AI Damage2013 Mercedes-Benz E 350: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E 350 filed 164 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 164
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 11% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 47 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 32 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 18 complaints (11% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 15 complaints (9% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 13 complaints (8% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 164 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 | 47 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| Wheels | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 4 | 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.
My vehicle was pulling in the rear when braking. My mechanic informed me that it was a rotted undercarriage. When I [dealer] that there is a problem with many models of Mercedes with this. They told me there is a warranty to cover it. This is a very dangerous condition.
As I pull slowly into the parking space the car stalls and the engine begins revving very loud. I firmly press my right foot (foot was already on the brake as I was inching into the space) on the brake because the car is still making that revving sound. 7:02:15 a.m. The car is at a complete stop for some time.
The vehicle just caught on fire which looks like it started somewhere in the engine while being parked.
The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The driver was not injured in the crash; however, the contact was injured and was treated at a local hospital for injuries to the left side of her ribs. A police report was filed at the scene.
Accident in which vehicle will be totaled. No air bags deployed. Hit a pole on center divider. Mercedes roadside was on scene in minutes and towed my car. They said the system alerted them to the crash.
While parallel parking in front of a small restaurant in a large north texas city the vehicle quickly accelerated backwards at a high speed backwards, climbing over a sidewalk curb an then climbed over a nearly 3 foot high retaining wall. The rear end of the car rested on top of the retaining wall.
The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained minor injuries to the back and neck, but medical attention was not required. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed, but not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 45,700.
However, it turned out my vehicle had rolled backwards into another car. I had just pulled into the parking spot (which was on a slight incline) and was about to put it in park when this occurred. I accepted responsibility for the damage to my car and the other car involved and filed with my insurance.
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 2,447 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E 350 has 96 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 164, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- 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 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 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 2013 Mercedes-Benz E 350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, service brakes, structure. Total complaints: 164. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (23%), warning lights, check engine (10%), fuel system, fuel smell (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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.