Home · 2011 Mercedes-benz E-class · Complaints

What 295 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-benz E-class

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (295)Crash / fire / injury (18)Airbags (140)Suspension (37)Fuel system (36)Body & structure (16)Brakes (16)Engine (15)Steering (12)Transmission & drivetrain (10)Electrical system (7)Seats (7)

8 of 295 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 21, 2023AirbagsCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while stopped at an intersection preparing to make a left turn, the vehicle crashed into the front driver's side and part of the driver's side front fender by another vehicle that had run a red light. The vehicle had severe crumpling of the hood and the driver's side fender. The contact stated that the front end was damaged and spread debris all over the roadway. Law Enforcement was on the scene and filed a Police report. The contact stated that the driver's side air bag did not deploy. The contact was transported by ambulance to an emergency room. The contact stated that he had suffered chest injuries from striking the steering wheel, and the contact stated that he had upper back pain and arm pain. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact had been advised by the Insurance Provider that the vehicle was a total loss. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 176,000.

NHTSA ODI 11513005

Jan 5, 2022AirbagsCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 30 - 35 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side front door. The contact stated that the steering wheel and knee air bags deployed upon impact. The contact was unaware of the side curtain air bags had deployed; and if so, did the Emergency Response Unit cut away the curtain air bags to remove his daughter from the vehicle prior to his arrival. The contact stated that the driver’s side door was totally smashed but he did not see where the side curtain air bags might have deployed. The contact's daughter was transported by ambulance to the hospital with a fractured and dislocated pelvic bone in four locations and a fractured left arm. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11446291

Jun 28, 2021AirbagsCrash1 injury

On 3-22-2021, my car was rear ended. The car that that rear ended my car was going at a high speed: the neck rests opened due to the accident. The air bags did not open. I noticed that there was a recall on airbags for 2011 Mercedes but no recall for my VIN. How can I know that my air bags function?

NHTSA ODI 11422670

Aug 28, 2020AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 MERCEDES BENZ E550. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SON WAS DRIVING 5 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD BUT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. FOR THE BODY WORK OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS) THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF WESTMONT (200 E OGDEN AVE, WESTMONT, IL 605590 AND WAS INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,972. PART DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES-BENZ E550W4 2011 ##

NHTSA ODI 11351829

Jan 26, 2020AirbagsBody & structureBrakesCrash1 injury

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM ON A CLEAR, SUNNY DAY, ABOUT A MINUTE AWAY FROM MY HOME. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD, AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC. I STOPPED AT THE CORNER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. AS I PROCEEDED TO TURN, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY DID NOT ENGAGE. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE CAR. IT JUMPED THE CURB ( CAUGHT ON PROPERTY OWNER'S CAMERA, GOING AIR BORN) , AS I CONTINUED TO BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD WITH THE CAR INCREASINGLY ACCELERATING.I CRASHED THROUGH A FENCE AND HIT A POLE WHICH STOPPED THE CAR DEPLOYING BOTH DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS. THERE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, AND IT WAS TOTALED. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE.MY INJURY WAS DIAGNOSED AS ACUTE L1 COMPRESSION FRACTURE ALONG THE SUPERIOR ENDPLATE WITH MILD ANTERIOR WEDGING. I WAS REFERRED TO AN ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST AND HAVE NOT RETURNED TO WORK DUE TO PAIN AND ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, TWO DAYS LATER I WAS ISSUED A WARNING FOR FAILURE TO CONTROL SPEED!@&!

NHTSA ODI 11301964

Oct 15, 2014Visibility & wipersAirbagsCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ E350A. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A DEER AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR THAT WAS DAMAGED DURING THE CRASH CAUSED THE AIR BAG WIRING TO MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 10644764

Jun 24, 2013BrakesAirbagsSpeed controlCrash1 injury

I WAS COMING OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE. I PROCEEDED TO THE ENTRANCE TO GARAGE. THE STREET WAS NARROW FOR TWO CARS TO PASS BY. I MADE A RIGHT TURN FROM THE GARAGE EXIT TO THE NARROW STREET WITH 5 MPH SPEED. THERE WERE TWO CARS ABOUT 25 FEET AWAY ALREADY ON THAT STREET. THOSE TWO CARS WERE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN ON MAIN STREET AT THE T JUNCTION. SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED TO 45 MPH APPROXIMATELY. I APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKE DID NOT EVEN SLOW DOWN THE CAR. WITH THE BRAKE NOT WORKING AND THE CAR ACCELERATING VERY FAST, THE CAR BECAME OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS APPROACHING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME, I STEERED MY CAR TO THE LEFT OF THESE TWO CARS. I WENT FAST BEYOND THESE TWO CARS AND CAME ON THE MAIN ROAD. I NOTICED A CAR WAS COMING CLOSE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE WHICH WOULD HAVE HIT MY CAR. AT THE SAME TIME, I NOTICED THAT ON THE LANE ON LEFT SIDE THERE WAS NO CAR IN CLOSE VICINITY. TO PROTECT OTHER CARS HITTING MY CAR, I STEERED MY CAR TO THE LEFT LANE AND DROVE MY CAR OVER THE CURB. THE CAR WENT OVER THE CURB AND HIT A STREET ELECTRIC POLE. THE CURB AND THE POLE STOPPED THE CAR. THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE FRONT OF MY CAR HIT THE POLE. THE IMPACT OF SUDDEN STOP DESTROYED THE FRONT MIDDLE PART OF THE CAR AND ALSO SHATTERED THE GLASS WINDSHIELD. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. UPON MY INSISTING, MERCEDES BENZ CHECKED THE CAR FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND BRAKE FAILURE. THEY TOLD US THAT NOTHING WAS MALFUNCTIONING IN MY CAR. I DO NOT TRUST THEM: SO I SEEK YOUR HELP IN THIS INVESTIGATION FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND BRAKE FAILURE AS THEY DID NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF CAR MALFUNCTIONING. I WAS TAKEN TO EMERGENCY FOR TREATMENT IN AN AMBULANCE. I MISSED SEVERAL DAYS FROM OFFICE. I AM STILL PHYSICALLY HURTING ON NECK/SHOULDERS AND CONTINUE TO TAKE PRESCRIPTION PAIN KILLERS; BUT LUCKY TO BE LIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10522362

Aug 12, 2011AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ E-350. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR-END CRASH. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE GUARDRAIL. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAGS BUT HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A RETURN CALL. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT HAD THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SEVERE REDUCTION IN THE INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

NHTSA ODI 10419189

Working with the data? Download all 295 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Mercedes-benz E-class verdict →