AI Damage2011 Mercedes-Benz E 350: common problems
Owners of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E 350 filed 223 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 223
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 48% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 108 complaints (48% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 28 complaints (13% of all).
- Suspension: 17 complaints (8% of all).
- Structure: 15 complaints (7% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 14 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 223 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 108 | 6 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 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.
The contact stated that the driver's side air bag did not deploy. The contact was transported by ambulance to an emergency room. The contact stated that he had suffered chest injuries from striking the steering wheel, and the contact stated that he had upper back pain and arm pain.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The back of the driver seat failed due to my car being rear ended. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Unable to sit looking straight forward when driving.
This is the second incident of sudden acceleration problems but I managed to stop the car before hitting another car on our church parking lot.
The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact crashed into a deer and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer.
The air bag did not deploy. Upon my insisting, mercedes benz checked the car for sudden acceleration and brake failure. They told us that nothing was malfunctionin
Dealer notes: Replace rear brake lines, found to be rusty recommend replacement with rear subframe replacement. This is a very well known issue and is not covered under recall from manufacturer. It will cost $3200 for brake line repair alone, not including the subframe.
Subject: Safety Concern â Mercedes-Benz E350 4MATIC (2011) Subframe and Brake Line Rust Dear [Mercedes-Benz Customer Care / NHTSA], I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding my 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 4MATIC.
Brake lines have completely rusted through. Car had additional rust issues on the subframe which Mercedes admitted and replaced as part of an extended warranty . When that was repaired they never mentioned the brakes.
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 1,814 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E 350 has 97 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 223, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
- E 350 20037 sources
- E 350 200410 sources
- E 350 200515 sources
- E 350 2006400 sources
- E 350 2007351 sources
- E 350 2008174 sources
- E 350 200964 sources
- E 350 2010184 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 2025176 sources
- E 350 202683 sources
- E 350 20277 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, fuel/propulsion system, suspension. Total complaints: 223. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (14%), fuel system, fuel smell (4%), smoke, burning smell, fire (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 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 2011 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 2011 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 2026-11-06.