AI Damage2008 Mercedes-Benz E Class: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E Class filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about wheels and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Wheels 40% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 20% of all complaints
- Wheels: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (20% of all).
- Seats: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 5.5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 6.2 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 3 L · diesel · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- automatic, 7-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 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.
The car exudes a very strong smell of gasoline. The gasoline odor is so strong that I can no longer park the car in the garage of our house as the fumes are so overpowering they seep into the home living areas and cannot be tolerated (breathing).
I stopped my car and jumped out to see a small hole about the size of a nickel melting and a small orange flame burning. Luckily I had a bottle of water and poured it on the seat and then turned the seat heater off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mercedes e class with 18 inch rims. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph over a pothole, the tire immediately developed a blister on it. The dealer stated that three of the rims needed to be replaced since they were out of round.
Many mercedes benz customers experience premature tire failure. Mercedes says it is due to road conditions. It is a new problem with new mercedes e series cars. A person wrote "have been in the tire & wheel business for over 15 years and have seen this problem many times.
The vehicle was towed to the nearest dealer and they stated that the transmission failed. The repair details or cost were unknown. The manufacturer stated that they would conduct an investigation. The current and failure mileages were approximately 38,000.
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 14,282 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E Class has 19 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.
What to check before buying
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
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 200415 sources
- E Class 20059 sources
- E Class 200610 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: wheels, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (40%), smoke, burning smell, fire (40%), fuel system, fuel smell (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 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 2008 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 2008 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.