What 300 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

Rear brake lines rusting and corrosion.

NHTSA ODI 11614148

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated on several occasions when the vehicle was turned off, the contact became aware of an abnormally strong gasoline odor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,950.

NHTSA ODI 11611544

Rear subframe snapped under hard braking on the highway and caused my to veer into leftmost lane. It was terrifying and a severe hazard on the highway. Had vehicle towed to my house. I lifted and inspected my car and found the rear subframe was rusted and a crack straight through. The rear brake lines were also severely corroded and are very close to failing. Front brake lines have no corrosion. It seems that the rear subframe and rear brake lines have the same anti rust coating which are clearly not sufficient.

NHTSA ODI 11609273

Fuel Leakage from the top of the Fuel Tank, leaking underneath the back seat. I'm told there was a past campaign to fix these issues in the Sedan Mercedes Benz E350. The problem was found by the fumes in my garage where I park the vehicle. My smoke and carbon monoxide alarm kept going off inside my house, and I had to call the fire department to help me identify where the fumes were coming from. No warning lamps or messages on the vehicle are present. When I called the dealership they told me there hasn't been a recall on the vehicles. I have had a diagnostic with the dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11607985

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated there was a fuel burning odor emitting from the vehicle when in the vehicle was parked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a fuel leak coming from the fuel tank. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000.

NHTSA ODI 11606723

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a gasoline odor inside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V792000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604456

took car in for an oil change. Have been hearing some noises in the rear. Mechanic just called telling us the rear sub frame rusted out. We have had the car 6 years. It has never been in a flood. we live in new jersey, no where near the shore.

NHTSA ODI 11603759

Engine camshaft position sensors are leaking oil which has "wicked" into the engine wiring harness and ECU. This is a common safety issue on this year and I would like to urge Mercedes to issue a recall as oil contamination within the electrical system can lead to a host of other safety concerns.

NHTSA ODI 11602721

The rear brake lines on my 2014 Benz E350 was blowout while stopping at a traffic light. After inspection, the both rear brake lines were rusted

NHTSA ODI 11602000

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the rear axle frame cracked, and the contact felt as if the vehicle was going to flip over. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the rear axle frame was cracked, and that the vehicle could not be driven. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure with an unknown Technical Service Bulletin; however, the manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the TSB. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11600567

I received a letter from Mercedes stating there was concern over 2010 to 2014 (est) that should be checked after 10 years. I can not find that letter. I have a 2014 EClass 350 model. Can you please tell me what is was? Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11596195

Rear subframe rusted was covered under an extended warranty (after a lawsuit), but the rear brake lines are also very rusted and not covered by warranty. Rear springs also broken (rusted) and bolts seized.

NHTSA ODI 11594841

Brake pedal went to floor and brake function became significantly impaired and dangerous. Took car to local shop who diagnosed as failed rear brake lines, and most of the entire length of the rear lines were in very bad condition. Car only has 104k on it. It doesn't take much searching on the internet to see how widespread of a problem this is, and even the dealer admits they do multiple of these per week on the W212 (and a few other platforms are affected). The front lines seem to be in good shape so there does seem to be a design issue here.

NHTSA ODI 11593191

All of a sudden my brake error lights went on while driving to work. By the time I could stop at a garage on the way my brake fluid was very low and more was added. Had to again add more when I got home just so I could take the car to my repair shop. Independent repair specializing in mercedes identified 4 leaks in rear brake lines. Pictures show that all leaks are at or adjacent to clips attaching to the car. Something is wrong with the design or materials for this to happen consistently in the same car. Mechanic said this isn't expected until cars get at least 100k and shouldn't be consistently in the same connections. The fluid was draining so fast that if someone were driving a longer distance they may not have the ability to refill before brake failure. This is a safety hazard to have so many material failures at the same area of the brake lines.

NHTSA ODI 11591565

Suspension Rear Sub-frame rusted through, rear Lower control arm disconnected from rear sub-frame due to rust/corrosion. It is available for inspection. While braking at highway speeds the car fishtailed and I almost lost control of the vehicle. This has not been confirmed or inspected by any service, Insurance or Police entity. No warning lights, messages etc. Brakes: Rear brake lines are severely corroded in the same area as the rear sub-frame. Electrical System: Battery continuously discharges and is dead after 5 hours.

