Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E Class submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY WHOLE GARAGE SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE WHENEVER WE FILL UP THE GAS TANK. THE SMELL WILL REMAIN UNTIL WE DRIVE THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS, CONSUMING PERHAPS 1/4 OF THE TANK. THIS HAS BEEN ON-GOING ONLY FOR THE LAST YEAR. *JS
I STARTED SMELLING GAS IN THE CAR CABIN. THERE WAS GAS ON MY DRIVEWAY AS WELL. THE GAS SIGN STARTED TO FLASH ON MY DASH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS A MAJOR LEAK IN THE PURGE SYSTEM. THEY QUOTED ME $3066.88. THEY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT PASS IT ON TO ME. *TR
STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE EVIDENT AFTER FILL UP. THIS COINCIDED WITH ACCURACY ISSUES OF THE FUEL GAUGE, WHERE VEHICLE NOW RUNS OUT OF GAS WHEN GAUGE INDICATES 1/4 TANK. THE STRONG SMELL OF GAS HAPPENS NOW REPEATEDLY WITH EVERY FILL UP, WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE SOME FORM OF LEAKAGE AT OR NEAR THE TOP OF THE TANK. *TR
I PURCHASED THE MERCEDES IN APRIL 2013 OF THIS YEAR AND LESS THAN 30 DAYS OF PURCHASING THE CAR I HAD MAJOR REPAIRS DONE TO THE CAR. I SLIGHTLY SMELLED FUEL VAPORS WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR HOWEVER I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST A POSSIBLE AFTER EFFECT OF ME REFUELING THE CAR. OVER THE COURSE OF TWO MONTHS THE FUMES BECAME WORSE AND WORSE AND I STAY WITH A MIGRAINE EVERYDAY. TODAY WAS UNBEARABLE AS IT IS HOT OUTSIDE AND IT IS BECOMING HARD TO CONCENTRATE AND IT FEELS LIKE MY HEAD IS ABOUT TO BURST. I AM GOING TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALER AS THIS IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE! THE PEOPLE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND I WANTED TO RETURN THE CALL ALTOGETHER! I PLAN ON GOING TO THE DEALER, AND TO THE DOCTOR. *TR
EACH TIME I FILL UP THE GAS TANK TO CAPACITY, THE FUEL TANK EMITS VAPORS. IT SEEMED SOMEWHAT TOLERABLE IN THE PAST, THOUGH THIS PAST WEEK, IT WAS ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH WALLS AND UP 2 STORIES. IT'S PAST TOLERABLE AND JUST DOWNRIGHT UNACCEPTABLE NOW. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY OWNER TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. FRANKLY I'M AMAZED A COMPANY WITH THE "PEDIGREE" OF MERCEDES BENZ HAS ALLOWED THIS TO GO UNSOLVED ACROSS THE MARKET. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES E CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ADDRESSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REPEATED THE DEALER'S SENTIMENTS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,000.
FUEL LEAKING FROM VEHICLE NEAR REAR LEFT TIRE. FOUND FUEL AROUND FUEL SENSOR UNDER REAR PASSENGER SEAT. MOST EVIDENT AFTER FILLING FUEL TANK. FIRST DISCOVERED LEAK AT 70K MILEAGE AND AGAIN ON 128K. *TR
VERY STRONG GAS FUMES WHEN GAS TANK IS FULL. FUMES COMPLETELY PERMEATE MY TWO CAR GARAGE AND ALSO ENTER PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE FUMES DISAPPEAR WHEN TANK LEVEL REACHES 7/8 FULL. THERE ARE SEVERAL POSTINGS ON DIFFERENT WEBSITES ON THE WEB REGARDING STRONG GAS ODOR WHEN THE TANK IS FULL ON E MODEL MERCEDES YEARS 2003 TO 2006. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIVELY AND/OR FIRE. I CONTACTED MERCEDES REQUESTING THE ISSUANCE OF A SERVICE RECALLED BASED ON THE APPARENT HIGH INCIDENCE. THE COMPANY DOES NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN TAKING ANY ACTION. *TR
