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

While using the adaptive cruise system (Distronic plus) on an open section of interstate highway the system will act as though it detects cars where there are none. Sometimes this will result in a slight slowing down of the car without the braking warning signal, but sometimes the braking warning signal will come on and is followed by aggressive braking for no apparent reason. This has happened several times where the system falsely detects the need to decelerate on its own when there is nothing in the road to cause it.

NHTSA ODI 11423711

BRAKE LINE FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO REAR WHEELS ROTTEN, STARTED LEAKING. VEHECLE HAS 35000 MILES, ACCORDING TO VITI MECEDES BENZ DEALER, THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM THAT THEY REPORTED IN THE PAST,NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11415029

I I GET IN A MINOR ACCIDENT WHEN MY BRAKES FAILED AND MERCEDES BENZ CHARGE ME $8000.00 TO FIX IT . I AM [XXX] AND DRIVE ABOUT 4000 MILES AYEAR.*DT PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11402794

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR ITS ANNUAL SERVICE ON JANUARY 21, 2021, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME AND BRAKE LINES WERE SO BADLY RUSTED THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE ENTIRE SUBFRAME AND REAR LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,300 (MERCEDES BENZ USA GAVE ME A "GOOD WILL" DISCOUNT SO I PAID LESS THAN THAT AMOUNT). I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND I TAKE METICULOUS CARE OF IT. IT IS PARKED IN A GARAGE, RECEIVES EVERY RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE CHECK AT THE SAME MECHANIC (EURO MOTORCARS BETHESDA, MD) AND HAS LOW MILEAGE FOR ITS AGE. ONLY ONE YEAR AND 7,000 MILES HAD ELAPSED BETWEEN THE CAR'S LAST SERVICE AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE CORROSION. IN OTHER WORDS, IN JUST ONE YEAR THE SUBFRAME OF THE CAR CORRODED TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS SO UNSAFE TO DRIVE THAT ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC I AM LUCKY THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE FOR UPWARDS OF 10 YEARS AND NONE OF THEM HAVE HAD RUST CORROSION ISSUES. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING DEFECTIVE WITH THE MATERIALS MERCEDES BENZ USED ON THIS VEHICLE'S SUBFRAME. THE NHTSA DATABASE SHOWS THAT ANOTHER PERSON WITH THE SAME VEHICLE (WHO COINCIDENTALLY SEEMS TO HAVE PURCHASED HIS CAR AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MINE - EURO MOTORCARS BETHESDA) ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. HOW MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM BUT DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN FILE A SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA? THE MECHANIC TOOK A SHORT VIDEO OF THE CORROSION THAT I AM NOT ATTACHING TO THIS COMPLAINT; PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO SEND IT.

NHTSA ODI 11396413

I WAS DRIVING AND ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND THE BRAKES LIGHT WENT ON "LOW FLUID" TAKING IT TO MANHATTAN BENZ AND THEY CHARGE ME $8614.50 BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO REPLACE ALL THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES. IAM 80 AND MAX. DRIVING 5000MILES/YR

NHTSA ODI 11365973

I HAVE A MODEL YEAR 2013 MERCEDES E350 THAT HAS A SAFETY DEFECT WITH RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY YOUR AGENCY. DURING A RECENT VISIT TO THE MERCEDES DEALER (EUROMOTORCARS IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND), I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR HAS SEVERELY RUSTED BRAKE LINES THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY AT A COST OF ABOUT $3300. I SUBSEQUENTLY HAD MY CAR INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP (STAR CAR AUTO SERVICE IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND) THAT CONFIRMED THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS THAT THE BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED AND NEED TO BE REPLACE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME HE HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE ON MANY CARS LIKE MINE. AS A RETIRED SENIOR, I HAVE OWED NUMEROUS VEHICLES (ONE CAR I OWNED FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS) AND NEVER HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE LINES REPLACED ON ANY OF MY CARS. HAVING TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE ON A SEVEN YEAR OLD CAR WITH ONLY 37,000 MILES IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BY ANY STANDARD AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY YOUR AGENCY. I HAVE ATTACHED THE ESTIMATE FROM THE DEALER AND PICTURES TAKEN BY THE DEALER OF THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AND FOR OTHERS ON THE ROAD AS A BRAKE LINE FAILURE COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SERIOUS ISSUE OF RUSTING BRAKE LINES ON MY 2013 MERCEDES E350.

NHTSA ODI 11319024

1- NEW COMPLETE BRAKE JOBS DONE BY MERCEDES DEALER BUT THE SHUDDER ALWAYS THERE. TOOK THEM TO MERCEDES DEALER AGAIN FOR INSPECTION AND PAID $90.00 PLUS. NOTHING WRONG BUT THE SHUDDER IS STILL THERE. 2- REAR SUSPENSION KEEP DROPPING OVERNIGHT PARK IN A GARAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11071611

I HAVE HAD A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E550 FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS NOW AND LIKE IT IN MANY RESPECTS EXCEPT ONE. IT BOTHERS ME EVERY TIME I DRIVE SO MUCH SO THAT I FEEL COMPELLED TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST. WHEN I SLOW THE VEHICLE TO AN IMPERCEPTIBLE CRAWL, THE AUTOMATIC ADAPTIVE BRAKE ASSIST KICKS IN, BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A SUDDEN, ABRUPT AND JERKY STOP UNLESS THE GEAR IS IN NEUTRAL. IT IS ANNOYING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE GUEST PASSENGERS. IT REFLECTS POORLY ON THE DRIVER AND THE EMBARRASSMENT IS REGRETFUL. I HAVE OWNED AND OPERATED LUXURY CARS INCLUDING MERCEDES-BENZ FOR YEARS BUT HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS NUISANCE LIKE THIS. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE JUSTIFICATION ON ACCOUNT OF SAFETY, CONVENIENCE OR COMFORT FOR MERCEDES-BENZ ENGINEER TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A MEASURE. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF BRAKE ASSIST IN A PANIC SITUATION, BUT THIS IS IN NO WAY CLOSE TO ANY SIMULATION OF A PANIC STOP. I COMPLAINED TO THE LOCAL MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER AS WELL AS MERCEDES-BENZ USA HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS ANOMALY AND THOUGHT THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND COULD TWEAK THE COMPUTER FIRMWARE TO BYPASS ADAPTIVE BRAKE ASSIST AT NEAR ZERO SPEED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING WHEN THE DESIGNER INTENDED THE VEHICLE TO ACT THAT WAY. IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF OVER-ENGINEERING OR OVERSIGHT?

NHTSA ODI 10722091

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E400 HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO COME TO A STOP. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120.

NHTSA ODI 10496887