AI Damage2005 Mercedes-Benz E500: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 filed 140 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 140
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 39% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 16% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 55 complaints (39% of all).
- Service brakes: 38 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 23 complaints (16% of all).
- Suspension: 10 complaints (7% of all).
- Engine: 8 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 140 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 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 38 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 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.
Per incident was back glass detached from window and broke all over the road and on the back of my car while driving. 2: Sbcc pump goes in and out admittedly and type of a no brake issue at all hard as a rock will not move car only has 180,000 miles on it and itâs been doing that since 140,000 miles Which did cause…
Airbag deployment/inflation impact injures passenger, causing lesion and burn. At a school op sign intersection, my vehical was hit on the driver side (t-bone), between the fender and the driver side door, all the side airbags on the left was deployed, the impact of the airbag deployment severely injured my 9 year old…
The vehicle accelerated on its own. When this happened it ran into a wall. The vehicle was then towed to the dealership and they stated the consumer's foot must have been on the accelerator, not the brake pedal. The vehicle ran normally prior to this problem. Nothing was replaced for this problem, just the body parts.
Consumer stated 2005 e-500 mercedes-benz did not stop and jumped off curb and crashed. The vehicle jumped the curb and crashed into a glass door of a dentist office and side swiped another vehicle. Prior to this incident the consumer experienced irregular speed. The consumers foot was on the brakes the entire time.
But thereâs a small leak as well from a smoke test. Gas leaks in more than one area. Oil leaks everywhere. Evap leak didnât pass smog. Then went to a smog station and repair. Check engine light back on again. I saw Mercedes had an extended warranty to avoid recalling several safety complaints.
There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who stated there was no warranty coverage. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Had a minor accident no airbags deployed sitting in car I donât know a month later something around that sitting in car key not in the ignition sitting in the driver seat when all of a sudden a big bang happened and blue out both side airbag by the sunroof sunroof. Was very loud and knocked my head sideways.
Several times if the vehicle is not driven in a day or two the battery would be dead.I had to replace the battery twice in 2 years. I now receive a message (check battery) every time I start the vehicle. I bought a battery charger that I keep with me all the time.
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 2,794 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the E500 has 66 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 140, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, service brakes, fuel system. Total complaints: 140. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (26%), warning lights, check engine (21%), brake failure (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500?
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 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 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 2005 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.