AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
2016 Mercedes-Benz E400
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 34 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400, most frequently naming the airbags, steering and driver assistance categories. 7 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 160 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2016 | 2 | 2 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 3 |
| Mar 2018 | 3 | 6 |
| Jun 2018 | 1 | 7 |
| Feb 2019 | 1 | 8 |
| May 2019 | 2 | 10 |
| Aug 2019 | 2 | 12 |
| Sep 2019 | 1 | 13 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 14 |
| Feb 2020 | 1 | 15 |
| Mar 2020 | 2 | 17 |
| May 2020 | 1 | 18 |
| Jun 2020 | 1 | 19 |
| Aug 2020 | 1 | 20 |
| Oct 2020 | 1 | 21 |
| Nov 2020 | 1 | 22 |
| Feb 2021 | 2 | 24 |
| Mar 2021 | 1 | 25 |
| Apr 2021 | 2 | 27 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 28 |
| Jan 2023 | 1 | 29 |
| Feb 2023 | 1 | 30 |
| Mar 2023 | 1 | 31 |
| Mar 2024 | 1 | 32 |
| Nov 2024 | 1 | 33 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 | 34 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags2257.9%
- Steering410.5%
- Driver assistance25.3%
- Engine25.3%
- Brakes25.3%
- Electrical12.6%
- Fuel system12.6%
- Other / unspecified12.6%
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
7 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govCOMMUNICATION
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The automatic brake and Adaptive Cruise Control warning lights were illuminated. The emergency braking system engaged independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was oil leaking from the gasket and was dripping onto the engine. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that there was no recall under the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11644475
- Incident
- Nov 25, 2024
- Mileage
- 134,000 mi
Mercedes Benz has a recall on several models including E-Class (E 200, E 220, E 280, E 350) experiencing timing chain problems. The timing chain is an important component of the engine, as it helps to coordinate the timing of the engine’s various parts. I am currently having the same issue, but my model is an (E400) which has not been included in the recall. It appears that my timing chain failing, which is causing a number of problems with the engine, including reduced performance and fuel efficiency, and if MB does not recall this model, I am facing complete engine failure.
- NHTSA ID
- 11624470
- Incident
- Jun 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would display a vibration sensation. The check engine light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket had failed. The head gasket and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11578739
- Incident
- Aug 21, 2023
- Mileage
- 106,000 mi
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400. The contact stated while reversing the Back Over Prevention camera screen was blank. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 62,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11513474
- Incident
- Jan 23, 2023
- Mileage
- 62,000 mi
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, a message indicating a power steering malfunction was displayed and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where an unknown software update was completed. The failure ceased but reoccurred a year and a half later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering assist assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V241000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. The consumer stated the power steering assist assembly needed to be replaced and it was repaired in the amount of $4042.00.
- NHTSA ID
- 11508308
- Incident
- Oct 21, 2021
- Mileage
- 29,000 mi
Steering wheel stuck in Up Position
- NHTSA ID
- 11501438
- Incident
- Jan 5, 2023
I was waiting at a light when the message “steering wheel malfunction” can up. I was forced to turn left, which I did with great difficulty as the power assist stop working. I managed to go straight 3 blocks despite the hard steering with my emergency lights on at 5 mph and turn left two short blocks to get home. I was in my car with my two children. If this would have happened in the highway, I am certain that it would have resulted in an accident.
- NHTSA ID
- 11462520
- Incident
- Apr 26, 2022
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES BENZ E400. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V010000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. MERCEDES-BENZ OF FORT MITCHELL (2100 DIXIE HWY, FORT MITCHELL, KY 41011, (859) 331-1500) WAS CONTACTED AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *DT
- NHTSA ID
- 11408071
- Incident
- Apr 1, 2018
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING; STRUCTURE:BODY
Dear Dealer Partners, The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer returns is Thursday, November 19th, 2026. After November 19th, we will no longer accept returns of these parts. Return these parts via ZSR Special Return, using item category SCM Authorized Part Return. Please include a copy of this NCU as your authorization to return these parts. This procedure will not affect your return allowance. All returned parts will be replaced in accordance with the chart provided below.
