RoadVitals

2009 Mercedes-Benz E 300

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.
2
Latest Mar 21, 2012
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz E 300, most frequently naming the electrical and suspension categories. 15 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical150.0%
  • Suspension150.0%

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

Electrical
Filed Mar 21, 2012
Fire reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E300. WHILE PARKED, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS OVERHEATING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, CAUSING THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND WIRES TO MELT. THE DRIVER SIDE HAD A BLACK HOLE DEVELOPING IN THE CIRCUIT BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS AND CIRCUIT BOARD WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ID
10452566
Incident
Mar 14, 2012
Mileage
40,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Jan 10, 2011

HAD A SPRING PERCH FAILURE ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE WHILE I WAS REVERSING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING. THE SPRING FELL ON THE GROUND AND THE BODY OF THE CAR RESTED ON THE WHEEL. MY LOCAL MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE ROOT CAUSE AS RUST WHERE THE PERCH ATTACHES TO THE FRAME.

NHTSA ID
10376126
Incident
Jan 5, 2011
Mileage
194,560 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LI82.30-P-059239

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

Complaints about poor wiping effect of winshield wiper

LI-91-40P051830

SEAT BELTS:FRONT; SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

MERCEDES-BENZ: THE FRONT SEAT BELT CATCHES WHEN PULLED OUT, BECAUSE THE STRAP WAS NOT GUIDED BACK PROPERLY. HAPPENS ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE. *RM UPDATED 5/22/2012. *JS

20-P-053398

STEERING

XENTRY: RATTLING/THUMPING NOISES FROM THE AREA OF THE STEERING ON ROUGH ROADS OR WHEN DRIVING OVER ROAD UNDULATIONS. NO MODEL YEARS GIVEN. ALSO INCLUDED MODELS 168 AND 172. *JS

LI-72-12-P

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

MERCEDES-BENZ: THE REAR DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE IN COLD TEMPERATURES. THE WINDOW GUIDE RAIL OF THE DOOR FREEZES. *RM

LI-05-20-P

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

MERCEDES-BENZ: THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON WITH MULTIPLE POSSIBLE TROUBLE CODES STORED. THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAMSHAFT AND/OR SCORING OF A PISTON. *RM

LI-27-60-P051773

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

MERCEDES-BENZ: THERE IS A TRANSMISSION TROUBLE CODE STORED. IT IS A DIAGNOSTIC PROBLEM WITH THE WET START-UP CLUTCH. *RM

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

Mercedes-Benz E 300 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2019298059.0
2018327054.1
201713116161.0
2016111—
2009Viewing200—
2002100—
2001200—
1999130137.6
1998901—
1997801—
1996100—
1995600—

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.