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2005 Mercedes Benz E

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
5Owner complaints

Model-year median: 2

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2005 Mercedes Benz E

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 5 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Fuel System, Gasoline: 3 reports
  • Air Bags: 1 reports
  • Service Brakes: 1 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    2
    2004    5
    2005    1
    2006    2
    2007    7
    2008
    Compare all E years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Fuel System, Gasoline
    3    Air Bags
    1    Service Brakes
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    Limited mileage data: 5 of 5 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

    NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

    What to inspect

    Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

    • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Service Brakes. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

    Service Brakes complaints

    1 reports
    Clear category filter
    80,150 miles · Jul 28, 2013
    Service Brakes

    WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE SBS SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH LOSS OF MOST BRAKING ABILITY. I MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR, TURN AROUND AND RETURN ABOUT 8 MILES TO MY HOME IN "LIMP HOME" MODE. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. I THEN CALL THE MB DEALERSHIP WHICH SENT A TRUCK TO PICK UP THE CAR. THE SBS HYDRAUL…

    Read full complaint

    WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE SBS SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH LOSS OF MOST BRAKING ABILITY. I MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR, TURN AROUND AND RETURN ABOUT 8 MILES TO MY HOME IN "LIMP HOME" MODE. THERE WAS NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. I THEN CALL THE MB DEALERSHIP WHICH SENT A TRUCK TO PICK UP THE CAR. THE SBS HYDRAULIC UNIT HAD FAILED AND WAS REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AT NO COST. WHILE I AM NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE COST (NONE), THE FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH THE LOSS OF BRAKE ABILITY. I TAKE ROAD TRIPS TO THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS AND IF THIS HAD HAPPENED THERE, I COULD HAVE SUFFERED A FATAL INJURY. THIS SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVELY ENGINEERED AND SHOULD BE REPLACED ON ALL MERCEDES CARS SO EQUIPPED. *TR

    NHTSA ODI #10532213

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No recalls in this snapshot.

    Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

    Defect investigations

    1

    PE10017 · Driver Air Bag Circuit High Resistance

    Opened May 14, 2010 · Closed Nov 24, 2010

    Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Electrical System; Electrical System:wiring; Electrical System:wiring:interior/under Dash

    Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag.The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur.The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles.This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action.A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.

    Additional source detail variants (5)

    Air Bags:frontal

    Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag.The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur.The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles.This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action.A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.

    Air Bags

    Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag.The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur.The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles.This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action.A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.

    Electrical System

    Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag.The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur.The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles.This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action.A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.

    Electrical System:wiring:interior/under Dash

    Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag.The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur.The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles.This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action.A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.

    Electrical System:wiring

    Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has reported a high number of warranty claims for air bag warning lamp illumination due to a diagnostic fault code 9103 or 9123 indicating a high resistance in the driver's frontal air bag firing circuit.MBUSA's testing and evaluation have shown that this condition is the result of a faulty connector (specifically, improper wire crimp) but that it will not prevent proper deployment of the driver's frontal air bag.The faulty connector can cause the air bag circuit resistance levels to exceed the threshold that illuminates the air bag warning lamp, but they do not exceed a higher limit at which proper deployment of the air bag may no longer occur.The agency believes that further expenditure of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency will monitor the issue and reserves the right to take future action if warranted by the circumstances.During the investigation, ODI learned that MBUSA will initiate a warranty extension program to address the faulty connectors in subject model year 2005 and 2006 E-Class and other MBUSA model/model year vehicles.This action will extend the warranty coverage for this issue to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first.MBUSA will notify all affected vehicle owners of this action.A bulletin describing this program is available in the investigative file.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.