MERCEDES-BENZ

Mercedes-Benz Problems

16,003 owner complaints across 242 Mercedes-Benz models. Below — what fails first, how often it ends in a crash, and which models draw the most reports.

NHTSA owner complaints · 16,003 reports · 242 models · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Quick answer

Mercedes-Benz owners have filed 16,003 complaints with NHTSA across 242 models. On average the car was 6.56 years old when the problem happened, and 20.1% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.

What breaks on Mercedes-Benz

The systems Mercedes-Benz owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.

FIG.01·Mercedes-Benz — what breaks
SystemComplaintsShare of Mercedes-BenzEnded in a crash
Air Bags3,14519.7%5.7%
Fuel/propulsion System1,62210.1%0.3%
Engine9716.1%0.2%
Unknown Or Other7794.9%2.7%
Fuel System, Gasoline7044.4%0.3%
Electrical System6874.3%1.6%
Service Brakes5443.4%6.3%
Suspension5343.3%0.9%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

When Mercedes-Benz problems show up

FIG.02·Mercedes-Benz — when problems appear
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average age at failure6.56 yearsHow old the car was when the problem happened
Reported inside 3 years20.1%Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running
Complaints describing a crash649Of 16,003 total
Complaints describing a fire350Of 16,003 total
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.

Which Mercedes-Benz models draw the most complaints

Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.

FIG.03·Mercedes-Benz models by owner complaints
ModelComplaintsShare of Mercedes-BenzAvg age at failureCrashes
C3003,49721.9%6.9 yrs110
E3502,04112.8%7.7 yrs78
GLK3508585.4%6.0 yrs32
C2506884.3%5.5 yrs27
E3206534.1%9.4 yrs24
C2304763%8.2 yrs27
E5004142.6%9.6 yrs11
GL4503752.3%7.0 yrs18
CLA2503412.1%4.3 yrs19
C3503282%6.9 yrs7
E553152%8.2 yrs1
GLC3002801.7%3.3 yrs14
GLC 3002441.5%3.6 yrs15
E5502281.4%6.7 yrs5
ML3502281.4%6.4 yrs22
ROWS 15·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

Mercedes-Benz complaints by model year

A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.

FIG.04·Mercedes-Benz complaints by model year
Model yearComplaintsCrashesFires
20266
2024526
202319513
2022254154
2021221116
2020423208
2019375209
20184952511
20177493214
20169203716
20159214511
20149944825
20131,0094616
20121,1442911
20111,0533918
2010993376
20097632625
20081,1234331
20079901556
20069793923
20057253917
20046312617
20036902917
200229599
19931
ROWS 25·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints

What Mercedes-Benz owners report

Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.

Air Bags 20% 3,145 Read
2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 · crash · fire

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2005 mercedes-benz e320. While the contact was driving at a low rate of speed, another vehicle switched lanes into the path of the contact's vehicle. The contact swerved to the right and crashed into a curb to avoid the other vehicle. Some of the air bags deployed. Smoke appeared inside and outside the front passenger side of the vehicle. There were no injuries. The insurance company towed the vehicle to a facility. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was not available

2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 · crash · fire

The contact owned a 2002 mercedes-benz c320. The contact called on behalf of the driver. While driving at an unknown speed, the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle spun around several times and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle caught on fire. The driver was killed on impact. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed by the police and deemed destroyed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was unknown. *dt

2008 Mercedes-Benz C-CLASS · crash · fire

Accident. 2008 mercedes c-350 rear ended a delivery truck. Mercedes began smoking immediately and caught fire within one minute. Within 3-5 minutes engine compartment and passenger compartment were fully engulfed in flame. Driver escaped before car burned. Airbags did not deploy in this front end crash. Driver had concussion and facial injuries from hitting, possibly steering wheel. Driver sustained other injuries as well

Fuel/propulsion System 10% 1,622 Read
2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 · crash · fire

The contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz e320. The contact stated that the driver of the vehicle was traveling approximately 40 mph when another vehicle crashed into the rear passenger's side of the vehicle. The vehicle immediately became engulfed in flames. The driver was fatally injured with trauma to the head. The passenger was fatally injured with trauma to the torso and the two rear passengers died from smoke inhalation. The police were on scene and a report was filed. The contact stated that the fuel system may have been the cause of the fire that erupted upon impact. The cause of the fire was not determined. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 · fire

