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1998 Mercedes Benz E320

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Mercedes Benz E320 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 42.5.

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 →
37Owner complaints

Model-year median: 42.5

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

2Investigations

View investigation details →

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

Inspection summary

1998 Mercedes Benz E320

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 37 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 2 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)

  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 8 reports
  • Suspension: 7 reports
  • Structure: 5 reports
  • Equipment: 4 reports
  • Unknown Or Other: 4 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
    96
    1995    45
    1996    63
    1997    37
    1998    83
    1999    44
    2000    38
    2001
    Compare all E320 years →

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

    What owners reported most

    Engine And Engine Cooling
    8    Suspension
    7    Structure
    5    Equipment
    4    Unknown Or Other
    4
    All reported categories
    Visibility
    4    Air Bags
    3    Exterior Lighting
    3    Engine
    2    Power Train
    2    Tires
    2    Electrical System
    1    Fuel/propulsion System
    1    Service Brakes
    1    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    1    Steering
    1    Vehicle Speed Control
    1    Wheels
    1

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

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    20 reports with mileage · 17 unknown

    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.

    • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Suspension. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Structure. 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.

    3 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports

    Unknown Or Other complaints

    4 reports
    Clear category filter
    Mileage unknown · Aug 26, 2018
    Unknown Or Other

    THIS SILVER MERCEDES (NOT SURE THE YEAR) CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR OVER TWO WEEKS, NO SIGNS OF IT BEING MOVED AT ALL. 16329 CHATSWORTH STREET DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY NEIGHBORS PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS VEHICLE, FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN IT EVER BE PARKED HERE. POSSIBLE STOLEN CAR AND JUST LEFT T…

    Read full complaint

    THIS SILVER MERCEDES (NOT SURE THE YEAR) CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE FOR OVER TWO WEEKS, NO SIGNS OF IT BEING MOVED AT ALL. 16329 CHATSWORTH STREET DOORS ARE UNLOCKED AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY NEIGHBORS PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS VEHICLE, FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN IT EVER BE PARKED HERE. POSSIBLE STOLEN CAR AND JUST LEFT THERE, PLEASE CHECK ON VEHICLE AND HAVE IT TOWED AWAY.

    NHTSA ODI #11122441

    Mileage unknown · Oct 17, 2002
    Unknown Or Other

    MORE CARS WITH SAME PROBLEM: I FOUND A FORUM ON LINE WHERE ADDITIONAL MERCEDES OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME SCARY INCIDENT. HERE IS THE FORUM LOCATION: MBWORLD. ORGFORUMS I RAN A SEARCH ON HARMONIC BALANCERS AND FOUND SOME INTERESTING COMMENTS. IN ADDTION, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MANUFACTURE OF THE BALANCER MAKES THESE …

    Read full complaint

    MORE CARS WITH SAME PROBLEM: I FOUND A FORUM ON LINE WHERE ADDITIONAL MERCEDES OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME SCARY INCIDENT. HERE IS THE FORUM LOCATION: MBWORLD. ORGFORUMS I RAN A SEARCH ON HARMONIC BALANCERS AND FOUND SOME INTERESTING COMMENTS. IN ADDTION, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MANUFACTURE OF THE BALANCER MAKES THESE FOR SEVERAL MAKES AND MODELS. - SCARY DT

    NHTSA ODI #768553

    Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 1999
    Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

    CAR HAS STALLED 3 TIMES.ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. *AK

    NHTSA ODI #842833

    Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 1999
    Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

    CAR HAS STALLED 3 TIMES. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *AK

    NHTSA ODI #842817

    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

    2

    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.

    PE03058 · Engine Crankshaft Pulley Failure

    Opened Dec 17, 2003 · Closed Apr 22, 2004

    Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys

    THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER-STEERING ASSIST.ODI HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 546 NON-DUPLICATIVE REPORTS THAT ALLEGE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE ON ALL MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES USING THE SUBJECT COMPONENT.THE SUBJECT COMPONENT FAILURES ARE PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE AND ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANT CLAIMS INVOLVED A FAILURE THAT HAD PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO EFFECT POWER STEERING PERFORMANCE (6 OF 55 ODI COMPLAINTS REFERENCE INCREASED STEERING EFFORT).THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES OR INJURIES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND 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 BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE SUMMARY REPORT ATTACHED FOR FURTHER DETAIL.

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