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What 88 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

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 (88)Crash / fire / injury (7)Airbags (30)Electrical system (10)Steering (9)Visibility & wipers (8)Body & structure (7)Engine (7)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Brakes (5)Fuel system (5)Speed control (5)

7 of 88 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 23, 2023SteeringSpeed controlBrakesCrash1 injury

I was driving my husband's 2016 E350 at 45 mph when the car accelerated. I attempted to control the speed by braking but the brake did not respond well. The steering wheel was also loose. The car sped up and turned left to the opposite side of the road, crossed the two lanes and hit the fence followed by a tree. The car was totaled, and the tree broke down at its branches. I survived the crush with two fractures on my back and on my left thumb.

NHTSA ODI 11540330

May 13, 2022AirbagsCrash1 injury

Someone ran a stop sign traveling at at least 30 mph and hit my car twice; once in the front, once in the rear. I hit my face on the steering wheel, was knocked unconscious, and received a concussion. The airbags never deployed.

NHTSA ODI 11464578

Mar 26, 2021AirbagsBrakesCrash

RIGHT PASSENGER AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. PARKING BRAKE FAIL TO ENGAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11405089

Oct 9, 2020SteeringCrash

POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION

NHTSA ODI 11363608

Jan 23, 2018EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. DIRECTLY AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT HEARD THREE EXPLOSIVE NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, OPENED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. MERCEDES-BENZ NATIONWIDE IN MIAMI, FLORIDA AND MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FIRE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 28,000. *TT *TR

NHTSA ODI 11064455

Jan 25, 2017AirbagsSeat beltsBrakesCrash1 injury

MY VEHICLE WAS MOVING THRU INTERSECTION WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT. I HIT THE BRAKES, BUT STILL CRASHED INTO SIDE OF OTHER VEHICLE AT 20-25 MPH. MY VEHICLE HAD FRONT END DAMAGE AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS. I WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT IT DID NOT HOLD ME TO THE SEAT. I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY CHEST AND HAD TO GO TO HOSPITAL FOR X-RAYS. ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALER SAID I WAS NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH TO DEPLOY AIR BAG. THAT IS NOT TRUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10947642

Jan 15, 2016SteeringCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING SYSTEM SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A SECOND VEHICLE. DURING THE CRASH, THE MESSAGE "MALFUNCTION" DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED LACERATIONS TO BOTH HANDS DURING THE CRASH, BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 10820475

Working with the data? Download all 88 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 2016 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon verdict →