1.8

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
92,622 miles

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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.

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problem #57

Jan 122022

E500

  • miles
the car has smelled like gas from the minute i received it. the previous owner told me that mercedes had quoted 5 grand to fix it so i would only put half a tank in at a time. turns out there was a warranty on it but has since expired. why wasn't it fixed for free when the previous owner brought it" this is very dangerous and can cause an explosion. the warranty should have been fixed rather than quoted and seems very greedy to not disclose that information but instead giving a quote. i have lung and heart problems and this is a definite safety issue that needs to be corrected regardless of the age of the car also brought it to dealership scared and they told me too bad it's been too long. how is a gas leak an ok thing to dismiss?????" i have been trying to get this fixed for years and this is my 2nd attempt for a recall with no response at all

- Wallingford, CT, USA

problem #56

Apr 022021

E500

  • 141,111 miles
Vehicle has a recall on replacement of fuel tank. Mercedes Benz dealer did not want to honor the recall. When I fill car up with gas it leaks out of the tank and on the ground. Mercedes-Benz dealer said I missed the time for the recall. I went to the dealership before the recall ended in 2019 spoke with the service advisor at the mckinney Mercedes-Benz dealership and I informed him the car was not drivable due to the braking system failure call the spc hydraulic pump. Turns out that is also a recall that is widely known.at that time the car was not drivable and then the pandemic hit so there was no need to take it up there at the time due to covid. Mercedes Benz should honor this since this is a safety issue that could lead to a deadly situation if not addressed. They have been deceptive by marking this is an extended warranty issue and not a safety recall issue. They pretty much told me since I don't have my car worked on at the dealership, they don't want to help me in this situation. They mentioned had the car been serviced at the dealership and not at the independent shoo that I used I may have had a better chance at them covering the charges for this tank replacement.

- Van Alstyne, TX, USA

problem #55

Aug 222018

E500

  • 74,587 miles
Engine stopped while running the car. Had to have a local repair shop replace both sending units and seals/gaskets. I believe this is a recall already but I paid for it?

- Cumming, GA, USA

problem #54

Jan 132018

E500

  • 74,000 miles
Strong fuel smell in cabin

- Prospect, CT, USA

problem #53

Jan 042017

E500

  • 0 miles
This complaint relates to a prior government investigation and related extension of warranty. The government investigation determined leaks could occur from the gas tank pressure sensor, the outlet of the gas tank filling limiter valve and at the top of the fuel pump. Determined leaks could occur from the gas tank pressure sensor, the outlet of the gas tank filling limiter valve and at the top of the fuel pump. As a result, Benz extended its warranty to 15 years on gas tank components in 2003-2009 E-class vehicles and 2006-2011 cls-class vehicles. Consistent with the problem, my fuel pump failed last week; the car would not start. I had the car towed to oakland Mercedes for service under the warranty. Benz was notified and inspected the car last Wednesday. The dealer took possession on Friday. I have called the service dept many times to learn status of the car. Benz tells me the car still has not even been assigned a service advisor. They refuse to give me any information re the status of my car and when it will be repaired. This amounts to a refusal to fulfill their promises given upon the discovery of their faulty fuel tanks.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #52

Dec 232016

E500

  • 119,956 miles
Strong smell of gasoline

- Pleasant Hill, CA, USA

problem #51

Mar 152016

E500

  • 61,135 miles
There is a very strong smell of gasoline coming from the back seat. When I fill the gas tank the smell is so strong it fills the entire garage. When I removed the back seat I found a small puddle of gas. I first started noticing the smell in the middle of last month -(March 2016)- and continues to get worse each time I fill the gas tank.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #50

Nov 162015

E500

  • 127,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes Benz E500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the vehicle vibrated and a strong odor of fuel was noticed. In addition, the coolant warning light was illuminating after the coolant was refilled. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #49

Dec 042015

E500

  • 0 miles
When filling the car with gasoline to a full tank, there is a strong smell of fuel that is very strong the next day. I have read in forums that this is a common problem with this model and that mb knows about this but is not doing anything about it. Is there a class action law suit on this matter" I bought this vehicle used. Am I protected under emissions laws or not"

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #48

Nov 012014

E500

  • 132,000 miles
I purchased my car used at 132000 miles. This was a pre existing condition that dealer didn't mention anything about, because the next day I filled the tank as it was sold to me with less than 1/4 tank, now I know why, I got a very strong odor of gas that filled my garage and smelled inside the car as well. This happens every time I fill the tank. It also sets a check engine light. Dealership I purchased the car from (not a Mercedes Benz dealership) refuses any responsibility for the problem. Check engine light code is "evaporative emission leak detected (small leak)". also because of the issue my gas light will randomly start blinking and when I accelerate the center display beeps lights up red and said check fuel cap. Fuel cap is fine, I think it's related to the leak.

