2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Owner Complaints

I am writing to formally submit a complaint regarding my 2010 E350 (VIN # [XXX] ). I have taken great pride in owning and maintaining this vehicle, and I want to share my concerns based on my recent experience. I have consistently kept this car well-maintained, following all recommended service schedules and ensuring that any necessary repairs were handled promptly. Up until now, I have not experienced any significant issues with the vehicle. It has been reliable, well cared for, and in excellent condition. Recently, when the brake line indicator came on, I immediately took the vehicle to a mechanic to have it inspected. I was informed that the brake fluid reservoir was empty and that there was a leak present. Upon further inspection, the mechanic identified that the leak was coming from the rear of the vehicle. It was then determined that the issue involved the rear brake line located near the gas tank. This is extremely concerning, not only because it directly impacts the safety of the vehicle, but also because, based on the research I have conducted, this appears to be a common issue with this particular model. Given that this is a critical safety component, it is troubling that such a failure would occur despite the vehicle being properly maintained. Based on what I have researched, I feel that I have a valid complaint. This does not seem to be the result of neglect or lack of care, but rather a potential defect or known issue associated with this vehicle. As an owner who has taken every step to properly maintain and care for this car, it is both frustrating and disappointing to now be dealing with such a serious problem. I am requesting that this matter be reviewed thoroughly and that an appropriate resolution be provided. I believe it is reasonable to expect accountability for an issue that appears to be both common and safety-related. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and a fair resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

NHTSA ID

11730465

Incident

Mar 10, 2026

All of sudden blind spot inoperable , turning signal to Rt. , signal goes LT. OR TURNING SIGNAL TO LT. , SIGNAL GOES To RT.

NHTSA ID

11718667

Incident

Nov 15, 2025

Car was found to have the rear subframe corrosion for issue. But also the brake lines were corroded very badly. They should be covered under the rear subframe extended warranty replacement. The rear brake lines are an frequent issue and almost always shows up when the subframe begins to rot. Also the pattern of the corrosion seems to be consistent across multiple incidents. Look at photos I uploaded and the Reddit post; identical. Look at this post from Reddit, almost identical corrosion on the rear brake lines as mine. Furthermore, it always is the rear brake lines, almost never the front. This is a manufacturer issue that needs to be looking into. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11711970

Incident

Jan 19, 2026

It seems like brake lines corroded and need to be replaced. Same issue in this car with subframe and that was taken care of by the extended warranty but brake lines were not part of extended warranty? That should be investigated further. Rear subframe rust out and brake line corrosion are obviously related but Mercedes is only addressing subframe. Why? A lot of people have this issue and it's a huge safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11701296

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

while driving once I start braking once the car is around 3mph it shifts from drive into Park and abruptly comes to a stop. Sometimes I am able to put it back into Drive sometimes I have to turn the car off and reinsert the key just to get it back into drive. Normally happens after an hour or so of driving the when I try to come to a complete stop the car will automatically shift into park. This is very dangerous as it can ruin the transmission also the person driving behind me can run into the back of my car. Is there any recall for this issue

NHTSA ID

11700592

Incident

Nov 18, 2025

My brakes failed, the rear brake lines had corroded.

NHTSA ID

11689329

Incident

Sep 24, 2025

fast acceleration then slow down goes into limp mode . happens when passing a car or taking off fast like entering into traffic . very dangerous. will be calling mercedes benz tomorrow. bought car used approximately 4 months ago. thanks

NHTSA ID

11676061

Incident

Jul 24, 2025

My brakes went out while I was driving my family on a road trip. After getting towed I inspected the brake lines and they are absolutely destroyed. This is clearly a design flaw by Mercedes. This needs to be recalled. You have to drop the rear subframe to repair this. Absolutely ridiculous.

NHTSA ID

11674517

Incident

Jul 17, 2025

Smell gasoline on driver side. Can’t fill tank up or the smell is unbearable. Gas consumption is high. Engine light is on , suspension make a lot of noise, and ticking on driver side.

NHTSA ID

11654400

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

does the engine in this car have a correct balance shaft?

NHTSA ID

11652710

Incident

Apr 4, 2025

Mercedes had a recall for rusty subframe but the rear break lines are rusting out as well and it should be a recall just like the subframe. I have brake line leaking now and it will cost around 2500-3500 to fix per mercedes

NHTSA ID

11651098

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low battery warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a nearby parking lot. The contact parked the vehicle and opened the hood. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed pieces of the serpentine belt on the engine. The contact turned the vehicle off. The contact went to a nearby Auto Parts store and purchased a new serpentine belt. The contact replaced the serpentine belt, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that upon checking the data on the instrument panel, the contact became aware of several error messages. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The contact turned off the vehicle and the steering wheel functionality returned. The contact stated that the low coolant warning light illuminated; however, the coolant level was checked and was sufficient. Additionally, the contact stated that the drive assist warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics regarding the drive assist warning light; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.

