What 165 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

Sunroof glass shattered water got in the car

NHTSA ODI 11737905

There is a recall on my year model 2017 Mercedes E3 hundred 4matic for the steering column shift module, but I’m being told that my specific vin was not included, but it is having the exact issues as the recall while driving the shift lever will not leave drive to go into reverse. It will only go to park. It refuses shift commands. If I shut the engine off and turn it back on sometimes it will allow me to go into other gears again.

NHTSA ODI 11735276

Code P052E after oil changed. seems to happen often judging my forums.

NHTSA ODI 11734140

My car is not accelerating when I shift into drive or reverse. It says “reversing not possile-service required” error. Out the blue. There is a known recall on these model cars but Mercedes benz is saying its vin specific and mine is not covered even though I am experiencing the exact same issue. Recall date- 2017-02-07 Recall no. 17V078000

NHTSA ODI 11732941

I’m having issues with my control module not going forward or backwards at times and there was a recall on models of this vehicle for that exact reason NHTSA ID: 17V078000 Issued: Feb 2, 17. Dealership is telling me it’s not open. I’m scared for my safety when my car doesn’t shift in the correct gear. This started in 2021 or 2022 and I’m not getting resolution. When getting my bumper repaired I noticed that this was on the recall list a few years ago. I’ll submit the papers I received form Park Place.

NHTSA ODI 11730864

I own a 2017 mercedes benz e-class. I'm starting to smell gasoline in the cabin and also outside of my vehicle. I tried entering my VIN number to see if any recalls. There is something listed for the smell of gas. Can someone help me regarding this matter.

NHTSA ODI 11725111

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe. The contact stated that the silver metal coating on the seat release lever was rough and jagged on both driver and passenger sides of the two door vehicle. The contact's son had grabbed the front seat release lever to access the rear passenger’s side seat and cut his hand. The cut was approximately 2-3 inches long. No medical attention was needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the failure was common with the vehicle and that the coating was known to peel due to heat. The contact was concerned that the failure occurred as his vehicle was stored in the garage and sustained less heat exposure due to its maintenance/care. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 11722261

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Reverse not Possible - Service Required" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact waited for approximately five to ten minutes, and the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic shift lever had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact picked up the vehicle from the dealer, and two days later, the same message was displayed. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The message "Reverse not Possible - Service Required” was displayed. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road, and the contact waited before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Transmission Control Module (TCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

NHTSA ODI 11714019

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly while turning. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics and to the dealer, but no DTC was retrieved. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V714000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11700877

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong gasoline odor entering the vehicle through the vents, and the odor was on the interior and exterior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change; however, the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V961000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

NHTSA ODI 11700674

Strong smell of Fuel or exhaust fumes in the cabin, while vehicle is idling, parked or stoped at the light.

NHTSA ODI 11698622

The Air bag light just came on when I turned the car on I had it checked by a mechanic and by an electrician. The code is B000113 The Squib For The Driver Airbag (Stage 1) Has A Malfunction. There Is An Open Circuit. They checked the clock spring it’s plugged in and even tried using a new air bag but they believe the clock spring is broken.

NHTSA ODI 11687067

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11685111

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding serious and repeated issues with my 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300, purchased and serviced exclusively by authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships. 1. Repeated OEM Run-Flat Tire Failures Within the past two years, I have been forced to replace nine OEM run-flat tires, including:    •   3 replacements at Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner, VA    •   2 replacements at Goodyear Tires, Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, FL    •   4 additional replacements at certified service centers These failures occur under normal driving conditions, often without visible punctures or road hazards, and at safe speeds. Each tire replacement costs approximately $550, plus towing, diagnostic fees, and rental car costs. The financial and safety burdens are substantial, and this level of tire failure is not normal for any vehicle—particularly a low-mileage, luxury sedan. 2. Electrical/Dashboard Recording Malfunction My dashboard service history fails to record service visits, even when performed at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. This is deeply concerning as it compromises vehicle resale value, warranty tracking, and transparency of maintenance records. Despite multiple visits and attempts by service centers, the issue persists without resolution. 3. Financial Impact and Brand Reputation The total cost of repeated tire replacements and unresolved electrical issues has reached several thousand dollars, despite my vehicle having relatively low mileage and receiving all recommended service at authorized dealers. This experience is completely inconsistent with the quality and reliability promised by the Mercedes-Benz brand. I am requesting the following:    •   Full investigation into the defect rate of OEM run-flat tires on the 2017 E-Class models    •   Immediate inspection and repair of the dashboard/electrical recording issue at no cost to me    •   Reimbursement for tire-related costs and associated expenses incurred due to repeated failures.

