RoadVitals

2008 Mercedes-Benz E Class

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.
5
Latest Nov 18, 2013
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.
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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.
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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.
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Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E Class, most frequently naming the other / unspecified, fuel system and interior & seats categories. 4 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

  • Other / unspecified240.0%
  • Fuel system120.0%
  • Interior & seats120.0%
  • Transmission120.0%

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

Fuel system
Filed Nov 18, 2013

THE CAR EXUDES A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. THE GASOLINE ODOR IS SO STRONG THAT I CAN NO LONGER PARK THE CAR IN THE GARAGE OF OUR HOUSE AS THE FUMES ARE SO OVERPOWERING THEY SEEP INTO THE HOME LIVING AREAS AND CANNOT BE TOLERATED (BREATHING). OVERALL, THE GAS FUMES ARE STRONG ENOUGH THAT I DO FEAR THAT SOMETHING EXTERNAL (COOKING, WATER HEATER PILOT LIGHT) COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SPONTANEOUS FUME IGNITION/FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10552828
Incident
Nov 18, 2013
Mileage
83,633 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Sep 14, 2013

I STARTED THE CAR AND TURNED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEAT. I PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND WAS DRIVING DOWN MY STREET WHEN I STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SO I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND STARTED TO DRIVE AGAIN. THE ODOR KEPT GETTING STRONGER AND NOW THE LEFT SIDE OF MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT STARTED TO GET REALLY HOT AND THEN I FELT A BURNING SENSATION ON MY BACK. I STOPPED MY CAR AND JUMPED OUT TO SEE A SMALL HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A NICKEL MELTING AND A SMALL ORANGE FLAME BURNING. LUCKILY I HAD A BOTTLE OF WATER AND POURED IT ON THE SEAT AND THEN TURNED THE SEAT HEATER OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID
10543617
Incident
Sep 14, 2013
Mileage
66,860 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed May 18, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES E CLASS WITH 18 INCH RIMS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH OVER A POTHOLE, THE TIRE IMMEDIATELY DEVELOPED A BLISTER ON IT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THREE OF THE RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SINCE THEY WERE OUT OF ROUND. THE DEALER REPLACED ONE TIRE, TWO FRONT RIMS, ONE REAR RIM AND PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT. THE FAILURE DID NOT PERSIST BUT THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ID
10330999
Incident
Apr 9, 2009
Mileage
6,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 10, 2009

MANY MERCEDES BENZ CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCE PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. MERCEDES SAYS IT IS DUE TO ROAD CONDITIONS. IT IS A NEW PROBLEM WITH NEW MERCEDES E SERIES CARS. A PERSON WROTE "HAVE BEEN IN THE TIRE & WHEEL BUSINESS FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES. MOSTLY WITH AFTER MARKET WHEELS WHERE THE STANDARD WHEEL SIZES REACH ALL THE WAY UP TO 26-INCH DIAMETERS. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A DEFECTIVE WHEEL OR TIRE. MERCEDES BENZ HAS DECIDED TO INSTALL LARGER WHEELS ON THEIR VEHICLES SO THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A LARGER FOOTPRINT TO IMPROVE HANDLING AND TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WITH INSTALLING A LARGER DIAMETER WHEEL ON ANY CAR IS YOU ARE NOW LEFT WITH A TIRE THAT HAS A VERY SHORT SIDEWALL. FROM 2003 ' 2006 MERCEDES WAS INSTALLING 16 AND 17 INCH DIAMETER WHEELS ON THEIR E-CLASS MODELS. THESE TWO SIZES WOULD GIVE YOU A TIRE WITH A TALLER SIDEWALL FROM 3 TO 4 INCHES. BUT ON THE NEWER E-CLASS VEHICLES, MERCEDES STARTED TO USE AN 18' STAGGERED TIRE AND WHEEL COMBINATION. WHEN YOU INCREASE THE DIAMETER OF A WHEEL, THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE WILL DECREASE.THE 18 INCH WHEEL & TIRE COMBO NOW GIVES YOU A SIDEWALL OF 2 TO 3 INCHES. THE SIDEWALL OF A TIRE IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE TIRE WHERE IT MEETS THE WHEEL AND WHERE THE TIRE SITS ON THE GROUND THE SIDE SUPPORTS THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS MEANS YOU HAVE LESS CUSHION BETWEEN THE WHEEL AND THE ROAD. SO IF YOU HIT A POTHOLE HARD ENOUGH, YOU WILL BEND A WHEEL OR COLLAPSE THE TIRES SIDEWALL SO MUCH THAT IT WILL BREAK THE STEEL LININGS CAUSING A BUBBLE OR A BLOW OUT." LIVES ARE AT RISK UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS ADDRESSED AND RECTIFIED. CURRENTLY, CUSTOMERS INCUR SIGNIFICANT COST TO REPLACE TIRES AND WHEELS. MERCEDES WILL NOT COVER REPLACEMENT TIRES AND WHEELS UNDER ITS WARRANTY PROGRAM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10276350
Incident
Jul 1, 2009
Mileage
15,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 21, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING 76 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND WOULD BRAKE WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE REPAIR DETAILS OR COST WERE UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 38,000.

NHTSA ID
10266306
Incident
Apr 20, 2009
Mileage
38,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

LI68.05-P-059193

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ANTI-THEFT DEVICES

SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink

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

SB-32-25-82

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SHOCK ABSORBER; SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM; SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER; SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM

MERCEDES-BENZ: SHOCK ABSORBER PROCEDURE. *RM

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

Mercedes-Benz E Class by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2008Viewing500—
2006101144.1
2005931—
2004154049.9
2003454046.7
2002800—
2001150238.7
2000341343.5
1999131239.6
1998240237.7
1997381243.9
1996162143.7
1995212048.5
1994382053.8
1993720—
1992020—
1991010—
1990010—
1989010—
1988010—
1987010—
1986010—
1985010—

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.