NHTSA ID

11644645

Incident

Feb 10, 2025

Mileage

183,000 mi

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact's wife was able to stop the vehicle from crashing into a concrete curb. The contact stated a nearby independent mechanic assisted the contact, and the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed with a fractured brake line due to corrosion. The contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured rear brake line due to corrosion. The contact was informed that the rear brake line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a year ago the rear subframe fractured due to corrosion. The contact stated that the rear subframe was repaired under an unknown recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11643335

Incident

Feb 17, 2025

Mileage

140,000 mi

The turn signal light malfunction , when i turn the signal light to Rt. the dashboard signal light going LT. , and when turn to the lt. the dashboard signal going RT. This happen accidentally , not all the time . but when it happened it was very risky. At the same time a dashboard massage appear and reading (( Blind spot warning disabled)) First time happened to me; i pulled over , turned the engine off , turned it on again , problem resolved. First thing i did i made i search online , i found that many people are mentioning this problem . and some made a diagnosis of steering control unit malfunction . One person called the dealer , test the vehicle , and made a recall .he gave gave a phone number to call 18003676372. My son called that number and asked for this particular recall , and mb of USA denied any recall for this problem.

NHTSA ID

11639934

Incident

Sep 27, 2024

When braking the car pulls hard off the road. inspection showed rear subframe rusted and control arms are not attached securely to frame. Unsafe to drive

NHTSA ID

11633494

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

August 2024, while driving on a 4 lane highway at 65 mph, a warning appeared on gauge cluster saying that Electronic Stability Control and Traction Control inoperable. This caused the car to reduce power, requiring me to quickly pull over. The car continued running but I was limited on mph and gear selection (aka Limp Mode). I turned the car off, allowing the systems to reset. After driving approximately 1 miles, the same warnings appeared. Fortunately, I was within a mile from home at the time so I was able to "Limp" the car home. The next day, I checked the car again by driving in my neighborhood with the result. I had the car transported on roll back to Express Oil and Tire in Barboursville, WV as my "local" MB dealer is an hour away. They checked the car and the Engine Control Module was defective and needed replacement. The cost of the service including new MB parts and programming would be $2,495. I tried for 2 months to secure funding to fix the car to no avail. I had the car towed on roll back again but back to my house. The car has sat since then.

NHTSA ID

11625902

Incident

Aug 6, 2024

I was involved in a head on collision when a motorist driving in the wrong lane hit the front of my car in the evening of 10/2/24. The impact was huge and my car was totaled. However, my airbag did not deploy and I hit my chest and knees very hard against the steering wheel and dashboard. Airbag deployment is a basic safety feature during an accident particularly in a luxury vehicle like Mercedes Benz that is known for its safety record.

NHTSA ID

11624539

Incident

Oct 2, 2024

Smell gasoline when tank get filled up. Engine light is on , suspension make a lot of noise , power steering pump also

NHTSA ID

11575979

Incident

Mar 7, 2024

This is in regard to E350 2010. Gas smell after tank fill up (only when full). Fuel pump cover on the driver side under the back seat. The tank cover (plastic) breaks and leaks. Similar problem was noted on previous models (2009) and recall was issued. [XXX] Very hazardous (Flammable and combustible) and the dealer stated that it is a common problem. I removed the back seat and is gasoline leaking and accumulating above the cover. Similar problem occurred on the cover on the right side and was replaced. The plastic cover on both sides breaks and leaks gasoline into the car. Should be recalled and replaced. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11562448

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E350W. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled a gasoline odor within the interior of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel filter flange. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V557000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ID

11555266

Incident

Oct 15, 2022

Mileage

94,000 mi

Steering wheel stopped turning. Steering pump has failed. My 17 year old daughter got so scared while driving it. Very dangerous. Always got serviced on time. It has only 76500 miles on it. The mechanic has no idea how this happened. Cost to repair is $4500 and he is thinking maybe there is a recall for it . It got towed to the shop and it had a full service done 2 weeks before . I am glad my daughter was not driving on the highway at the time of this incident

NHTSA ID

11549298

Incident

Oct 6, 2023

Rear subframe corrosion and failure. Based on my queries this apparently a common issue. I am adding my report to add weight to this common issue. Vehicle is approximately 13 years old, is in good condition, and has not suffered any accidents affecting the rear subframe. Overall only minimal rust or corrosion is found during a visual inspection while on a lift. This vehicle has passed annual inspections as required by Virginia state law. The rear subframe has rusted from the inside. This corrosion was not visible from the outside, which is why it was not found in the annual inspections. Due only to this internal corrosion, the left-hand (driver) side of the rear subframe has broken loose where the rear wheel's control arm is attached. This removes one of the rear wheel's primary attachment points, making the vehicle unsafe to drive.

NHTSA ID

11544758

Incident

Sep 15, 2023

The rearview camera on this vehicle operates intermittently. When it is not operating, the infotainment screen is completely black (no distortion, no flickering, no image at all.) I realize that my vehicle is out of warranty (2010MY,) but the issue began in 2015 and has been gradually getting more frequent. Numerous customers have been complaining about this concern on the forums from as early as 2013 (only 2-3 years into ownership as 2010 was the first model year of the W212 E-Class generation.) Example forums: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11539018

Incident

Jun 1, 2015

Rear suspension control arm bracket rusted, broken off from frame of vehicle makes a slight to moderate sound when driving or going off bumps I avoid rough surfaces, I drive at a respectable speed ,I never came across as long I owed this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11531323

Incident

Jul 10, 2023

My rear sub frame has major corrosion and is broken on the driver side, the passenger side about to go soon. My vehicle only has 154000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11530364

Incident

Jun 14, 2023