AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz E 350: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 350 filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 70% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 7 complaints (70% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 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.
Received the car from my dad as a gift stong smell of gas coming from inside only reliable transportation for our newborn baby now dont know what to do... Looked all over the internet and for recalls and seen a few.. But then I see alot of people saying nothing happens...
I inherited this vehicle from my father and when I fuel up the smell of gas is overpowering. I changed hoses and gaskets in 2018 and was ok until 3 months ago. Now it always smells like gas to the point of light-headed and vomiting.
Tl* the contact owns 2004 mercedes benz e350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle started pulling to the left. The contact stated that the failure occurred during dry or inclement weather. The contact was concerned for her safety.
2004 mercedes e320 has a strong gas smell. Took vehicle to dealer and found out that "1/3 the fuel tank has a cover on top of it-sandwiched between the top of the tank and the floor of the vehicle the tank is leaking where the cover meets the 2/3 tank when you pull the back seat out you can see the tank top-fuel is…
Both fuel sending units were leaking oil, the rear seat cushion and insulation were soaked in fuel, and the spark plugs needed to be replaced.
Vehicle exhibited strong odor of gas within passenger compartment. Left gas tank port and fuel sender unit found to be leaky through cracks in plastic. Leak stopped via repair. Vehicle still exhibits strong odor of gas outside car especially after a fillup (without "topping off").
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 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E 350 has 96 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- E 350 20037 sources
- E 350 200515 sources
- E 350 2006400 sources
- E 350 2007350 sources
- E 350 2008173 sources
- E 350 200964 sources
- E 350 2010184 sources
- E 350 2011223 sources
- E 350 2012217 sources
- E 350 2013164 sources
- E 350 2014278 sources
- E 350 201531 sources
- E 350 2016135 sources
- E 350 2017104 sources
- E 350 2020225 sources
- E 350 2021226 sources
- E 350 2022161 sources
- E 350 2023148 sources
- E 350 2024168 sources
- E 350 2025175 sources
- E 350 202683 sources
- E 350 20277 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, fuel system, electrical system. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (50%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%), oil leak or consumption (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
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 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 350 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 2004 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.