Vehicle sitting in driveway. Fuel injector leakage and resultant engine control unit detecting fuel set off spark which resulted in explosion under hood. Completely destroyed engine intake manifold (over 100 pieces found), and requires all (6) new fuel injectors. Due to core return value, I will NOT be keeping injectors, but they have been inspected by certified mechanic where repairs are being done. Safety/risk is obvious- fire danger, explosion danger, etc. Vehicle was towed to German Motors, Lakewood CO. For repair. No warning indicators, no lights. Mechanics did inform me that this issue has been seen on other vehicles. Network of MB mechanics have been aware. MB USA is also aware of fuel injector leakage issues, and have issued a Safety & Emissions Recall Campaign (# 2022030003, dated 8/22/2022) for this model year and vehicle model type (GLE). MB USA however asserts that my specific VIN is not included in recall- but offers no reason. Currently, due to MB inability to provide replacement parts (engine intake manifold unavailable until Sept. 2025!), vehicle is still in repair facility. Invoices and write up will be available after repairs completed (using reclaimed intake manifold along with new injectors)

2010 Mercedes-Benz S550 · crash

Upon refuling my automobile full I could smell a strong odor of gas fumes. Earlier that day I had an impact of my tire over a curb. Gas fumes could be smelled not so much on the outside of the auto but inside without abatement. Upon inspection by mercedes benz of stockton ca it was determined a fuel leak was present with the cushion that sits on top of the fuel system was soiled/sturated under the rear passenger seat of the car. Pictures taken suggest it had been was ongoing possiblely for years. They suggested heat contributed to the unit-seal corrosion and its surroundings. It is not clear why my right rear impact with a curb brought this all to my attention. Highly combustible situation that was clearly not detected witch is not completely understood the same day I have an impact to the right rear tire jumping a curb then going back over it to unlodge the tire & rocker molding from the curb & refuel I smell gas fumes. Highly dangerous using plastic secure gas exchanges on something people sit on? Has simularities in other drivers. Not sure why that day the seal (plastic) ruptured (at plastic lid)

Engine 6% 971 Read
2013 Mercedes-Benz ML350 · fire

The engine locked up after blowing the top part of the engine off, fire shot out of the engine and quickly went out like a flam thrower. I was driving on the expressway when the accelerator would not work without any warning I didn’t have any issues with this truck. The car cut off immediately thank God I was able to coast to the side of the expressway because it stopped in the left lane on the expressway I was scared for our lives. The dealership has the truck and they said the engine is locked up. This morning s unacceptable for a car I’ve had for a year

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 · fire

On July 23, 2025, I drove my Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 to a medical appointment. After arriving, I parked near the valet station, turned off the car, and went inside to check in at LabCorp. Within two minutes, witnesses reported black smoke from the hood — followed by a violent explosion that shook the office building and triggered a multi-unit response from local fire and police departments. When I came downstairs, my vehicle was engulfed in flames. The front end was completely destroyed. Mercedes-Benz USA sent an investigator on September 8, 2025 to examine the wreck. Despite numerous follow-ups, I have received no written report, no findings, and no communication from Mercedes-Benz since that inspection detailing any relevant information. Safety Context: In March 2024, Mercedes-Benz issued Recall #24V-207, affecting 2019–2023 GLE and GLS models, citing a defective 48-volt ground connection that could cause a fire. My incident occurred in a GLS 450 model and appears consistent with this recall defect. If confirmed, this could indicate that the recall did not capture all affected VINs or that repairs were not properly executed. This incident was minutes from being fatal — and could easily have occurred on the highway or in my garage or with my 4 children inside. The lack of corporate response for over two months raises serious concerns about consumer safety, recall effectiveness, and corporate transparency

2005 Mercedes-Benz C230 · fire

Vehicle began smoking on highway. No check engine or indicator of any fault codes. No previous coolant or oil leaks, or fuel leaks appeared to be visible or of issue. Vehicle had to be pulled over on side of highway as smoke began to became increasing with darker color from the engine bay, then making its way into the inner cabin Of the vehicle. Within a minute the full engine and front end of vehicle was engulfed in flames. Occupant was barley able to get out due to the vehicles dark smoke which caused disorientation for the driver. A good samaritan removed driver from vehicle and approximately 2 minutes later the entire car and cabin was engulfed in flames. Car was deemed a total loss with front end, cabin, and areas near the back seat/ window were burned to complete bare metal. Emergency personnel numerous times mentioned how lucky occupant was since these types of vehicle fires are typically fatal followed by the speed of fire it had spread throughout the process when engulfed

Unknown Or Other 5% 779 Read
2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350 · crash · fire

