Suspension. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Air Bags. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports

Equipment complaints

2 reports

Clear category filter

138,000 miles · Jul 19, 2006

Electrical SystemEquipment

Read full complaint

I HAVE A 1996 E320 AND THE FIRST THING TO GO WAS THE CONDENSER FAN, WHEN YOU TURN THE AC ON ITS THE FANS THAT HELP KEEP YOUR CAR COOL, BUT THEN THAT WENT OUT AND MY CAR WOULD RUN HOT IF I CONSTANTLY RAN AC. THEN MY AC BLOWER JUST WENT OUT ONE DAY. THEN I TOOK IT TO A MERCEDES SPECIALIST AND HE NOTICED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS FRAIL AND WORN. HE CALLED MY CAR A TIME BOMB AND SAID IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT DIED ON ME. BUT I THOUGHT THAT MERCEDES LAST A LONG TIME. AND THEN, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR BEGAN SHAKING FROM TIME TO TIME AND I LOST A LOT OF POWER TO IT. SOMETIMES I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON TO STOP THE SHAKING. HE ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1000 TO REPLACE AND THAT IT WAS A BAD DESIGN BY MERCEDES. AND LAST SATURDAY NIGHT ON MY WAY HOME, I GOT INTO MY CAR AND TRIED TO START IT, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED, I COULDN'T EVEN HEAR A CLICK AT ALL WHEN I TURNED THE KEY. I TRIED JUMP STARTING IT, AND STILL NOTHING, SO I ENDED UP HAVING TO TOW IT HOME. I CALLED THE MERCEDES SPECIALIST AGAIN AND TOLD HIM WHAT WAS WRONG AND ALL THE STEPS I TOOK, AND HE SAID MORE THAN LIKELY ITS THE WIRING HARNESS. SO NOW I HAVE A NICE LOOKING CAR JUST SITTING IN MY DRIVE WAY DOING NOTHING. POOLER, GA. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10162824

Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 2001

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingEquipment

THE FRONT LEFT UPPER SPRING SUPPORT BRACKET RUSTED AND BENT UNDER NORMAL DAILY DRIVING CONDITIONS, THIS ALLOWED THE SPRING TO BECOME PARTIALLY EXPOSED. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #563647

Official recalls

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 ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE07021 · Front Suspension Coil Spring Ejection

Opened Apr 19, 2007 · Closed Aug 9, 2007

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs

ODI HAS FOCUSED THIS INVESTIGATION ON ASSESSING THE RISKS POSED BY A SEPARATED SPRING AS (1) A ROAD HAZARD AND (2) THE POTENTIAL FOR VEHICLE CONTROL TO BE COMPROMISED AFTER THE FRONT COIL SPRING HAS BEEN EJECTED FROM ITS INTENDED POSITION IN THE VEHICLE.BOTH RISKS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CORROSION, FLEXING, AND FRACTURE OF THE UPPER FRONT SUSPENSION MOUNTING BRACKET.TIME-IN-SERVICE FAILURE RATES ARE NOTABLY HIGHER IN SALT BELT STATES SINCE CORROSION IS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THE FAILURE MODE.SINCE A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED, ODI IS SKEPTICAL THAT OWNERS CAN ALWAYS DETECT THE SUBTLE SIDE TO SIDE DIFFERENCE IN RIDE HEIGHT AND/OR INSPECT OR NOTICE THAT THE UPPER SUSPENSION BRACKET HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY CORROSION.(1) ROAD HAZARD - ALTHOUGH THE (APPROX. 7 LB.) FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING THAT MAY BE EJECTED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD POSE A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD TO PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER VEHICLES, THE OCCURRENCE RATE HAS BEEN LOW (.03% BASED ON 51 REPORTED INCIDENTS OCCURRING AND AN INITIAL POPULATION OF 172,781 VEHICLES AFTER 9 - 12 YEARS OF USE / EXPOSURE) AND THERE ARE NO KNOWN INJURIES, FATALITIES, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE REPORTS DUE TO AN EJECTED SPRING.ALSO, MANY OF THE 51 INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED OR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED OR PARKED.(2) VEHICLE CONTROL - VEHICLE HANDLING AND CONTROL COULD BE AFFECTED BY THE FRACTURE OF THE UPPER SUSPENSION MOUNT AND/OR THE ASSOCIATED SPRING EJECTION.ODI FIRST IDENTIFIED ITS CONCERN ABOUT CORROSION IN THE UPPER SUSPENSION BRACKET OF SUBJECT VEHICLES IN 2002, AT WHICH TIME MERCEDES PROVIDED A VIDEO THAT SHOWED THAT A VEHICLE COULD BE STEERED, STOPPED, AND CONTROLLED THROUGH VARIOUS MANEUVERS AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH A FRONT COIL SPRING COMPLETELY MISSING FROM THE VEHICLE. DURING PE07-021, IN ADDITION TO REVIEWING THE 2002 VIDEO-TAPE, ODI ENGINEERS DROVE AN EXEMPLAR VEHICLE WITH THE SPRING REMOVED AND SIMULATED VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF STEERING ANGLES TO ASSESS WHETHER THERE WERE ANY POSSIBLE CONDITIONS / DISPLACEMENTS IN WHICH THE SEPARATED SPRING MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE WHEELS. IN A VEHICLE WITH THE FRONT SPRING REMOVED, THE TOP OF THE WHEEL CAN LIGHTLY CONTACT THE BOTTOM AREA OF THE WHEEL FENDER DURING HIGH ANGLE TURNS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SLOWER SPEED MANEUVERS SUCH AS CITY DRIVING. THE LIGHT TIRE CONTACT GENERATED AN OBVIOUS GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD LIKELY ABRADE OR BEND THE EDGE OF THE FENDER WITH CONTINUED USE.HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF THE INTERFERENCE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO AFFECT VEHICLE STEERING AND DOES NOT OCCUR AT SMALLER TURNING ANGLES ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHWAY DRIVING.ODI HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND AT THIS TIME.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING THAT A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF FUTURE CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT.