Most common 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 problems
Share of the 140 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz E500 complaints by model year
Best E500 years: 2006, 2003. Years to avoid: 2004, 2005. Compare all years →
2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 recalls (3)
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V918-4126.pdf
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500:
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…
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…
What 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 76 →
The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500. The contact stated that fuel was leaking from the fuel tank. There was an abnormal odor of fuel inside the vehicle. The contact refueled the vehicle and there was an abnormal odor of fuel outside of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who stated there was no warranty coverage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Car smells like gas. Constantly a couple machanic. Did some repairs. But there's a small leak as well from a smoke test. Gas leaks in more than one area. Oil leaks everywhere. Evap leak didn't pass smog. Then went to a smog station and repair. Check engine light back on again. I saw Mercedes had an extended warranty to avoid recalling several safety complaints. I got the car from a guy who never looked into recalls or extended warranty for these complaints. Please help me to get refunded what I payed so far with repairs on gas leaks. Also to repair the whole gas system. It is dangerously ongoing. I never got notified by Mercedes nor did the previous owner.
Brakes all 38 →
Per incident was back glass detached from window and broke all over the road and on the back of my car while driving. 2: Sbcc pump goes in and out admittedly and type of a no brake issue at all hard as a rock will not move car only has 180,000 miles on it and it's been doing that since 140,000 miles Which did cause me to get in a minor accident on the right side of the car the passenger side where now I've had to replace a fender and still have problems because of it
I was traveling at about 60mph and started to slow to turn off the highway. Suddenly a red brake warning light came on and it took tremendous pressure to slow the car down and I overshot the turn. Then the car had no power. I was 36 miles from my home. I limped at 5-20 mph to a friends house and had the car towed to my home. There was absolutely no warning of any kind of brake problem. The car was driving just fine before this happened. I believe it could have been a much worse situation had I been in any kind of traffic.
Suspension
I was sold this car and because I did not know what the red "STOP CAR TOO LOW WARNING" meant when I was driving it home, I was not only scammed by the used car dealership with no recourse, but I also was tricked into driving this car while it was not supposed to be driven for safety, per the manual of the vehicle. I will include a picture of the safety message from the manual where it states, "HIGH PRIORITY MESSAGES APPEAR IN THE MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY IN RED COLOR". and the STOP CAR TOO LOW message states very specific safety instructions that a reasonable person could not know. I am filing this recall complaint because how the system operates. …
Rear end goes down when the car in parked. "stop" message (red) appears on dashboard. Do not drive car and take to mechanic immediately. When I start car after 15 to 20 min message goes away and car again comes to normal position. Its happening almost everyday from last few days. In forum I read it is common issue with e series of 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. My car only has 120K miles. Learned that there is leak in air springs and it is very expensive to repair. I had same issue 6 years back on front passenger side when I was driving. Front passenger side sat down completely and rim started hitting tire. I was driving on highway at 65K/hrs. I had to call Mercedes and they asked me not to drive and they towed the car to dealership. It took 2 days to get car fixed and cost me $2000.
2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 7-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 a good car?
Based on 140 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 E500 rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the E500 at the same age. It is one of the E500 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500?
The fuel & propulsion system — 76 complaints, 54% of all complaints for this model year, most often about storage › tank assembly. Next are the brakes (38) and suspension (10).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500, the most recent from November 19, 2024 (sun/moon roof assembly). 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 E500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004 and 2005. See the full Mercedes-Benz E500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 99,000 miles; 16% 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.