AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz E Class: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E Class filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 20% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 7% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (13% 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
- automatic, 7-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
Mercedes benz e320 2004 - vehicle lurched forward at high rate of speed without operator acceleration. Structural damage to home, great concern for the potential of injury if event occurs again. Vehicle sent to dealership ( mb bloomfield, mi ) for evaluation. Web search finds similar events with same model 2003.
Upon impact, both frontal airbags did not deploy. A signal flashed on the dashboard indicating air bags malfunctioned. No injuries reported. Consumer had the vehicle towed to a repair facility. Not only did the air nag fail to deploy but the dash indicator illuminated indicating a malfunction with the restraint system
There's strong gasoline odor from my vehicle whenever I refuel, particular after it's garaged. The smell seems to go away once I used up 1/3 or 1/2 tank. Recently the smell seems to be stronger. I can smell it even when it's not garaged.
My e 320 has gas smell in my garage after refueling since june/2012. The smell is getting even stronger for last a few months.
Had to replace the fuel pump now I have to replace the fuel tank. Can not fill my fuel tank if so the fuel smell fills my home because I park in the garage. Took it to my mechanic and was told to watch for flames it could cause serious problems. Please help with this issue.
He stated that there was fuel leaking onto my exhaust. Being that he didn't have the tools and whatnot to replace the sending unit, I had it towed to mercedes benz. I was not going to let my girlfriend drive the car to the dealership. No way, no how.
After refueling and filling the fuel tank, a strong odor of gasoline emits from the outside of the car and inside the car. After checking online, previous complaints of fuel level sending unit seal failure causing pooling of gasoline around the sending unit next to electrical connectors and directly under the left…
The srs, (supplemental restraint system) or "air bag" light illuminated, caused by the srscontrol unit experiencing an internal electrical fault. The fault displayed code 9120. Mercedes vehicles of this year and model are known to have air bag wiring harness issues.
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 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E Class has 19 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 15, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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 200345 sources
- E Class 20059 sources
- E Class 200610 sources
- E Class 20085 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, powertrain, air bags. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (20%), oil leak or consumption (13%), airbags did not deploy (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.