10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 3 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 77,871 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Total brake failure Had to cross the over to the other side of the road to turn around. Was almost hit by an oncoming big rig truck. I've looked it up and this is a common occurrence on these vehicles, ! They have a SBC unit that has caused numerous incidents exactly like mine. Someone could easily be killed because of this defect. I've read that they extended the warranty for 25 years. But I haven't been notified. They notified me about a recall of the sun roof but not this!!
- Eldorado , AR, USA
The vehicle will flood after being exposed to rain which has caused all sorts of electrical issues. I have read online where several others have filed lawsuits regarding E class Mercedes for similar issues. The car-??s interior will take on water and since there-??s several electrical components running along the floor board of the car they will become damaged and cause the car-??s computers and electrical system to go crazy. I picked up my car from having the oil changed at a local service shop a few days after it was repaired and I was driving back home after the service pick up and the car completely lost power. I got out of the car and opened the trunk in which I had to do so by using the key inside of the key fob. When I opened the trunk, I noticed that there was a little bit of water in the trunk which led me to open the back door and to my surprise there was standing water behind the driver seat. I checked the driver floor and it was soaked as well. I had the car towed back to the shop where I had the oil changed and the owner did not have the available equipment to test the car. I dried the car out over the next several days and drove to a local Mercedes dealership where they told me to do a full diagnostic on the car it would cost upwards of $19k. Are you kidding me" Now I know from reading others stories that this isn-??t an unknown issue. So, what do I do now-??file an insurance claim" I guess that would be the next step but they-??ll turn around and get the money right back out of me by raising my policy rates. This is terrible. My car is a 2004 E320 with just under 65k miles on it.
- Atlanta , GA, USA
On 12/16/2020 while driving the brakes on my vehicle failed. A red warning triangle appeared on the vehicle message board stating the cars braking ability was severely reduced and to stop driving immediately. I was able to drift to the side of the road without incident and had the vehicle towed to my mechanic. The mechanic could find no mechanical reason for the brake failure. The red warning light was gone and the brakes were functioning normally. Online research revealed an extended warranty/recall for the year, make and model of the car related to brake failure. Mercedes will replace the sensortronic brake control module (sbc) free provided the correct codes are evident when they diagnose the car.(safety recall #2005110001 I believe) my mechanic said that there are no codes showing for the brakes and the brakes are now functioning. My online research has shown that this can be an intermittent problem and the dealerships are reluctant or will not replace the sbc if there are no codes. After contacting Mercedes the car is being towed to the dealership as I type this. I am hopeful that Mercedes will do the correct thing and replace their admittedly flawed brake module but it isn't looking good as they said if the correct codes do not appear they will not replace. The insane idea that I am expected to continue to drive the vehicle until the brakes fail again in order to get them replaced is unacceptable. I'm in a no win situation.
- Landenberg, PA, USA
Sensor tonic brake system light in intermittently
- Campbell, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 320. The contact called on behalf of his wife. The contact stated while the vehicle was at stand still, the driver was unable to start the vehicle. A message on the instrument panel showed brake malfunction stop vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the battery was drained. The vehicle was jump started and driven to the residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who provided a diagnosis over the phone. The contact was informed that the sensotronic brake control (sbc) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 05V133000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
- Walnut Grove, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that a blue light illuminated, which meant that the brakes needed to be serviced. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the brakes were serviced. A few months later, while traveling 30 mph, the brakes failed without warning. The contact continuously pumped the brake pedal until the vehicle stopped. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a sbc hydraulic pump failure. The contact took the vehicle to Mercedes-Benz of beverly hills (9250 beverly blvd, beverly hills, ca 90210, (310) 659-2980) where the vehicle was ultimately diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to skyland automotive Mercedes-Benz (255 smokey park highway, asheville, nc 28806, (828)667-5213) to be repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 05V133000 (service brakes, hydraulic). After the repair, while driving 35 mph, the brake indicator illuminated and the brake pedal became stuck to the floorboard. The contact was able to coast the vehicle onto the road shoulder. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 144,015.
- Asheville, NC, USA
Sbc brake light came on car would not engage got it towed the repair cost $1600 to repair. I call mbz they said no help for me.
- Summerville, SC, USA
Oem brakes
- San Fernando, CA, USA
The sbc control unit failed. There was a red warning light on dash, that when I was in the road the brakes just about failed. When I shut off the car and tried to start again it would not let me move it from park position. Tried several times and was able to get it into neutral and drive to pull in position for the tow truck. In reading up on the web this is a known problem with the sbc control unit. I was fortunate to be close to home but this is a really dangerous problem. Mercedes put a limit on the unit to shut down without warning. They do not have any way to tell us owners when this will hit their limit. They should be forced to repair all of these sbc control units or at least find a way to tell us when it will happen. I also found out that they did know of the problem and extended the warranty for the sbc unit for ten years, but depending how often you used it determines the break down of the brake system.which meant if you had an older car you paid for something they force to break. There is an app $30 that can reset the amount of braking you have done and has been shown to fix the problem instead of a $2000 repair that Mercedes will charge you for a whole new sbc unit. Why don't the dealers have this app" why do we let the manufacturers get away with forcing parts to seemingly break so they can make more money"
- New Smyrna Beach, FL, USA
A warning signal appeared on by dash board citing brakes, take to shop. The Mercedes Benz service center put on front brakes pads and rotors. I was told toded to replace the sbc united because it was "timed out" and the brakes could fail.the cost of unit is $2418.32. This is life threatening.there should be a recall.
