2005 Mercedes-Benz 211 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes-Benz 211, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes746.7%
- Fuel system640.0%
- Driver assistance16.7%
- Engine16.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF RANDOMLY AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY AND I WILL LOSE STEERING AND MY BRAKING ABILITIES. THE SBC PUMP ALREADY HAD BEEN REPLACED AND MERCEDES HAS NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO REIMBURSE ME, MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE WIRING HARNESS WILL CRUMBLE IN YOUR HAND INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE TRUNK HAD PINCHED WIRES SHORTING OUT AND CAUGHT FIRE LUCKILY I HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE AT THAT TIME TO WITNESS AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR WILL START UP AND DRIVE AND STALL OUT RANDOMLY NOW AT ANY SPEEDS OR EVEN BEING STOPPED.
CAR WENT INTO BRAKE FAILURE BARELY COULD STOP THE CAR ONCE IN PARK COULD NOT GET INTO DRIVE
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE VAPORS IN GARAGE WHEN VEHICLE HAS A FULL TANK. FAINT SMELL DETECTABLE IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. SMELL SUBSIDES WHEN FUEL TANK LEVEL REACHES 3/4 TO 1/2 FULL.
WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE MY VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED TO SEE IF ANY FUEL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. NOTHING APPEARED TO BE LEAKING. I THEN OPENED UP THE HOOD FOR THE ENGINE, AND OBSERVED THE COMPARTMENT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE TO SEE IF THE ODOR WAS DETECTABLE FROM THE ENGINE. IT WAS NOT. I WALKED BACK TO THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE AND BEGAN TO DETECT THE ODOR ONCE MORE. I OPENED THE DRIVERS SIDE PASSENGER DOOR AND FROM THE BACK SEAT I COULD DETECT A VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR, SO I GOT DOWN ON THE GROUND TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NO FUEL DETECTED. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT, AS SOON AS I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A REALLY STRONG ODOR OF FUEL. I STARTED THE VEHICLE NORMALLY, BUT THE VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO START, IT TURNED OVER SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE STARTING. THIS WAS NOT NORMAL FOR MY VEHICLE. I GOT OUT AND GO INTO THE BACK SEAT AND THE ODOR WAS OVERWHELMING, THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF RANDOMLY AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY AND I WILL LOSE STEERING AND MY BRAKING ABILITIES. THE SBC PUMP ALREADY HAD BEEN REPLACED AND MERCEDES HAS NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO REIMBURSE ME, MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE WIRING HARNESS WILL CRUMBLE IN YOUR HAND INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE TRUNK HAD PINCHED WIRES SHORTING OUT AND CAUGHT FIRE LUCKILY I HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE AT THAT TIME TO WITNESS AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR WILL START UP AND DRIVE AND STALL OUT RANDOMLY NOW AT ANY SPEEDS OR EVEN BEING STOPPED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF RANDOMLY AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY AND I WILL LOSE STEERING AND MY BRAKING ABILITIES. THE SBC PUMP ALREADY HAD BEEN REPLACED AND MERCEDES HAS NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO REIMBURSE ME, MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE WIRING HARNESS WILL CRUMBLE IN YOUR HAND INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE TRUNK HAD PINCHED WIRES SHORTING OUT AND CAUGHT FIRE LUCKILY I HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE AT THAT TIME TO WITNESS AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR WILL START UP AND DRIVE AND STALL OUT RANDOMLY NOW AT ANY SPEEDS OR EVEN BEING STOPPED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .