What 185 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

Contacted Mercedes because Dealer said it was a common problem. Airbag light was on. I was told that airbags could unsafely deploy as driving the vehicle and the issue was connected to the steering column. After looking online, I found that there are several drivers that could be in unsafe conditions while driving the car who reported the same thing. I contacted Mercedes to advise and Mercedes was dismissive. My concern is for innocent people that could be in danger because of Mercedes defects or possible negligence in addressing the safety issue that could lead to the loss of life.

NHTSA ODI 11595435

The brake fluid lines rusted. The front line, due to the rusted hole, leaked brake fluid to the point that the car had little to no braking ability. In addition, the computer warning did not activate. The car was taken to the dealer, where they verified that the computer warning did not activate, and that the brake fluid had bleed out causing the vehicle to have no brakes. This is a dangerous situation! The car is a little over 10 years old, has about 54,000 miles. Had I been on the highway and tried to make a hard stop, I could have had a terrible accident. The dealer now has the car for repairs, but there are many other E350 that have posted online that they have had an identical situation where the brake fluid lines have rusted out! This leaves the driver, without any warning, to be put in a life threating situation!

NHTSA ODI 11588455

Complete system brake failure. Brake lines are completely corroded.

NHTSA ODI 11586048

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the panoramic sunroof was making a crackling sound as if it was about to fracture. The contact was concerned that the sunroof glass might fracture with impact with passengers seated inside the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584985

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350W4 equipped with Continental Tires, Tires Line: Continental Pure Contact IS, Tires Size: 245/40/R18 and DOT Number: AF2PWD41. The contact stated while starting the vehicle,  the Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the tires appeared deflated. The contact added air to the tires; however, the failure recurred the following morning. The contact added air to the tire. The contact stated that the failure occurred in low-temperature weather. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The tires were not diagnosed or replaced. The tires were replacement tires. The Tire manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The tires failure mileage was approximately 10,889. The vehicle failure mileage was 59,848.

NHTSA ODI 11578337

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E550. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the vehicle brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop. During the failure, the "Forward Collision Avoidance" feature had malfunctioned. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 20,800.

NHTSA ODI 11576789

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the power steering function was inoperable, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured steering box. The contact was informed that the steering box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts to complete the repair were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI 11575577

My break’s completely failed with no warning signs while I was driving on the freeway. About 6 months ago my driver side break lines were rusted and had a leak in the line causing my brakes to fail. The line was replaced with nickel copper lines and on Sunday when driving the car at 40 mph for ten minutes and the breaks began to fail. As I pulled over to get to safety after parking the car the check BREAK fluid level warning came on the dashboard. I got the car towed to my house and the following morning I added brake fluid the following and realized it’s leaking near the rear brake line on the driver side. But why and how?

NHTSA ODI 11575232

My vehicle was pulling in the rear when braking. My mechanic informed me that it was a rotted undercarriage. When I called Mercedes they informed me that there is a problem with many models of Mercedes with this. They told me there is a warranty to cover it. This is a very dangerous condition. There should be a recall on all impacted vehicles. This safety failure and lack of transparency by the company (reportedly known for years) puts owners and motorists at risk. Please investigate. To make matters worse, the Dealers are unresponsive and slow to provide service and help. One dealership, Mercedes in New London CT has ignored my repeated phone calls and emails trying to clarify and schedule service. I went to another dealership Mercedes in Warwick RI. They have been more responsive with confirming the issue--but there are delays in getting the vehicle fixed--and no provision of loaner vehicles requiring the renting of vehicles during this time frame. Please investigate and require a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11561703

Rotting Subframe prematurely

NHTSA ODI 11551861

When driving on a highway, heard a clunk and lost all power. Not much traffic and was able to pulled over to side of road. Mechanic reported that front drive shaft failed. Not sure of exact details but could have involved the bolts in the driveshaft shearing off. Apologies for the late report, did not know owners could make these reports.

NHTSA ODI 11539315

Corrosion in rear brake line. Brought car for warranty service for rear subframe corrosion at a Mercedes dealership, and the service advisor noted corrosion in rear brake line. Researched online and another complaint for same issue was denied in October 14, 2020 (85 FR 65136). A website [XXX] lists anecdotal evidence of complaints following the initial investigation. Since it is the same problem effecting same model year as the subframe, further investigation seems warranted. Before being brought in, the car fishtailed, which could have been due to the defective subframe. No lights or warnings. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11538949

Brake fluid low light came on. Brake peddle was low. I brought it to dealer and said brake line was corroded and leaking. I have read that this is a problem with this year model.

NHTSA ODI 11532699

Rusted, corroded subframe. Diagnosed by dealer as unsafe to drive upon 70K service visit.

NHTSA ODI 11531351

On July 5, 2023, I was driving my 2013 Mercedes E350, when a red text warning appeared in the speedometer display: "BRAKE Check Brake Fluid Level". I immediately took my car to the dealer's repair shop at Contemporary Motor Cars in Little Silver, NJ. Their mechanic inspected and found that both rear brake lines were leaking and needed to be replaced. I requested that they do the necessary repairs. The total cost I paid was $2309.18. My car has 106,352 miles driven. In my 50+ years of driving, I have never experienced such a serious failure in the many cars I previously owned. Subsequently I did some research and found the the NHTSA denied a Defect Petition DP20-004 for a complaint that had been filed by Mr. Surjit Singh for the same failure in his 2013 Mercedes E350. I also found many other on-line complaints about leaking rear brakes lines in 2013 model Mercedes E350 cars. I recommend the NHTSA re-investigate this serious car defect.

NHTSA ODI 11531038

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle veered into another lane. Additionally, while her son was driving at high speeds, he detected a shimmy in the front end. While approaching a stop, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle was slow to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526073

While under a hard stop the vehicle’s rear end started to swing back and forth suddenly causing loss of control of the vehicle. Mercedes Benz diagnosed the problem as a rusted through subframe which they’ve said is a “known issue” and extended the warranty on the part. The part is unavailable and there’s no ETA from Mercedes which means that the vehicle is unsafe to drive and cannot be repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11518503

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E550. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for servicing, the dealer diagnosed that oil had leaked from the cam adjusters to the wiring harness and had reached the ECU. The dealer replaced the camshaft position sensors, the camshaft solenoid and the ECU. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

NHTSA ODI 11517088

The 2013 Mercedes Benz E350 model has a problem wherein the windshield sealant used by Mercedes Benz has deteriorated to the point wherein water is leaking into the car cabin. The windshield is supposed to be an integral structural part of the vehicle and should not separate from the car. The separation of the windshield from the car is a huge safety risk to the driver as well as others on the road - especially if the driver is going at speeds of 65MPH on the freeway. The vehicle and the windshield was inspected by the authorised and official Mercedes Benz dealership and they confirmed the findings that the factory sealant used to seal the windshield had deteriorated and separated from the rest of the car body to the point wherein water was leaking into the car cabin.

NHTSA ODI 11509874

Same problem that many others have reported. Took car dealer for a battery. Was told subframe is rusted and about $5000 to fix and that if not fixed could lead to car failure. 1) Why has Mercedes not informed the many thousand 2010-2014 C-Class and E-Class drivers affected by this dangerous defect. Many do not take their cars to the dealership for service anymore and could miss the problem until it is too late. 2) These cars have been recalled in Germany and elsewhere. Why not in the United States? 3) Is this situation up the the standards of NHTSA? If not why has a recall not been ordered? 4) Is there a difference in weighing customer safety against company bottom-line in the US compared to other countries? Thanks.

NHTSA ODI 11505557

While driving, car suddenly goes to park, and stops , I was rear ended because of the sudden stop. When approaching red light, as soon as I start slowing down, it would without warning change gear to Park and would stop. In a heavy traffic, as soon as I started slowing down would go straight to Park and stop on the middle of highway. Mercedes Benz is aware of this problem, since they issued a bulletin for EIS ( Electronic ignition switch)

NHTSA ODI 11501610

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being State Inspected, the vehicle failed due to a rusted subframe. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was sway coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. There was also a slight vibration coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11500788

RUST ON THE REAR SUBFRAME AND CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. MB WILL NOT HELP AND THESE CARS ARE A DANGER TO THE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AND WILL CAUSE DEATH IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD 5K TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ALL THESE CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND MB IS NOT TAKING THE BLAME FOR THIS AND NOT LISTING THIS AS A RECALL TILL SOMEONE DIES.

NHTSA ODI 11498731

I took my vehicle to Sun Mercedes for a Pennsylvania safety inspection on 14 Dec 2022. I was approached by the service representative that my vehicle failed inspection. There is a rust hole in the left rear sub-frame. He indicated this is common to Mercedes vehicles of my type/years. The location of rust is common and appears to stat from inside the frame. I saw many similar cases in my research. Also read that Mercedes covers the costs in some of the cases, specifically in United Kingdom and other countries. Here is ink to service video: http://smcipa.mkvwa43.com/p/thwROZ.html

NHTSA ODI 11497980

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that an abnormal, fuel odor was coming from the vehicle without warning. The contact later noticed a small leak coming from the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed that the fuel leak was caused by severe corrosion to the subframe. The contact was then informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11495598