AI Damage2006 Mercedes-Benz E320: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E320 filed 41 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 41
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 41% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 12% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 10% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- 8 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 17 complaints (41% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 6 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 5 complaints (12% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (10% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 4 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 41 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 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 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.
My air bags did not deploy . I was traveling at a speed over 30 miles an hour but less than 45 mph and the impact was dead on, no glancing blow. The accident happened on a state highway about 10 p.m.
My seat belt held me but I did receive whip-lash. The insurance company has totaled my car. The consumer received a letter from mercedes benz stating the impact damage was below air bag deployment thresholds and the examination of the vehicle, revealed no defect in the braking system. Updated ivoq 01/06/12.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mercedes-benz e320. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
The seatbelt around my waist and shoulder tightened. Fortunately, I kept it together and drove directly to the dealership. I had not hit anything, run over a pothole, swerved or otherwise make any sudden direction change. I was immediately called by an operator on the mercedes emergency system within the car.
Persistent smell of diesel in cabin after filling tank. Leak isolated to right side (passenger side) fuel sender cap under rear seats. Same as gasoline versions, this really happens in the cdi or diesel versions as well. The warranty extension/recall should apply to these cars as well!
Fuel is leaking out of my e320 cdi, there is also an intense fuel smell, it appears to be the same exact issue that the nhtsa previously ordered mercedes to replace the fuel tanks on all 2003-2009 e-class mercedes, but mercedes says it only applies to gasoline engines.
The insulation covering the electrical wiring that powers the low beam headlights on both passenger and driver sides has failed and crumbled away exposing the bare copper wire. This circuit powers two halogen 55 watt bulbs (110 watts total or ~10 amps) at 12 volts.
Wires are in close proximity to each other and if they touch there is the possibility of loss of lighting or electrical fire. Should this occur, while driving on a dark road, it likecould result in catastrophic crash. This is commonly discussed by owners in the mercedes-benz forums.
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 5,891 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E320 has 73 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 41, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, air bags, fuel system. Total complaints: 41. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), fuel system, fuel smell (10%), seat belts (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz E320?
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 2006 Mercedes-Benz E320 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 2006 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.