AI Damage2003 Mercedes-Benz E Class: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E Class filed 45 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 45
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 36% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 9% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 16 complaints (36% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 9 complaints (20% of all).
- Fuel system: 6 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 5 complaints (11% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (9% 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
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 5.4 L · petrol · turbo · 8 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 45 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 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.
When I called the mercedes customer service 800 # and the mercedes dealer, both of them denied that there were any reports or recalls of brake failure. Therefore I was deemed to be at fault for the accident at that time.
The gas sign started to flash on my dash and the check engine light came on. Went to the dealership and they said there was a major leak in the purge system. They quoted me $3066.88. They should take responsibility and not pass it on to me.
This coincided with accuracy issues of the fuel gauge, where vehicle now runs out of gas when gauge indicates 1/4 tank. The strong smell of gas happens now repeatedly with every fill up, which seems to indicate some form of leakage at or near the top of the tank.
I slightly smelled fuel vapors when I purchased the car however I thought that it was just a possible after effect of me refueling the car. Over the course of two months the fumes became worse and worse and I stay with a migraine everyday.
The warning light of brakes failure came on at highway exit at 65mph and the brake paddle hit the floor with no brakes. Pulled over and took the car to the dealer in mid march and was told by the dealer that this is the sbc pump that failed which would have been covered by mercedes benz under service bulletin no.:…
Each time I fill up the gas tank to capacity, the fuel tank emits vapors. It seemed somewhat tolerable in the past, though this past week, it was enough to go through walls and up 2 stories. It's past tolerable and just downright unacceptable now. I know I'm not the only owner to have this problem.
Fuel leaking from vehicle near rear left tire. Found fuel around fuel sensor under rear passenger seat. Most evident after filling fuel tank. First discovered leak at 70k mileage and again on 128k.
The fuel gauge display doesn't read the proper level, the backup lights do not work, the signals and hazard lights do not operate, the wipers do not work. The features of auto adjusting the steering wheel tilt, the mirrors, and the seats are not working.
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 5,630 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E Class has 19 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 45, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
- E Class 19937 sources
- E Class 199438 sources
- E Class 199521 sources
- E Class 199616 sources
- E Class 199738 sources
- E Class 199824 sources
- E Class 199913 sources
- E Class 200034 sources
- E Class 200115 sources
- E Class 20028 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 2003 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, fuel system. Total complaints: 45. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (13%), warning lights, check engine (11%), fuel system, fuel smell (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.