AI Damage2008 Mercedes-Benz E: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about vehicle speed control and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 7
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Vehicle speed control 29% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 14% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 14% of all complaints
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (29% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (14% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (14% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
Tl contact owns a 2008 mercedes benz e350. While decelerating to 50 mph, the contact's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle traveling approximately 70 mph. As a result, the front end of the contact's vehicle slid underneath the preceding vehicle. None of the air bags deployed.
Tl contact owns a 2008 mercedes benz e350. While pulling into a parking space with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a concrete wall. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the failure has not been diagnosed. The manufacturer advised the contact to speak with her insurance company.
When attempting to accelerate from 35 to 75 mph, the vehicle lost power as if it engaged into the neutral gear. After the failure, the contact noticed that the engine warning indicator was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to regain full power and drive to the dealer.
Repeated rear suspension air bag failures causing near loss of control of the vehicle.
I have a new 2008 e350 mercedes with continental contipro contact 265/35 r 18.97v tires. At 6000 I noticed a bulge on the sidewall. I was told I hit a bump in the road & it wasn't covered under warranty. Now at 7000 miles I noticed yesterday 2 more bulges on the sidewall of 2 additional tires.
When stopping my vehicle , you hear fuel sloshing in the fuel tank.
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 12,539 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E has 3 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 7, above average.
What to check before buying
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: vehicle speed control, air bags, fuel system. Total complaints: 7. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: loss of power / limp mode (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E?
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 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 2026-11-06.