AI Damage2008 Mercedes-Benz E 350: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E 350 filed 173 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 173
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 38% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 12% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 6% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 65 complaints (38% of all).
- Fuel system: 22 complaints (13% of all).
- Seats: 20 complaints (12% of all).
- Electrical system: 18 complaints (10% of all).
- Engine: 13 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 173 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 | 65 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 | 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 the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained whiplash and bruises on her right leg, and the front passenger had an ACL injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where unknown repairs were completed. The vehicle was repaired.
At low speed , coming out of a grocery store parking lot, car went into sudden unintended acceleration without any warning. Fully pressing on the brake failed to slow or stop the car.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the vehicle to crash into a concrete structure. During the crash the front end sustained severe damaged but the air bags did not deploy.
The air bags did not deploy. The police were called to the scene and a police report was filed. The driver and passenger were injured and were transported to the hospital via ambulance for medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard where it was awaiting inspection by the insurance company.
Car: mercedes benz e350 2008. On 3rd floor of parking car garage, within tight confined space, when pulling in car to park turning 90 degrees, car suddenly accelerated violently, powered over 9-inch barrier curb and rammed into concrete pillar.
2013 this car accelerated by itself while I was parking behind a car by a residential area by a street curb. Please refer to my odi # 10547151 for my previous reporting. The dealer has not been acknowledging any of my emails in this regard.
This car auto accelerated while I was parking in the middle of a residential street on sep 14, 2013. My car ended up hitting another parked car in front of me. My car damage is around $13,000. It is the 2nd time when it has auto accelerated within the past 6 months. The 1st.
Tl contact owns a 2008 mercedes benz e350. While driving 30 mph over a pothole the tire exploded. The tire was a continental contipro contact size 245/40r18.93v. The front passenger tire exploded and the right rear tire developed a blister and the rim was no longer aligned.
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 2,327 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E 350 has 96 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 173, 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.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
- E 350 20037 sources
- E 350 200410 sources
- E 350 200515 sources
- E 350 2006400 sources
- E 350 2007350 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 2008 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, fuel system, seats. Total complaints: 173. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (29%), smoke, burning smell, fire (14%), A/C or heater (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.