2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 Engine Problems

REPORT NUMBER: CAL-03-07 NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) FRONTAL BARRIER IMPACT TEST

NHTSA ID

11534246

Incident

Jul 25, 2023

*1. The Fuel Tank and components and/or system failed or malfunctioned. *2. After filling the gas tank, the odor of strong pungent gasoline fumes fills the cabin of the and lingers for some time in the car and garage until the gasoline level goes down after being driven for a few miles. *3The car has been taken to a certified Mercedes Benz Dealership Service Center and was told that the problem was the gas tank and system/components. *4.The car was inspected by a certified Mercedes Benz Dealership Service Center Mechanic *5. There were NO warning lamps or messages on the dashboard or message center on car. The only symptoms of the problem was the strong odor of gasoline fumes after fuel fill ups.

NHTSA ID

11510219

Incident

Nov 19, 2022

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE TURNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE POWER WINDOWS BECAME INOPERATIVE, AS WELL AS THE HORN AND BRAKES. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE INDEPENDENTLY AND WAS UNABLE TO BE STOPPED. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WARNING INDICATORS FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND RECONNECTED SEVERAL TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11140812

Incident

Oct 4, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WITHOUT STOPPING OR SLOWING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE MADE A BEEPING SOUND AND THE STOP ENGINE AND BRAKE FAILURE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS CALLED (MERCEDES-BENZ OF BROOKLYN, NY, 718-258-5100) AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ABS WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11053362

Incident

Dec 7, 2017

Mileage

140,000 mi

RECENTLY ON TODAY 7-12-16 AT 174,000 MILES THE DISPLAY ON MY 2003 E320 4S MERCEDES BENZ ALL OF A SUDDENLY DISPLAYED AN ILLUMINATED MESSAGE IN BRIGHT WHITE : "BRAKE" SERVICE BRAKE VISIT WORKSHOP. MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A BUSY MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM EXHIBITED THIS MESSAGE. SHORTLY PRIOR TO THIS MESSAGING, I NOTICE MY BRAKES WERE MORE HARD TO APPLY PRESSURE,. I AM GLAD I WASN'T DRIVING FAST, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS TRAGEDY TO MYSELF AS WELL AS THOSE OTHERS ON THE EXPRESSWAY JUST A AS I WAS. 2. PROBLEM WITH MY GAS TANK AFTER I FILL THE TANK , THE GAS FUMES BECOME SO INTENSE AFTER PARKING THIS VEHICLE INSIDE MY GARAGE. I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE A RECALL. IS THIS FUEL SAFETY HAZARD RECALL STILL IN EFFECT? IF SO, WHOM DO I CONTACT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME THE OWNER? 3. 4 MONTHS PRIOR IN MARCH 2016 I INCURRED A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT FLUID LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION RESULTING IN A MAJOR MONETARY EXPENSE OUT OF MY POCKETS ABOVE $5000. CAN THIS BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTUER SO I MAY BE ABLE TO BE REIMBURSED?

NHTSA ID

10884444

Incident

Jul 12, 2016

Mileage

174,000 mi

CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR - THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT ANY WARNING, SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED. I TRIED TO RESTART IT SEVERAL TIMES, BUT TO NOT AVAIL. IT MAY RESTART AFTER THE ENGINE HAS COOLED OFF (AFTER 20-30 MINUTES) BUT THE PROBLEM REPEATS ITSELF WHEN THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING AND WARM AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A MALFUNCTION MESSAGE: BATTERY PROTECTION - CONVENTIONAL FUNCTIONS TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE DISPLAYS. ONCE AT THE REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM MAY POSSIBLY BE EVEN BEFORE TESTING FOR THE CHECK ENGINE CODE. HE SAID HE'S SEEN THIS PROBLEM FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THE PROBLEM CODE DID COME UP WITH A BAD CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AS HE PREDICTED. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON SEVERAL MERCEDES BENZ OWNERS? FORUM WEB SITES AND DISCOVERED NUMEROUS ENTRIES FROM OWNERS WITH THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM, AFFECTING SEVERAL MERCEDES MODEL YEARS. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ AND ASKED WHY A RECALL WAS NOT ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO COMPENSATE OWNERS FOR THE REPAIR COST OR AT LEAST A NOTIFICATION OF THIS PROBLEM. I DID NOT RECEIVE A FAVORABLE OUTCOME BUT WAS TOLD BY THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT SHE WOULD ESCALATE THE ISSUE INTERNALLY SO THAT THEY WOULD BE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND IT CONTINUES TO AFFECT MANY OWNERS. HAVING THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IF THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN AT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10564816