- Thornton, CO, USA

problem #47

Mar 062015

E500 8-cyl

  • 137,608 miles
I felled my car up with gas at lunch 12 noon and when I got off work at 5pm the gas fumes were so strong I could breathe in my car. I tuck it to South bay Mercedes Benz and was told that the gas tank has a leak and the gas had leaked in to the cabin behind the back set of my car and that the repairs would be covered by the warranty. It's been over 2 weeks and they have no eta on when my car will be fixed. I have a loner but I check online and found that there are a lot of people with this same problem.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #46

Mar 092015

E500

  • 191,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes Benz E500. The contact stated that there was a leak coming from the vehicle and a strong odor of fuel emitting into the vehicle when it was refueled. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would not start after making several attempts. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 191,000.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #45

Jan 052015

E500 8-cyl

  • 54,000 miles
Benz E500/55K miles. I have had two major safety issues with the car. One being fuel tank related and the second sbc pump failure while driving. On the first, too little too late, so many years after the incident and purchase of the car, Mercedes Benz has sent a letter covering the repair and parts for 15 years. I think that in itself is an offense and a crime. On the second issue, sbc pump Mercedes Benz refused to give me in detail the effect of failing sbc pump on other parts of the car or the effect of failed sbc pump. More importantly, service managers are telling customers that they are expecting all models equipped with sbc pump to come to the shop. Now that the 10 years is up in most cars and out of warranty.that is a scam when the dealer knows all these customers will come to the shop (because it cannot be fixed in any auto shop) thereby taking advantage of a safety issue. How do car manufacturers get away with things like this and how dealers get away with things like this. The right thing to do is extend the warranty on sbc pump to 15 years just like they did in fuel tank, that way dealer won't take advantage and customers have peace of mind and won't compromise on safety. Even that is a slap on the wrist compared to the offense and crime.

- Doral , FL, USA

problem #44

Oct 222014

E500

  • 69,500 miles
After filling the gas tank, I parked the car in my attached garage the next day the gas fumes were so strong inside my basement that I called my plumber, thinking I had a gas leak from the furnace. Then I went into my garage, and the gas smell was overwhelming. When I took the vehicle to Mercedes Benz, they did a diagnostic and determined the fuel sensor was bad, along with cracked inner tank module. I had to replace all the associated parts (cable harness, auxiliary pump, bracket, seal ring, etc. Parts: $710.13 and labor: $496.80 = $1206.93. This issue should be reviewed as a manufacturer defect. I've had many automobiles, and never did I have this headache. And I certainly would not expect this from this car. Mercedes Benz needs to own up to these defaults!!! additionally, my battery died at the same time - another parts: $284.05, labor: $207.

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #43

Oct 252014

E500 8-cyl

  • 73,836 miles
2004 Mercedes Benz E500 smells of gasoline both inside and around the vehicle after refueling to the full tank level. It has become necessary to leave the garage door open after fueling in order to ventilate the garage and keep fumes out of the house. The odor gradually decreases when the vehicle is driven 40-50 miles and the fuel level in the tank drops.

- Chesterfield, VA, USA

problem #42

Feb 142014

E500

  • 90,000 miles
Car makes an unusual, loud, humming noise from the rear of the car, upon starting and constantly, no matter the speed. On occasion, there is no noise, but more often than not, the humming is present. The noise emanates from the rear of the car, and can be heard on the interior and from the outside. Have brought the car into dealership 3X for the issue, and they claim they cannot duplicate the problem, and claim there is nothing wrong. It has been happening for the last 10K miles. Have also experienced the gas smell issue since 35K miles, and lost the brakes randomly; both issues described by others.

- Stamford, CT, USA

problem #41

Apr 152014

E500

  • 106,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes Benz E500. The contact smelled fuel inside and outside the vehicle while refueling the tank. The odor was present on numerous occasions. The dealer recommended that the fuel gasket and fuel pump be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

- Lititz , PA, USA

problem #40

Jul 232014

E500 8-cyl

  • 137,272 miles
I have a fuel leak on the left side of my fuel tank. The fumes are so strong that I cannot operate the vehicle due the amount of fuel that settles on top of the pump/ regulator access outlet. The stream is emitting from the area of leakage so quickly that it takes about a minute to puddle and drip to the ground. The danger of a metal object being picked up by a tire and caught up on a piece of metal under my vehicle, at that location, would create a spark that would surely cause a blazing fire to erupt. Also, there is the danger of a passerby tossing a cigarette out of his/ her window, being caught up by the wind and sucked underneath my car, causing a fire.

- Elgin, SC, USA

problem #39

Jun 132014

E500

  • 25,421 miles
You can not put gas into the vehicle it is like there is no vent holes or something because it took me 1hour and 20 minutes to put gas in the car because the pump kept cutting off like there was air in the tank. Maybe its a flap or filter problem, whatever it is it is so frustrating trying to put gas in this car.

- Junction City , KS, USA

problem #38

May 122014

E500

  • 91,691 miles
The contact owns 2004 Mercedes Benz E500. The contact stated that there were fuel fumes emitted inside of the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic testing was not performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,691.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

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