THE CAR HAS A VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL. THE GASOLINE ODOR PERMEATES THE CABIN AND, WHEN PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE, CAUSES A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF GAS FUMES THAT OVERWHELMS A THREE CAR GARAGE AS WELL AS THE 1000 SQUARE FEET LOCATED ABOVE THE GARAGE (EVEN WITH ALL ADJOINING DOORS CLOSED). SHOULD THE GASOLINE CONCENTRATION REACH THE PROPER LEVEL, IT MAY CREATE A FIRE OR EXPLOSION HAZARD. ONCE THE TANK IS 1/8 EMPTY, THE FUEL ODOR GOES AWAY AND DOES NOT RETURN UNTIL THE GAS TANK IS ONCE AGAIN FULL. HAD AUTO CHECKED BY THE LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER AND THEY STATED PROBLEM COULD NOT BE LOCATED BUT I NEEDED TO REPLACE ENTIRE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY TO RESOLVE ISSUE. TOOK CAR TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO FOUND SIGNS OF GASOLINE LEAKAGE COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK AND RUNNING DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE TANK. BASED ON RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON THE WEB, IT APPEARS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH E CLASS MERCEDES YEARS 2003 TO 2006. THE POSTINGS FOUND ON SEVERAL MERCEDES BENZ OWNER SITES INDICATES THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DETECTED SINCE THE CARS WERE NEW. A PERSONAL FRIEND, WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL, HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PREVALENCE OF THE ISSUE INDICATES A DESIGN/ ENGINEERING FAILURE THAT RESULTS IN GASOLINE LEAKING FROM 'SOMEWHERE' IN THE FUEL SYSTEM IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL TANK. I REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF ORDERING A RECALL TO ADDRESS AN OBVIOUS UNDERDESIGN FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENT. *TR
I OWN A MERCEDES E 500 ,YEAR 2004.I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE BRAKE PROBLEM AFTER I ALMOST KILL MYSELF WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED YESTERDAY. THE MERCEDES FAILED TO INFORM THE CONSUMER ESP. THIS KIND OF DEFECT. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS RECALL WAS SINCE MAY AND HAD TO EXPERIENCE MYSELF BEFORE RECEIVING THE RECALL LETTER. THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSSINESS PRACTICE AND IN FACT A NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY. THIS CAN CAUSE MY LIFE AND MAY OTHERS WHO OWN THE SAME MODEL OF CAR IN WHOM I KNOW A FEW AND THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RECALL LETTER.
I OWN A 2003 E-CLASS MERCEDES BENZ PURCHASED THIS YEAR FROM RALLEY MOTORS, ROSLYN, NEW YORK. SINCE I TOOK THE TITLE TO THE VEHICLE, THERE HAS BEEN UNCONTROLLED MILD ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CAR BUCKS AND SHAKES UPON DE-ACCELERATION RESULTING IN MY HAVING LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CONSEQUENTLY REQUIRING MY JAMMING ABRUPTLY ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. IN ADDITION, THE CAR HAD SIGNIFICANTLY STEERED TO THE RIGHT AT ALL TIMES, REQUIRING MY CONSTANTLY HAVING TO STEER TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO DRIVE STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ADMITTED THAT IT CAN NOT REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, IE; THE UNCONTROLLED CHANGE OF SPEED, BUCKING AND ACCELERATION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE. THEY HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHICH I BELIEVE IS AN IMPORTANT VEHICLE COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS MANY SYSTEMS OF THE CAR, AND THE VEHICLE NOW HAS THE THIRD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, ALL IN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, ALL DUE TO PRODUCT DEFECTS! THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS ADMITTED TO ME THAT THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH THERE ALLEGEDLY IS NO FIX TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO HORRIBLE GAS MILEAGE, THE TORQUE CONVERTER OF THE TRANSMISSION IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO LOCK UP AT LOW SPEEDS, AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY THE 2003 AND 2004 E-CLASS AUTOMOBILES HAVE THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD ADVISED ME THAT HE KNOW OF NO FIX FROM THE FACTORY. THE DEALERSHIP BECAME FRUSTRATED WHEN I EXPRESSED MY DISPLEASURE, AND HAS NOW INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER SERVICE MY BRAND NEW AUTOMOBILE. *LA *SCC THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE STALLED, THE WIPER BLADES WERE NOISY. *JB
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .