What 66 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

In April 2022, I purchased a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E300 4MATIC from CarMax in Tinley Park, Illinois. After the purchase, I discovered several unresolved issues that compromised the vehicle's safety and reliability. Key components, including the battery and alternator, were defective. Mercedes-Benz confirmed the battery had not been replaced since 2018, despite CarMax’s assurance that it was new. This defect contributed to electrical system malfunctions, affecting the vehicle’s performance. Additionally, CarMax conducted substandard repainting on the backseat. The peeling paint transferred to my clothing while driving, causing financial losses and embarrassment. Issues with the rims were also mishandled, further compromising the vehicle's quality. CarMax failed to disclose unresolved safety recalls affecting critical vehicle systems, and their inadequate repairs and omissions put my safety at risk. These defects have caused significant inconvenience, financial loss, and concerns about the vehicle’s reliability. Despite requests, CarMax has not adequately addressed these issues. CarMax acquired the vehicle in 2021 from its first owner, who had purchased it in 2018. At the time of acquisition, the vehicle had been driven 45,069 miles. When I purchased it in 2022, the odometer read 57,925 miles, indicating that CarMax operated the vehicle for 12,856 miles. This period of use was later discovered to involve its usage as a loaner vehicle, a fact not disclosed during the transaction. Upon taking possession of the vehicle, I became aware of several safety issues that were not disclosed, including unresolved recalls affecting key components of the vehicle. Despite the critical nature of these recalls, CarMax sold the vehicle without addressing these defects or informing me of their existence. Omission of Material Safety Information: CarMax failed to disclose the vehicle’s use as a loaner car and any associated wear and tear, which likely exacerbated the safety risks.

NHTSA ODI 11635362

Mercedes AMG wheels crack under normal driving conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11566148

Two problems: 1. Axel grease found on carport cement multiple times. Mercedes refuses to look at the wheel bearings or axel. 2. Automatic steering wheel adjustment makes clunking noise. Mercedes refuses to replace until it fails. Both of those items should be covered under warranty which I think is why they refuse to fix them.

NHTSA ODI 11540551

I bought this 2018 e43 amg at 24k miles ,still under warranty ,and when I first told by dealer that there's a crack on my wheel I have to replace it ,I thought it was my driving even though I can't think of getting in a pothole whatsoever,so I shop around and found a random shop ,they showed me a picture of the exact same car of same year with the same problem on the same size 20in wheel ,crack on the oem wheels , I was thinking this is strange ,but I choose to trust the mb quality. Later on there's a noise coming from back seat ,I went to dealer and try to find out ,they did a good job found out they need to replace the whole rare end,and also found 2 wheels bent including the new wheel I just replaced,and another crack on one of the rare wheel which I think caused by the rare end issue ,and they did ,but the very second day I got my car back ,the noise is still there and getting worse ,Itried to contact the advisor to find out what's going on ,but he hangout on me and never call back ,I don't want to take any risk for them to say it's my driving that Hurst the rare end again which I drove really carefully,so I had to go back to dealer on the same day and have it quick checked ,the same advisor talked to me saying we replaced with the item that we ordered from mb directly and makes me feel like they are trying to blame me ,and using we don't have loaner car , it's gonna take a long time ,we are busy kind of excuses to make me go away but I insisted to have it checked,after 1 or 2 hours ,they told me they gonna order another rare end for me without telling me what's wrong ,but still let me drive it home . They noise and shaking is becoming worse only after 200 miles I was driving,so something wrong with the rare end of 2018 e43 amg and wheels too. With 1 whole rare end ,2 new wheels , still, problem not solved at all.

NHTSA ODI 11436103

I BOUGHT A 2018 MERCEDES BENZ E43 ABOUT A YEAR AGO WITH APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES. TODAY THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. IN THOSE 13,000 AND ABOUT ONE YEAR OF USE THE VEHICLE HAS DAMAGED THREE FRONT WHEELS AND FOUR FRONT TIRES. THE FIRST WHEEL HAD A 1.5' TRANSVERSE CRACK ALONG THE INNER RIM LIP AND WAS NOTICED BY ME ONLY 1,000 MILES OR LESS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THIS NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RIM AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TWO FRONT TIRES. THE SECOND WHEEL THAT WAS DAMAGED HAD A 6'-7' AND POSSIBLY LONGER LONGITUDINAL CRACK (SEE PHOTOS) ALONG THE INNER LIP THAT INDICATES THAT THE RIM FAILED STRUCTURALLY AND ALMOST CATASTROPHICALLY. THIS PARTICULAR FRONT RIGHT RIM WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE TIRE THAT WAS ALSO DAMAGED ON OCTOBER 10, 2020. TWO WEEKS LATER THE SAME WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLY WAS DAMAGED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE RIM WAS BENT AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. THIS VEHICLE UNDER TYPICAL AND CONSERVATIVE DRIVING CONDITIONS AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WITH THE SUSPENSION SET ON 'COMFORT' HAS DAMAGED THREE FRONT WHEELS AND FOUR FRONT TIRES. AS A RESULT OF THESE REPEATED AND CONTINUAL FAILURES OF THE FRONT WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLIES IT HAS BECOME RATHER CLEAR THAT THESE 20' DIAMETER WHEELS FAIL STRUCTURALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE MARGINAL IN TERMS OF YIELD STRENGTH AND HAVE ZERO ROAD HAZARD IMPACT RESISTANCE BUILT INTO THEM. THIS DEFECT MAKES THESE WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLIES AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE VERY UNSAFE TO OPERATE BECAUSE A CATASTROPHIC WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLY FAILURE CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME. AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS MANDATORY. THE CONFIGURATION AND USE OF 20' WHEELS WITH LOW-PROFILE RUN-PLAT PIRELLI TIRES ON THE 2018 E43 IS HIGHLY DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC WHEEL / TIRE ASSEMBLY FAILURE, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND LOSS OF LIFE.