Incident

Feb 17, 2014

Mileage

111,600 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E 320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE TWO VALVES AND THE FUEL SENDING UNIT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000. *TR

NHTSA ID

10505230

Incident

Mar 4, 2013

Mileage

91,000 mi

MY 2003 MERCEDES E320 ENGINE STALLED MOMENTARILY AS I SPED UP TO ENTER I-95 NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VA. I EASED UP ON THE GAS AND IT RESTARTED WITH NO APPARENT IMMEDIATE AFTER EFFECTS. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC CLOSE BEHIND ME, OR THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING ON THE DASHBOARD BEFORE OR AFTER THE STALLING. I CONTINUED SOUTH ON I-95 WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL I EXITED AT ASHLAND, VA. AT THE INTERCHANGE WITH US1, WHEN I STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE ENGINE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT RESTART, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. A POLICEMAN ARRIVED AND CALLED FOR A TOW. AGAIN THERE WERE NO APPARENT TROUBLE LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS CARRIED TO THE RICHMOND VA DEALER, WHICH REPLACED THE AIR MASS SENSOR. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MERCEDES CUSTOMER CARE IN NJ. I EMPHASIZED THE SERIOUSNESS OF HAVING THE ENGINE STALL OUT, BUT THEY WERE NOT PLANNING TO PERFORM ANY NEW FIX. THEY SAID IT WAS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED", MAKING REFERENCE TO A "LIMP HOME" FEATURE THAT STALLS THE ENGINE AND WARNS THE DRIVER TO GET OFF THE ROAD. I LOOKED IN THE CAR'S MANUAL, AND THE TERM "LIMP HOME" APPEARS ONLY ONCE CONCERNING THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS WORKS OR WHAT THE DRIVER IS SUPPOSED TO DO. IN MY CAR, THE ENGINE DID NOT "LIMP", BUT RAN AT FULL POWER AFTER THE STALL AND RESTART. IN MY OPINION, A SENSOR FAILURE SHOULD NOT DISABLE THE ENGINE, AND ANY SERIOUS PROBLEM SHOULD BE WARNED THROUGH A BLINKING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MERCEDES NEEDS TO REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS THROUGH A RECALL. AT THE VERY LEAST, OWNERS OF THESE CARS SHOULD BE WARNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM, AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT IF IT OCCURS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10341485

Incident

Apr 2, 2010

Mileage

59,870 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK AND SPUTTER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT ANTI-FREEZE LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH CAUSED THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO FAIL. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $3,000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ID

10276124

Incident

Jun 7, 2009

Mileage

58,000 mi

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR HESITATING AND JERKING FIRST FEW TIMES THEY FIXED IT THEN MY CAR STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC GOING 40 MILES PER HOUR, THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND AFTER CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION IT STOPPED AGAIN ON THE STREET GOING 30 MILES PER HOUR. MY CAR IS STILL HESITATING AND JERKING. I AM SO TIRED OF TAKING THE CAR IN ALL THE TIME AND THEM GIVING ME A RENTAL, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS THINK ITS FUNNY THAT I HAVE DRIVEN A RENTAL SO MANY TIMES. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TOTAL OF ABOUT 50-60 DAYS TOTAL. MERCEDES WILL NOT GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK OR CHANGE MY CAR. I NEED HELP PLEASE BEFORE MY CAR STOPS ON ME AGAIN ON THE FREEWAY AND SOMEONE HITS ME OR I HIT SOMEONE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10169373

Incident

Mar 21, 2006

Mileage

16,390 mi