upgraded the investigation to Engineering Analysis (EA) 13-003 on March 15, 2013, and expanded the scope to all E-Class vehicles through MY 2008.The complainants alleged a strong odor of…
Fuel System complaints in other E350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350?
NHTSA has 86 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350, 50% of the model year's 173 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2008 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 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to fuel & propulsion system 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.