POWER TRAIN
Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic /9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1 (NAG3 facelift/9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission facelift) For faster, more effective and more targeted diagnosis, Intelligent Predictive Repair (IPR) has been developed and integrated into XENTRY Diagnosis. This ensures an automated diagnosis process. Cause As part of the on‑going quality monitoring process and associated quality and damaged part appraisals, a high number of ineffective repairs have been discovered. Such ineffective repairs have a negative impact on all those involved. For the customer, it means high costs and long repair times and for the dealer, it may result in the warranty claim being rejected. Remedy General note: IPR is available for: ‑ NAG3 Classic (automatic transmission 725.0) ‑ NAG3 Classic ‑ AMG sport model (AMG 43 and AMG 53 with converter, automatic transmission 725.0) ‑ NAG3 Classic ‑ Hybrid (automatic transmission 725.0) ‑ NAG3 Classic ‑ AMG 63 (automatic transmission 725.0) ‑ NAG3 MOPF ISG2 (automatic transmission 725.1) ‑ NAG3 MOPF Hybrid (automatic transmission 725.1) ‑ NAG3 MOPF AMG sport model (AMG 53/AMG 53e with ISG48V2 & converter /hybrid, automatic transmission 725.1) ‑ NAG3 MOPF AMG 43/63 with engine 139/177 (automatic transmission 725.1) Steps for the Service Advisor: Important: The more information and detail that can be given to the workshop about the complaint, then the more effective the subsequent diagnosis with IPR can be. To this end, a detailed service reception questionnaire has been provided to help the Service Advisor ask the right questions about the complaint. ‑ Ask precise details about the customer complaint and the conditions and context. ‑ Fill out the service reception questionnaire (please see WIS document: OF27.00‑P‑3000‑05A) for customer complaints in detail and forward it to the workshop. Operation steps for the workshop employee: 1. Perform quick test 2. Access the transmission control unit via XENTRY Diagnosis 3. Select "A customer complaint has been received" and carry out all subsequent operation steps (IPR diagnosis path). 4. The IPR repair instructions are displayed, Carry out the IPR repair instructions without performing any further diagnostic or repair steps. ‑ Important: The IPR repair instructions are binding and must be carried out. Differing repairs are possible; such repairs must be documented in XENTRY in free text. Please observe the information regarding the IPR diagnosis process in XENTRY. Conventional diagnosis and subsequent appropriate repairs are only permitted if IPR does not specify any repair instructions. Invoicing for the guided IPR steps: Operation item 27‑0640 and 0.1 hours Notice regarding warranty: The use of IPR in association with warranty claims is mandatory! If the IPR repair instructions are disregarded without justification, the warranty claims may be rejected and/or are subject to debit. IPR will provide a measure to repair the vehicle based on various data sources (EEPROM, fault codes, etc). Please consider the vehicle maintenance record of the vehicle. For warranty and goodwill repairs, the transmission ECU test log and/or IPR test result must be uploaded into Paperless XENTRY Diagnosis (pXD) . If repair is being determined based of oil pan condition pictures of oil pan MUST be provided to warranty as justification. ·Tamper‑proof documentation: The IPR repair instructions are stored in the control unit log. Please file this document in a tamperproof manner ‑ either in digital form or as a hard‑copy printout and also enclose a printout with the damaged part. In this regard, please comply with the country‑specific warranty requirements of the MPC/general distributor.
