AI Damage2005 Mercedes-Benz E 350: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E 350 filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Seats 7% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (33% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
2005 mercedes 350 cdi - brake failure! In fact, car accelerated with pressing brake pedal down. Brake problems on this model have been subject of previous nhtsa recall advisory (please see http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2005/mercedes_benz/e_class/e320_cdi_sedan/616/recalls/).
It causes the seatbelt light and the warning beeps to occur. Its a safety hazard because its a distraction while driving and it would set off the airbags for that side of the vehicle if anything is to happen.
The steering wheel adjustment doesn't go up. It doesn't work stationary or in motion.
Eis module and key failed while on freeway, causing car to lose all gauges radio and ending with not being able to start vehicle on side of freeway. Now this is going to cost me 1300 dollars.. Car has been greatly taken care of and well maintained. No reason that this should happen.
My vehicle fills with the smell of gasoline so badly that it makes me physically ill. I have to drive it with all the windows open to try to tolerate the smell and even then, the overwhelming stench of gasoline is palatable enough to taste, cause headaches, and nausea.
Brake dash warning light comes on intermittently. I have had brakes checked, not a problem with pads or sensors. The brake dash indicator will illuminate for several days, then go out and not come on again for several days or weeks.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e350. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
While driving 50 mph, the brakes failed to operate when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle coasted until it came to a complete stop. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and an unknown warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to carlton motorcars inc.
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 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E 350 has 96 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 15, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
- E 350 20037 sources
- E 350 200410 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, fuel system, electrical system. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (20%), brake failure (13%), fuel system, fuel smell (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.