- Los Angele, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, it traveled to the floorboard. The brake and various other warning indicators flashed. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who stated that there was a manufacturer recall and that the sensotronic brake control system failed to function properly. The vehicle was not yet inspected and diagnosed by a dealer. The vehicle was excluded from NHTSA campaign number: 05V133000 (service brakes, hydraulic), although the failures were identical. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was waiting to determine if they would respond with a solution to prevent the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
- Coral Springs, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. While driving 35 mph, a red warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel regarding the brakes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS stabilizer failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
- Dallas, TN, USA
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 have sent a copy of the Mercedes service bulletin S142.46-P-0012A which addresses this issue. Mercedes stopped installing this system in 2006. At the very least, Mercedes should issue a mandatory recall to interrogate these vehicles with star das to determine how close to the service threshold the sbc unit is and replace them at the dealer's expense. This is a major safety issue that needs to be addressed.
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
I was driving down a paved road, went to make a left hand turn and my esp came on, vehicle shut off and almost ran me into another vehicle, which then caused me to run into the ditch. Now I'm finding out that there is a recall on the sbc unit, which is what's wrong with my car, but the recall is not showing up for my VIN number. I am very, very disappointed/frustrated by Mercedes. This is a very expensive part to replace. I should not have to pay out of pocket to fix my car, which is now sitting due to it not starting, especially if other same year vehicles were affected and theirs is covered under the recall. I think the entire situation is ridiculous! I will never own another Mercedes!!!
- Johns Island, SC, USA
Gas smell all the time, main computer keeps on and drains battery, brakes lights
- Spring Hill, FL, USA
I am an owner of a 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 that I have bought 3 years ago in November. When I purchased the vehicle I elected to also buy a 3 year 36K warranty. Over the past 3 year I have had no to very little trouble with the vehicle and have maintained a very positive and optimistic attitude towards the vehicle never having to utilize the warranty. Well until last week... I was driving the vehicle on the interstate when suddenly I lost all braking power out of nowhere. I was petrified and very scared for myself and everyone in the vehicle, only getting a "reduced braking power" notice on the dash after brake loss. Recollecting that if this occurred in heavier traffic we could have been seriously injured and or killed in an accident due to the reaction of the sbc unit that failed in the vehicle. Come to find out my vehicle had a recall for this specific failed unit and Mercedes Benz offered a 10 year 150K mile warranty to fix this issue in the vehicle. Unfortunately by the time that I had purchased the vehicle, had I know this was an issue, I would have only had a short period of time for the unit to fail before I could have taken advantage of this "warranty".. but I was unaware of this issue and honestly would have not purchased the vehicle if I would have known. I commuted with this vehicle 60 miles a day for the last year and even drove it to California over the summer as a family trip, with no negative thoughts or malfunctions. I cannot say that I can drive this vehicle in confidence any longer with the knowledge that I have now of the sbc braking units. My vehicle warranty is no longer valid because my vehicle exceeded mileage..this issue should be covered by Mercedes I should not be held liable for correcting this issue. This is a major saftey issue and is not being address appropriately.
- Kent, WA, USA
Takata recall. The brake light on dashboard came on few months ago. We had replaced brake pads etc, earlier and was told the sbc needed to be replaced. I went to 2 dealers in my area and they both stated it is not under warranty. I have read many comments about the faulty design from mbenz and do not understand why they do not want to replace it at their cost. Are they waiting for lawyers to sue for a fatal crash" I do not want to be the one dying nor anyone in my family. The car has only 106,331 miles. Can you help"
- West Palm Beach, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and traveled close to the floorboard. The contact stated that the brake pedal required excessive force to stop the vehicle. In addition, the "brake longer distance visit workshop" warning message appeared in red on the instrument panel. The contact was concerned that the failure could result in a fatal crash. The failure occurred every time the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the sbc hydraulic unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer offered to cover ten percent of the cost, but the offer was declined. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign numbers: 05V133000 (service brakes, hydraulic) and 04V296000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that a recall remedy could not be performed unless the vehicle received a service not related to a recall, which was why the manufacturer's recall remedy for the fuel tank was not performed. The contact felt that the failure occurred due to high mileage. The manufacturer stated that there was an extended warranty related to the failure that expired. The failure mileage was 197,000. The VIN was not available.
- Oceanside, CA, USA
- San Gabriel, CA, USA