SERVICE BRAKES
Complaint Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. Cause Although the cause of the vibration is most likely due to excessive lateral runout on the rotor or hub/wheel bearing, the system as a whole needs to be checked for other possible contributors. 1. Prior collision damage. 2. Excessive vehicle sitting times without rotating components. 3. Wheel bearing/hub lateral runout. 4. Wheel mating interface has been overtightened (did not follow WIS torque procedures). 5. Mating interfaces have been excessively modified (painted, gouged, bent, etc...). Remedy Read through the entire attached worksheet prior to performing. After performing, please review the final page and perform work accordingly. NOTE: This document is not pre‑authorization or otherwise dealing with warranty. This is intended for diagnostic purposes only. If there are any questions on how to proceed OR The work sheet has been performed and the vehicle has returned with the same concern. Please perform the measurements as seen in the worksheet again and open a TIPS case to the Body, Chassis, and Entertainment team.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary, create a TIPS case with an informative video as an attachment. Note: Please refer to this document in the warranty claim and, once diagnosis is completed, select the damage code depending on the component part that is causing the issue. • If the noise stops when the door trim is removed, please proceed in accordance with LI72.10‑P‑067691. Information: In this case, do not use a damage code for the speakers in the warranty claim!
POWER TRAIN
Complaint Customer complaints relating to automatic transmission 725.0 (NAG3 Classic / 9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission) and 725.1 (NAG3 facelift/9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission facelift) For faster, more effective and more targeted diagnosis, Intelligent Predictive Repair (IPR) has been developed and integrated into XENTRY Diagnosis. This ensures an automated diagnosis process. Cause As part of the on‑going quality monitoring process and associated quality and damaged part appraisals, a high number of ineffective repairs have been discovered. Such ineffective repairs have a negative impact on all those involved. For the customer, it means high costs and long repair times and for the dealer, it may result in the warranty claim being rejected. Remedy General note: IPR is available for: NAG3 Classic (automatic transmission 725.0) NAG3 ‑ AMG sports models (AMG 43 and AMG 53 with converter) NAG3 ‑ AMG 63 NAG3 ‑ Hybrid NAG3 Facelift (automatic transmission 725.1) NAG3 facelift (725.1) with engine 139/177 (AMG 43/63) Steps for the Service Advisor: Important: The more information and detail that can be given to the workshop about the complaint, then the more effective the subsequent diagnosis with IPR can be. To this end, a detailed service reception questionnaire has been provided to help the Service Advisor ask the right questions about the complaint. ·Ask precise details about the customer complaint and the conditions and context. ·Fill out the service reception questionnaire (please see WIS document: OF27. 00‑P‑3000‑05A) for customer complaints in detail and forward it to the workshop. Operation steps for the workshop employee: Perform quick test ·Access the transmission control unit via XENTRY Diagnosis ·Select "A customer complaint has been received" and carry out all subsequent operation steps (IPR diagnosis path). ·The IPR repair instructions are displayed. Carry out the IPR repair instructions without performing any further diagnostic or repair steps. ·Important: The IPR repair instructions are binding and must be carried out. Differing repairs are possible; such repairs must be documented in XENTRY in free text. Please observe the information regarding the IPR diagnosis process in XENTRY. ·Conventional diagnosis and subsequent appropriate repairs are only permitted if IPR does not specify any repair instructions. ·Invoicing for the guided IPR steps: Operation item 27‑0640 and 0.1 hours !!!!! Notice regarding warranty: !!!!! ·The use of IPR in association with warranty claims is mandatory! ·If the IPR repair instructions are disregarded without justification, the warranty claims may be rejected and/or are subject to debit. IPR will provide a measure to repair the vehicle based on various data sources (EEPROM, fault codes, etc). Please consider the vehicle maintenance record of the vehicle. For warranty and goodwill repairs, the transmission ECU test log and/or IPR test result must be uploaded into Paperless XENTRY Diagnosis (pXD) . If repair is being determined based of oil pan condition pictures of oil pan MUST be provided to warranty as justification. ·Tamper‑proof documentation: The IPR repair instructions are stored in the control unit log. Please file this document in a tamperproof manner ‑ either in digital form or as a hard‑copy printout and also enclose a printout with the damaged part. In this regard, please comply with the country‑specific warranty requirements of the MPC/general distributor.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary, create a TIPS case with an informative video as an attachment. Information: Please refer to this document in the warranty claim and, after completing diagnosis, select the damage code corresponding to the component part that caused the problem. • If the noise stops when the door trim is removed, please proceed in accordance with LI72.10-P-067691. Information: In this case, do not use a damage code for the speakers in the warranty claim!
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
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.