NHTSA ODI 11590808

While driving in traffic there were loud popping and crackling sounds from the rear speakers. Then smoke appeared and an acrid burning smell. The smoke and loud sounds continued after I pulled over and turned the key off. I removed the fuses for the sound system and it remains inoperable. I went home and searched for this problem on the web and discovered that it is a common problem on 2014 Mercedes E350's. Despite this being cited as a common problem by owners, there is no recall. I called Mercedes-Benz USA and they reported that they were not aware of this problem. This event was very alarming and could have caused an accident when the smoke was coming into the passenger compartment. I believe it qualifies for a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11590052

I am losing brake fluid. Likely from rotted brake lines. Was given a quote attached below for repair of rotten brake lines 2 years ago. My friend has the same vehicle (a 2014 model) and had to replace brake lines for the same issue. I've never heard of break lines rotting and leaking on another make of vehicle after only 8 years of use at 70K. The car is always garaged, washed weekly and currently at 91K miles. I believe the coverage of the rear subframe should be extended to the break lines for this model of vehicle since it is a commonly reported problem per the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11587660

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the contact was informed that the rear driver's side control arm was severely corroded and had detached from the subframe. The contact was also informed that the failure caused premature tire wear on both rear tires. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the subframe and rear driver's side control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586561

Both driver and front passenger headrest airbags have deployed for no cause. This is is the second time this has occurred on both sides. No collision occurred in both incidents. First time it occurred under warranty and Mercedes fixed the issue. This time it occurred again and the car is not in warranty. Without functional headrest airbags the safety is greatly compromised for the occupants of the car and can lead to fatal incidents. It seems like a recurring problem with this model as it has occurred twice over 9+ years and both times there was no collision etc.

NHTSA ODI 11586036

Brake line failure , i have a 2014 E350 that the rear brake lines failed , all rusted and corroded , mercedes should extend the warranty on brake lines as they did with the subframe , this is a major safty concern , when you buy a mercedes you expect you are buying a top of the line car not all plastic .

NHTSA ODI 11583965

My 2014 Mercedes started getting a fault light with multiple performance issues. Mercedes dealer where I can carry out my routine maintenance diagnosed the issue to the electrical harness being contaminated with engine oil and it needed to be replaced on the engine because of a known issue whereby oil from the upper camshaft sensors seep into the harness and makes its way to ECU and causes possible failure of the engine control, which could lead to shutting down or worse, incorrect engine timing which would lead to incorrect detonation at the compressors and subsequently engine failure at critical operational phase. This below link and attached document describes the issue well. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11584134

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went down to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to respond as needed, causing a stopping distance delay. The message "Low Brake Fluid" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear metal brake tubes were corroded, which caused brake fluid to leak. The mechanic replaced the rear brake tubes. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11580602

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transfer case had failed. The vehicle was also taken to the dealer, and it was assumed that the failure might be related to the transmission; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11574001

Rear brake lines are rusting out prematurely caused by a defective rear sub frame

NHTSA ODI 11567635

My vehicle is having the same issue as follows in quotes from a Mercedes recall Campaign No.2017020018 (attached) : Replace Steering Column Module. Here is the description of the problem from that Mercedes recall "This Recall Campaign has been initiated because Daimler AG (‘DAG’), the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, has determined that on certain E-Class vehicles (213 platform) the column-mounted shift lever module might become inoperative due to possible damage to the internal circuit board. As a result, the vehicle might not move forward or rearward with the shift lever as selected by the driver. However, both the auto-P function and automatic parking brake will continue to operate as intended and prevent the vehicle from moving forward or rearward. If the vehicle does not move forward or rearward with the shift lever as selected by the driver, there is an increased risk of a crash" In my own words, on an intermittent basis, I could be in reverse, move the steering column shifter to drive, but the vehicle remains in reverse. Or, I could be in drive, put the steering column shifter in reverse, but the vehicle remains in drive. This problem is intermittent. It could happen many times in one day, and then not happen again for many weeks.

NHTSA ODI 11566414