NHTSA ODI 11680306

Mercedes-Benz E300 is affected by a Transmission Control Module (TCM) recall, you might notice these symptoms: - Delayed or rough shifting: The transmission may hesitate or struggle to change gears. - Slipping gears: The car might unexpectedly shift out of gear or fail to stay in the correct gear. - Unresponsive transmission: You may experience difficulty accelerating or feel like the car is stuck in a lower gear. - Warning lights: The check engine or transmission warning light may illuminate on the dashboard. - Limp mode activation: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe mode, restricting speed and performance to prevent further damage.

NHTSA ODI 11660892

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated before shifting to a higher gear. The contact stated that the transmission was also slipping out of gear, and the vehicle shifted into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission was not shifting above second gear. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission control module (TCM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V078000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11660928

When using Map apps through CarPlay, I’ve noticed two consistent problems: Inaccurate Vehicle Speed: The carplay speedometor does not match the the actual speedometer of the vehicle, which seems always 1.6 times higher than the actual(seems to be the metric confusion from mph to kmh). GPS Drift: The location shown on the map is frequently ahead of my actual position, which causes navigation directions (especially turns and exits) to be slightly mistimed. However, when the speedometer is correct, the GPS drift issue would disappear automatically. So I assume that these two issues are correlated. These issues can be confusing and potentially unsafe while driving. I’ve tested other navigation apps on CarPlay and found they do exhibit the same behavior, so I suspect the issue may be general to Mercedes E300 and probably other vehicles. I did a bit of research and found it to be a common issue of Mercedes E300 2017. Please see attached link for the threads from MB forum. https://mbworld.org/forums/gls-class-x167/843643-wrong-speed-limit-detected.html Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to your reply. Best regards

NHTSA ODI 11658033

A warning saying Front Right Malfunction Service Required. I took my vehicle to a mercedes dealership to have my vehicle inspected. I was told that the Airbag seat cushion/weight sensing control unit all needed to be repaired/fixed. I have an extended warranty but this was not covered. I was told my Airbag might not be deployed if I was involved in an accident and someone was in my front passenger seat. "No one should ride in the front passenger seat until this situation is taken care of." I feel strongly that this should have been covered, plus it should've been a recall on this. It's a real safety issue!!! This need to be on the recall list for all mercedes or other vehicles with this particular issue.

NHTSA ODI 11649279

The instrument panel that displays the digital speed, warning lights, etc. went black suddenly when turning on the car. It came back on suddenly while driving on the highway but after the car was turned off and restarted, the instrument panel has remained black. This is a huge safety issue as there is no warning light indicators, merging lanes does not signal if another car is present, among many other concerns. The vehicle has been inspected by mechanic. There was no warning indicators that instrument panel would go black suddenly. It happened in February 2025.

NHTSA ODI 11648086

The automatic breaking assist is malfunctioning most of the time it just gives me a warning on the dash that it is limited a few times it has bumped the brakes briefly like it was sensing something in front of the car the perimeter sensors are malfunctioning as well like it’s sensing something all around the car very close then those sensors completely shut off and don’t work again until the car is shut off and started again

NHTSA ODI 11647557

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift into drive as intended. In addition, the contact stated that when the gear shifter was shifted into drive after several attempts, the gear shifter shifted to drive three instead of drive one. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission control module and a shift level module failure. The contact was informed that the transmission control module and shift level module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that when the failure had started, the transmission slipped, and the gear shifter independently shifted into neutral. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646680

P052E code. my car is only have 18455 mileage.

NHTSA ODI 11644428

Crankcase ventilation system has failed. Spending $1700 because Mercedes won’t fix it because it’s a known issue and requires a lot of work. They left my car sitting in their parking lot for a week. I have the screen shots to prove it.

NHTSA ODI 11641643

Seat pressure sensor for supplemental restraint system (SRS) routinely fails. The system generates and error and disables the front passenger airbag. The condition clears when the vehicle is turned off. Sensors have been recalibrated multiple times. System still routinely fails.

NHTSA ODI 11640986

While getting in to start my vehicle I got a message code on my screen saying Steering Malfunction, Increased Physical Effort. I contacted Mercedes USA and was told they had a recall on my vehicle which is a 2017 E300 Mercedes Benz. The recall effected vehicles made from July 29,2016 - February 14-2017. My vehicle was within this range being as though it was produced in 08/16. My car only has around 20k miles, basically a new vehicle inside and out. Even though my vin # is not showing as being part of this recall, I'm having the exact same issue and would like my vin# to be included. Thanks kindly.

NHTSA ODI 11638588