Seat belts
Filed May 31, 2014
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT DOES NOT EXTEND OUT AND DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY DURING HOT WEATHER. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10595347
- Incident
- May 1, 2012
- Mileage
- 75,000 mi
2003 Mercedes-Benz 500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest May 31, 2014
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Overview
Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 500, most frequently naming the fuel system, suspension and brakes categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2002 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 2004 | 2 | 3 |
| Sep 2004 | 1 | 4 |
| Nov 2004 | 1 | 5 |
| Mar 2005 | 1 | 6 |
| Oct 2010 | 1 | 7 |
| Apr 2013 | 1 | 8 |
| Apr 2014 | 1 | 9 |
| May 2014 | 2 | 11 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Fuel system436.4%
- Suspension327.3%
- Brakes19.1%
- Electrical19.1%
- Seat belts19.1%
- Tires & wheels19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Fuel system
Filed May 31, 2014
IN JUNE 2012 THE CAR DID NOT PASS INSPECTION AND WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED A NEW GAS CAP. WE GOT A GAS CAP AND IT PASSED INSPECTION. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD A STRONG FUEL SMELL WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FILLED COMPLETELY. IF WE ONLY FILL THE GAS TANK ABOUT 3/4 OR LESS, THERE IS NO GAS SMELL. WE RECENTLY HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND THE MECHANIC TOLD US THE GAS CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND A SEAL/CAP IN AN OVERFILL TANK UNDER THE REAR SEAT WAS LOOSE. WE REPLACED THE GAS CAP AGAIN AND THE CAP TO THE OVERFILL TANK WAS TIGHTENED. WE FILLED THE TANK FULL AND HAVE A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS SO THOSE REPAIRS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN A REVIEW OF SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, WE SAW THAT NHTSA AND MERCEDES-BENZ WERE JOINTLY INVESTIGATING A FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE GAS TANK FOR E-CLASS MERCEDES PRODUCED BETWEEN 2003 - 2008. WE THINK WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE FUEL LEAKS. WE WANT TO SELL THE CAR BECAUSE WE HAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER VEHICLE BUT DO NOT WANT TO SELL IT UNTIL WE HAVE FIXED THIS FUEL PROBLEM. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10595308
- Incident
- Jun 14, 2012
- Mileage
- 66,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Apr 3, 2014
WAS GOING DOWN ROAD AND FRONT STRUT BOTTOMED OUT BECAUSE OF AIR BELLOW FAILURE IN AIR LEVELING SYSTEM .MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM! *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10577137
- Incident
- Sep 16, 2013
- Mileage
- 10,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Apr 11, 2013
BROUGHT CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION STICKER, WAS TOLD THAT THE GAS TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MALFUNCTION THAT ALLOWED GAS VAPORS TO ESCAPE FROM TANK. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NO FAULT OF MY OWN BUT TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED TO PASS INSPECTION!!! THE CAR WAS NOT MISUSED OR DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR ABUSED, OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE PART MERCEDES PUT IN THEIR CARS AND THEY CHOSE NOT TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. CHARGED $1,400 FOR REPAIRS. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10505934
- Incident
- Jan 8, 2013
- Mileage
- 116,322 mi
Brakes
Filed Oct 8, 2010
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 MERCEDES E500 DOWN A HILL WHEN THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED. THIS OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY BY DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH WARNINGS AND ADMONISHING TO PULL OVER AND NOT DRIVE. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND OUT THAT MERCEDES HAS A 'PROGRAM' FOR THIS FAILURE BUT DOES NOT TELL CAR OWNERS ABOUT IT UNTIL IT OCCURS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT I HAD NO OTHER BRAKING CAPABILITY. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10359673
- Incident
- Oct 6, 2010
- Mileage
- 88,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 15, 2005
WHILE PARKED THE BATTERY DIED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS. *NM
- NHTSA ID
- 10111549
- Incident
- Feb 14, 2005
- Mileage
- 24,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Nov 8, 2004
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE STALLED INADVERTENTLY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO TOLD CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD RECALL REPAIRS DONE. CURRENTLY, STALLING PROBLEMS RECURRED. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10099605
- Incident
- Nov 1, 2004
- Mileage
- 12 mi
Suspension
Filed Sep 30, 2004
Crash reported
WHILE DRIVING THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SNAPPED IN HALF, CAUSING A COLLISION. CONSUMER COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT END FELT LOOSE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 10094705
- Incident
- Aug 1, 2004
- Mileage
- 12,895 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
SB-91-60-193
AIR BAGS
MERCEDES: AIRBAG DURABILITY AND RELIABILITY. AIR BAG SRS CONTROL MODULE (N2/2) DOES NOT HAVE A SET SHELF LIFE AND WILL NORMALLY BE RELIABLE FOR THE LIFE OF A VEHICLE. WITH 164, 216 221, 251 AND NEWER, THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT CAN BE RESET FIVE TIMES. WITH MODES 202, 210 AND NEWER, THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT CAN BE RESET THREE TIMES. EARLIER MODELS WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THEIR AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT AND TRIGGERED RESTRAIN COMPONENTS CHANGED ONLY AFTER AN ACCIDENT. NO MODELS OR MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.