Hit in the head in april 2015 by SUV rear power lift gate causing traumatic brain injury. Design flaw in most SUV rear lift gate. I believe chrysler has one that beeps when lift gate is lowering but others do not. Also they should be designed like garage doors in that a sensor can stop progression of downward movement when tailgates lowers there by stopping any further injury to individuals - especially older individuals and children

2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 · fire

The vehicle caught fire while parked and running in the driveway of my home. There were no modifications, no accident, and no external cause. The fire occurred without warning and posed a serious safety risk to occupants and property. The vehicle was under manufacturer warranty at the time of the incident. The fire caused damages to my house too. There were no warning lamps or messages. Benz has not done an investigation yet

2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 · crash

I was driving and all of a sudden. The car felt like it was swirling left and right and I was trying my best to straighten the steering wheel, but it felt like I had no control of the car. I eventually hit the median on the road and while all this was happen my dashboard was flashing with all the lights, but my eyes were on the road trying to fix the steering wheel so I don’t know exactly what light was on. When I hit the median, I was finally able to regain full control of the car. It kind of felt like my car was accelerating and swerving at the same time and I was not even stepping on the pedal. I am not sure what caused this, but my car was recently in the shop for some battery issue

Fuel System, Gasoline 4% 704 Read
2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 · crash

The contact owned a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel lurched to the right direction. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the front passenger side of her vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle hitting the left passenger door and tire wheel. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped and the engine stalled. The contact stated she had to kick the driver's side window out to exit the vehicle. The contact later saw that she had bruising on both her thighs and shins, but no other injuries. The police arrived on the scene and had the vehicle towed to an impound lot. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or repair center. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact had received a recall letter from the manufacturer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V445000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and related the failure to the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown

2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 · fire

While driving home I smelt smoke. I stopped the car to investigate the smell of smoke that was overpowering the now normal scent of gas which filled my vehicle cabin due to a fuel pump leak. When I exited my vehicle I opened up the drivers side rear passenger door to find smoke emitting from that area. I quickly left the immediate vicinity of the smoldering car and when I turned to look back, I saw flames under my car. I proceeded towards the overpass while moving away from the vehicle attempting to find cellular phone signal, I saw my car now being engulfed in flames. Re: (odi number) is: 10628900

2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 · crash

Very strong, lasting, gas odor inside and outside the car. I searched forum of mbworld.org and found many similar complaints. The cause could be a leaking fuel lever sender due to broken seal. I removed the rear seat and found a puddle of gas on top of the tank. The dealer I called told me there was no recall on this matter and I world have to pay $160 for diagnostic even this is emission related safety issue

Electrical System 4% 687 Read
2014 Mercedes-Benz E350 · crash · fire

There have been three events, all the same. Each time a speaker in a door, while driving, has began to squeal, sputter and the smoke. The first occurred while sitting inside a car wash, with the windows up, obviously. I was able to open the window, drenching myself, but venting the acrid electrical smoke. The second was while driving home from a medical clinic. The third was while driving on the interstate, traveling from my mothers funeral in California to Wisconsin It was 2am, just outside of Vail, Colorado in the rain. My wife was driving, while I slept. I woke to her screaming that the car was on fire, she pulled over, taking advantage of the antilock brakes for the first time ever, striking some type of curb, ultimately not killing us, but we lost another speaker, and a tire and rim. I’m, needless to say, displeased with my expensive European wagon, but Mercedes’ does not consider melting and smoking speakers to be a safety issue. Look online, and you’ll see plenty of videos of people with the same issue

2019 Mercedes-Benz S 560 E · fire

The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz S560. The contact stated that while parking their vehicle, a burning-leather odor entered the cabin, and they noticed smoke in the cabin. The contact noticed a small fire beneath the driver's seat. The fire was extinguished with nearby snow. At which time the vehicle's engine failed to start despite the vehicle starting. The windshield wipers would turn over; however, systems like the door locks and the windows fail to activate. The fire department was not called. There were no injuries, and no medical attention was needed. The contact called their insurance company, Progressive, which informed them that there was a recall for the same issue regarding their same year, make, and model. The contact checked their VIN and discovered their vehicle was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown

2003 Mercedes-Benz C320 · fire

The secondary instrument fuse block located on the driver's side of the dashboard erupted in flame while the vehicle was being driven, endangering its occupant, causing significant damage to its interior, and resulting in a local law enforcement "traffic hazard" determination

Service Brakes 3% 544 Read
2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 · crash

A warning in Red came up on the dashboard which said something like "catastrophic break failure" ..I was going slow about to stop at the Red light and the brakes did not work and I hit a mini van

2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 · crash

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was in the hold brake position while at a complete stop. The contact stated that the vehicle independently moved forward twice. The contact stated that the failure caused her to rear-end the vehicle in front. A police report was filed. The contact also stated that damage was done to both vehicles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,300

2023 Mercedes-Benz C 300 · crash

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes C300. The contact stated that while traveling over a pedestrian crosswalk, the emergency braking mode was engaged. The accelerator pedal was applied but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle went into restricted mode. A Hyundai Elantra crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The driver in the Hyundai stated that the brake lights were not illuminated. There was no air bag deployment or fire. A police report was filed. The contact who was occupying the front passenger seat sustained an injury to her neck and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there were no restricted mode codes located. They were unable to duplicate or verify the incident. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 2000

Suspension 3% 534 Read
2013 Mercedes-Benz C300 · crash

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 30 mph, she was depressing the brake pedal and the rear side of the vehicle shifted to the left independently, causing to impact with another vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was drivable and the driver was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed the sub frame was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000

2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 · crash

On Monday 02/14/2022, after 2-3 minutes driving towards work, at about 25-30mph speed, the front right ball joint broke on the vehicle putting me in danger of losing my life. Due to this ball joint failure, the right front wheel disassembled from the vehicle and it slid-crashed on the car parked on the right side of the street. If it would happen on the highway I would kill myself and put others in the ultimate danger of losing their lives. The car was towed to the Loeber Motors Dealer and Mercedes-Benz LLC. Informed about the incident. The the complaint case number 2-25420239808 was started with Mercedes-Benz Customer Care and led by: Susan Executive Referral Manager Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (800) 367-6372 (ext. 6324) This defect should never happen and again, it could be lethal, causing many deaths if with full speed on the highway. Case was completely ignored by Mercedes-Benz LLC. Now it is 03/20/2022 and I still don't have any report on the safety of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz Dealer Loeber Motors, called me on Friday 03/18/2022 saying "that if I won't tow out the vehicle from their property they will charge me $100 per day for storage - about $3000" - that way they simply forced me to put my case in the hands of my insurance without giving me any word on my vehicle safety. Mentioned earlier Mercedes-Benz Representative - Executive Referral Manager Susan, was refusing to answer my calls and never sent me any reports regarding my case. I consider such failure to

2013 Mercedes-Benz GL450 · fire

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes benz gl450. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear section would bounce up and down violently due to a faulty rear air suspension. In addition, an electrical burning odor was present inside the vehicle and the arm rest was extremely hot to the touch. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,500

Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 16,003 Mercedes-Benz complaints.

Mercedes-Benz against the rest

FIG.05·Mercedes-Benz versus other brands
MeasureWhere Mercedes-Benz sitsOut of
By complaint volume#1529 brands with 3,000+ complaints
By age at failure (later is better)#229 brands
Complaints ending in a crash4.1%across all 16,003 reports
ROWS 3·SOURCE NHTSA owner complaints + ForCar

Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.

Mercedes-Benz problems by model

28 Mercedes-Benz models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 214 Mercedes-Benz models have no complaints on record at all.

Mercedes-Benz 380 1981–1985
1 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz 500 1983–1993
2 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz A-Class 2019–2022
72 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 2016–2026
7 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz C-Class 1994–2026
5,655 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz CL-Class 1998–2014
60 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2014–2026
385 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz CLE 2024–2026
6 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class 1998–2009
227 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class 2005–2023
238 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz E-Class 1994–2026
4,214 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz EQB-Class 2022–2025
6 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz eSprinter 2024–2026
2 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz G-Class 1999–2026
36 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 2006–2016
565 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class 2015–2026
278 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 2020–2026
77 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class 2016–2026
570 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2016–2026
459 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class 2010–2020
908 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class 2016–2026
178 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz Metris 2016–2026
178 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz ML-Class 2012–2015
248 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz R-Class 2006–2013
234 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1994–2026
644 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 1994–2026
252 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class 2017–2020
7 owner complaints
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class 1998–2016
129 owner complaints
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How we count

Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.

A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.

Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.

Frequently asked questions

How reliable is Mercedes-Benz?

Owners have filed 16,003 complaints across 242 Mercedes-Benz models. On its own that number reflects how many Mercedes-Benz cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (6.56 years) instead.

What breaks most often on a Mercedes-Benz?

The most reported system is Air Bags with 3,145 complaints.

Do Mercedes-Benz problems show up under warranty?

20.1% of Mercedes-Benz complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.

Which Mercedes-Benz model has the most complaints?

See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.

Owner complaints from NHTSA, published as filed and unverified. Age at failure computed by ForCar from incident date and model year; production series grouped by the first 11 VIN characters. Last updated Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.