AI Damage1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 38
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 53% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 16% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 3% of all complaints
- Suspension: 20 complaints (53% of all).
- Structure: 6 complaints (16% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 3 complaints (8% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.2 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 3 L · diesel · 6 cylnamed in 4 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 38 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 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.
There was a loss of steering control. The driver experienced difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Suddenly, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the vehicle failed to slow down. The vehicle crashed into a utility pole. The police was called to the scene. The driver sustained minor injuries.
I took my car into get the suspension fixed and was told that the spring perch that attached the spring to the car has rusted through and is about to break. Luckily I found it before I had a bad accident. I am in the process of checking with mercedes to see if they will stand by a poor design issue and repair it.
I came to a stop sign,made a right and as I was driving heard a thump noise....then as I drove a squeaking noise and I pulled over,looked at the car ,around it and under it and didn't see anything. I drove it slowly abt a mile home. When I got home I opened the hood and didn't see anything.
While driving, heard a rattling sound from the front end of the car. Short while later, started to proceed from a stop and the front passenger side suspension coil spring came off the car and exited out the wheel well with a big bang and rolled down the street about 75 feet.
I have a 1997 e420 mercedes that my wife and our one month old baby drive daily. Well she told me she heard some strange noises coming from the wheel area of the front left tire. I told her that she better let us have it checked out before driving the car anymore.
My mb e300d's engine will cut off for no apparent reason. It started gradually just cutting off while sitting at an intersection or while slowing to a stop. Feeling it was anything from fuel to computer problems I took it to the shop on several occasions.
Socket deforms thermally causing rear brake light not to illuminate. Problem is on my 1997 mercedes e300 diesel vin# [xxx]. Exact same problem was recalled on 98-2004 slk-class but not on model. Recall # for slk is 2006-080005. Thanks.
Spring perches on the front suspension has rusted and are falling apart. This is a serious safety threat and if the perches break while driving, people can get killed. Local mercedes dealership is refusing to repair or even inspect the problem and is telling me there is nothing they can do.
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 6,094 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E Class has 19 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 38, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
- E Class 19937 sources
- E Class 199438 sources
- E Class 199521 sources
- E Class 199616 sources
- E Class 199824 sources
- E Class 199913 sources
- E Class 200034 sources
- E Class 200115 sources
- E Class 20028 sources
- E Class 200345 sources
- E Class 200415 sources
- E Class 20059 sources
- E Class 200610 sources
- E Class 20085 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, structure, service brakes. Total complaints: 38. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (16%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%), steering or power steering problems (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
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 1997 Mercedes-Benz E Class 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 1997 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.