AI Damage2006 Mercedes-Benz E 350: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E 350 filed 400 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 400
- involving a crash
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 36% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 144 complaints (36% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 78 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 54 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 50 complaints (13% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 37 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 400 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 | 144 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 78 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 54 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 50 | 4 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 37 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 13 | 5 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, a warning message of 'restricting system manufacture' illuminated and 07:02 the vehicle lost all power. The contact lost control of the steering, and the brakes failed. As a result, the contact crashed into a wall at 8-10 mph, but did not sustained injuries.
While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. The air bags deployed. There were no injuries. A police report was filed.
My 2006 mercedes benz 350 e series had gotten in a accident due to the car stalling out. I have a code reader and will provide the necessary pictures I took the day prior of the accident.
My mercedes benz e350 2006 failed to start intermittently due to fuel pump failure. My car was hit by an uninsured motorist, since then, my car became unreliable to start, my car falls into a metal type of fuel tank.
The brakes did not work. I hit a tractor trailer and a utility pole.. The car was totaled and I had injuries to my hands and neck. The car was going at high speed downhill and did not stop until the front tires collapsed after hitting utility pole.
Tl contact owns a 2006 mercedes benz e350. While driving at approximately 30 mph, the driver applied the brakes and the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. The vehicle was totaled. The contact suffered injuries and a police report was filed.
My seat belt was stuck. My car's front hood was puckered up and back bumper was pushed almost 90 degree. But my driver's airbag was not deployed. Airbags of the car hit my back was deployed.
After the impact the ignition was turned off however the engine was racing and the front wheels were still spinning and smoking. The seatbelts were worn at the time of impact, but removed to exit the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and the contact was sent to the hospital.
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 970 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E 350 has 96 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 400, above 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.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
- E 350 20037 sources
- E 350 200410 sources
- E 350 200515 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 2006 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, fuel system, service brakes. Total complaints: 400. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (32%), warning lights, check engine (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.