What 233 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger's side air bags warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headrest deployed inadvertently. No further information was provided. The message "Pre-safe Inoperable - Check Owner's Manual" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of an unknown passenger's side air bag recall repair that was previously performed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11617281

Rusted/leaking brakes lines to rear of vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11617362

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds; when the brake pedal was depressed, the brake pedal failed to return to the original position. The contact stated that upon inspection, the brake pedal felt abnormally loose and there was a brake fluid leak present. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was lifted and was noticed that the sub-frame was rusted. An appointment with the dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle as a second opinion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11612577

The fuel pump filter failed and myself and grandchildren became sickened by the fumes. Once the back seat was removed and inspected by an independent source you could see how the gas had leaked into this area. There was no warning lights or messages that had appeared. This problem could easily ignited a dangerous fire situation.

NHTSA ODI 11612111

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the filter flange was cracked. There was an abnormal fuel odor detected. The vehicle was leaking fuel near the fuel tank onto the ground. After refueling and driving five miles, the fuel was depleted to half a tank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V557000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no open recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 143,459.

NHTSA ODI 11606084

The rear brake lines on my 2012 Benz E350 has a lot of corrosion and one of the blowout while stopping from 25mph to a complete stop. Upon further inspection, it was completely rusty in many places. Mercedes needs to address this issue because its unsafe rather danger to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11602001

Rear subframe has rust perforation causing instability and stopping issues with the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11599557

The rear subframe is corroded and needs to be replaces - there was no prior warning and the Benz dealer stated this is something that only is evident to even the most highly trained mechanics once it is at the point of total failure. The rear brake lines are also corroded and the Benz dealer will only pay for the subframe and not the very expensive rear brake line replacement which seems to be entirely related.

NHTSA ODI 11595448

I purchased the car late April. I drove the car for three or four days and started noticing a rattling coming the front right part of the car (passenger side.). I chatted with the warranty company (SilverRock.). They asked me to take it to a Meineke auto repair facility in Olympia, WA. Meinke’s mechanic diagnosed it as a loose component involving the brake caliper. He informed me they were covering it under the warranty, & asked me to bring the car back on Wednesday as he was short staffed. I brought the car back on Wednesday, it was there all day. He called late in the afternoon and informed me they found the problem and that SilverRock had amended the claim and refused to cover it. Told me it needed new brakes for 800+ bucks. That being said it was also sold to me with gouges out of several tires. Of which I have photos. This is inexcusable it is also a safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11595153

My check engine light has been on for about a year, I have been told by both the dealerships here in Memphis/Collierville that as long as the light is an orange color there is nothing to worry about but it has been on consistently for about a year. I had a Diagnostic test done on [XXX] by Dr. Benz Affordable Mercedes Benz care and it was revealed that ME control module, oxygen sensor, engine wiring harness has oil intrusion all throughout. I would hate to attempt to drive my vehicle and all of a sudden it is severely damaged because of this. I feel this may be a very costly expense and would like some assistance in taking care of this matter. I love my car and have not had any problems, and hope to have it several years more. I only have 116,038 miles on this 2012 vehicle that I purchased in 2015 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11592524

BRAKE LINES TO THE REAR HAVE CORRODED AND CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN.

NHTSA ODI 11590085

On April 29, 2024, I was driving my 2012 E350 Mercedes and the brakes failed upon leaving an appointment. There was less than 10% stopping ability. Fortunately, I was able to use my transmission toggles and Emergency brake as back up, if needed. I immediately stopped to pick up brake fluid and filled the reservoir which was virtually empty. Drove the vehicle home, left it parked for two hours and then tried to then drive it again but to no avail. The system had "bled" all over my garage floor and driveway. As such it was taken to the dealership on a flatbed. Estimated repair... $1,700 This follows having to replace the cargo springs due to corrosion and breakage, the rear suspension sub assembly currently being replaced due to corrosion which Mercedes acknowledged is a problem and is covering under an extended warranty. In my mind, all of this is related and certainly a safety concern, beyond the expensive repair costs already and now currently being incurred. Can you help?

NHTSA ODI 11586710

On my recent visit to my trusted independent service center, which specializes in Mercedes-Benz, they noticed serious corrosion problems. There were no symptoms to alert me to any problem. Also, I never received the notice from MB so how would I know? My mechanic asked me to sign a waiver (which I never have had to do before) that stated the rear subframe was rotted completely through; needs to be replaced ASAP; and is unsafe to drive. The rear brakes lines also had corrosion. This tells me the car is unsafe to drive, and must be fixed. It seems that MB issued an "extended warranty" to cover the rear subframe, but not the rear brake lines. I contacted MB Corporate who said they 'may' offer some assistance. I have an appointment next week with a MB dealer who must provide an estimate of the damage and cost to MB for their approval before doing any work. As a result of learning what's eating my car underneath, I won't take it on any extended trips. I really am afraid of something bad happening. And it has, to many others. No one should ever have to get into a car and worry about these two safety issues. It’s very important that Mercedes-Benz recognizes its responsibility to not only its customers, but to all the other drivers on the road who can be negatively affected through accidents caused by these corrosion issues.

NHTSA ODI 11586178

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V557000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 183,000.

NHTSA ODI 11583047

Brake line corroded under protective cover. Was driving and felt mushy brakes and came home to almost no brake fluid. Found leak under driver side door. Kind of weird because it’s under a cover.

NHTSA ODI 11575198

The top of the fuel pump is leaking (driver rear side, under the seat) and the leaking can be seen outside of the car as a moisture on the underside of the car. The fuel filter side (passenger side, under the seat) has a small amount of fuel moisture. The current mileage on car is 76,620 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11570840

The Electronic Steering Lock (ESL) will fail and cause the vehicle to become disabled. The failure of this part will leave the owner strained and unable to use any functions of the car. You can’t even put the vehicle into neutral to move the vehicle. Everything is locked. There have been numerous reports of this failure on various Mercedes Benz forums on the web. Also, many videos outlining this problem on YouTube. Yes, the problem has been reproduced by an independent repair facility. Mercedes Benz is aware of this problem regarding the ESL part. I believe they even published a TSB regarding the failure of this part. The car did not display any warning lamps or messages. The car is just dead! It’s very scary getting into your car and it doesn’t start when you turn the key. All other systems checked out on the car i.e. battery, voltage, fuses, sensors etc. Once that ESL stops working your car becomes a static display.

NHTSA ODI 11570918

rear sub frame corroded which results in unsafe driving, corroded brake line which results in unsafe driving. blind spot sensor in the bumper is corroded due to no protection against environment.

NHTSA ODI 11567117

The car was parked in the driveway outside. In the AM when getting into the car I saw that the drivers HEAD-REST had engaged by itself during the day. There was no airbag only pieces of plastic and springs on the seat. The headrest was just hanging there and in no way could be reset. Car was taken to the dealer for repair. Extended warranty would not cover it stating airbag issue even though the headrest has no airbag. Dealer is repairing the headrest - total cost $1,800. Mercedes also does no want to cover it since the auto is a 2012. The problem was reported to Mercedes and they stated that there was no recall on the item. And that is it. Spoke to dealer who indicated that they have seen this problem before but not widespread. And that is it!! Mercedes quality is one to be desired.

NHTSA ODI 11560325

My car had a pool of brake fluid under the car and when I turned it on, it said the brake fluid was low. When I went to check the reservoir it was empty. The underpanels were removed and the brake lines were rotted out in several areas. I was shocked because my car is in mint condition and I have always avoided taking it out when the roads are salted in the winter. I am lucky this happened when the car was parked. This has never happened to the cars in my family which were never treated with as much care.

NHTSA ODI 11542912

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E550. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel sender unit was cracked, and that fuel was leaking into the rear seats of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the fuel sender unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11541184

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that there was a fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. The contact stated that after lifting the rear seats, he became aware of a puddle of fuel near the housing. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel filter flange had failed, and the fuel assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V557000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacture was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11540032

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350.The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started to jolt forward. Upon shifting to fourth gear, the vehicle stopped jolting. While depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle jolted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that oil was leaking into the engine and the wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11530862

Hello, A manufacturer should understand that Timing Chain is a vital component in an engine, an so should not say just tell consumer that it goes bad at a particular milage., As such in my MB E350 2012, is difficult to start the car and i think that this should be looked at. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11522564

My car will not start and I get a message stating "Remove key from ignition" every time I insert the key to try to start the car. It appears that the ESL has failed. I have visited several MB forums and it appears that this is a common issue, regardless of car mileage. This is a factory defect that really needs to be recalled and fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11521883