AI Damage2000 Mercedes-Benz 320: common problems
Owners of the 2000 Mercedes-Benz 320 filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 29% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 24% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 18% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 12% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 4 complaints (24% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (18% of all).
- Visibility: 2 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Upon impact the air bags failed to deploy. Consumer contacted the manufacturer, who sent out a team of technicians to investigate the crash, and they concluded that the vehicle was not hit in the right spot. Thus, not allowing the air bags to deploy as designed.
After the vehicle was picked up from the window repair, it imploded again. The consumer requested a refund of purchase or a replacement. . The consumer was rear ended, however did not state in defects.
While driving along the main street suddenly the steering became extremely stiff and the vehicle would not turn. Pulled over and had car towed back to the house.
A week ago I was at a stop light & smoke filled the interior of the car. Within minutes my car was on fire. The interior was in flames & the henderson fire department had to put out the fire. My car was burned & couldn't be repaired. I don't know what to do now.
In november 2008 I heard a bang and my front end dropped, I pulled over and drove home slowly and then heard another bang as I pulled into drive way. The two front perches that hold the springs in place failed due to mfg defect. I did research on internet and has been happening to e320 since 1999.
My 2000 mercedez ml 320 ignition is starting but not fail to start the engine. A computer test conducted shows that the ml320 computer is defected. Prior to this problem, the same vehicle has a hose power steering which I had repaired not knowing that there was a recall on the hose power steering.
While driving at 30mph the contact stated that she has a vaccum leak in the brake line, which caused brake failure. There were no warning indicator lights present. The contact stated that she was now afraid to drive the vehicle due to the safety risk involved.
The car jerked to a sudden stop after water was spilled from the cup holder onto the shift console. I was luckily driving at a slow speed(less than 25 mph). The car suddenly jerked. I pulled over and couldn't shift the car out of gear.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,820 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 320 has 23 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 17, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2000 Mercedes-Benz 320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, air bags. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (18%), airbag warning light (12%), windows, sunroof (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz 320?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2000 Mercedes-Benz 320 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2000 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.