NHTSA ODI 11372796

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE RECENTLY WITH 9,000 MILES IN. AFTER I TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME, I REALIZED THAT THE FRONT LEFT TIRE WAS SLOWLY LEAKING AIR. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL TIRE SHOP AND ASK THEM TO REMOVE THE TIRE FROM THE VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN WATER BATH TO SEE WHERE IT WAS LEAKING AIR FROM BECAUSE I COULD NOT FIND A NAIL OR OTHER ROAD HAZARD ON THE TIRE. IT TURNS OUT THE ALLOY RIM OF THIS AMG E43 MERCEDES BENZ HAD A 1.5' LONG CRACK AT THE INSIDE LIP OF THE RIM AND IT WAS LEAKING AIR FROM THERE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER AND I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THIS RIM AT NO COST SINCE I JUST HAD PURCHASED THIS EXPENSIVE CAR. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR A NEW RIM BUT THAT THEY WOULD WELD IT AT NO COST AND IT WOULD BE AS GOOD AS NEW. I LET THEM WELD IT THEREFORE. TODAY, ON 4/17/2020 I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TIRE SHOP TO CHANGE THE FRONT TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN. THE FRONT TIRES WERE SHOT AT 16,000 MILES. WHEN THE TIRE SHOP PUT THE WELDED RIM ON THE BALANCE MACHINE AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW TIRE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RIM WAS BENT WHERE IT WAS WELDED. THE TIRE SHOP EXPLAINED THAT THIS RIM WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE THE RIM THAT THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY FIXED AND NOW FOUND TO BE BENT. THEY TOLD ME THAT 'THEY GET MANY MERCEDES RIMS THAT ARE CRACKED AND BENT' AND REFUSED TO REPLACE THE RIM. THE RIM IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. IT WAS NOT DAMAGED BY A POTHOLE BUT IT CRACKED AT THE INSIDE LIP BECAUSE THESE RIMS ARE USED WITH STIFF LOW PROFILE RUN FLAT TIRES AND STIFF SUSPENSIONS AND ARE NOT DESIGNED TO TAKE THE LOADS THAT THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. I AM A PH.D. IN MECHANICAL / AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AND I ASSURE YOU THAT THESE RIMS ARE NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND, ARE THEREFORE UNSAFE AND MUST BE RECALLED BECAUSE THE STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THESE RIMS IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11321451

I BOUGHT THIS 2018 VEHICLE WITH 9,000 MILES. I NOTICED AFTER COUPLE WEEKS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING AIR FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. AT THAT POINT THE CAR LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. I FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE FRONT LEFT ALLOY WHEEL HAD DEVELOPED A 1.5" LONG CRACK AT THE INSIDE LIP OF THE WHEEL AND IT WAS LEAKING AIR FROM THERE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO INSTALL A NEW RIM AT NO COST TO ME. THEY REFUSED TO DO THAT BUT THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE RIM (WELD IT) AND THAT IT WOULD BE AS GOOD AS NEW. TODAY, ON 04/17/2020 I TOOK THE CAR TO REPLACE THE TWO FRONT TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE WORN AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT LESS THAN 16,000 MILES. WHEN THE TIRE SHOP TECHNICIAN PUT THE TIRE WITH THE REPAIRED RIM ON THE BALANCE MACHINE HE DISCOVERED THAT THIS ALLOY RIM WAS BENT OUT OF SHAPE AND WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON. I AM A PH.D. IN MECHANICAL / AEROSPACE ENGINEERING AND GIVEN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE, I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE FRONT RIMS OF THIS VEHICLE ARE NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SUPPORT THE LOADS THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THEY SLIGHTLY DEFORM AS A RESULT OF THE CORNERING LOADS THEY ARE SUBJECTED AND CRACK AT THE INSIDE LIP WHERE THE WHEEL HAS LESS STRUCTURAL SUPPORT. LARGER CORNERING LOADS ARE USUALLY APPLIED TO THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND THIS IS WHY MY LEFT FRONT WHEEL FAILED AT LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. THE LOADS APPLIED TO FRONT WHEELS ARE EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH STIFF RUN FLAT TIRES AND A STIFF SUSPENSION THAT DOES NOT ABSORB CORNERING LOADS BUT DELIVERS THEM RIGHT ONTO THE RIM, WHICH IS NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND AND UNABLE TO TAKE THESE CORNERING LOADS, DEFORMS AND CRACKS AT THE INSIDE LIP. I ASK YOU TO PLEASE INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS RATHER UNSAFE CONDITION THAT CAN RESULT IN COMPLETE LEFT FRONT (OR RIGHT) RIM FAILURE AND LOSS OF LIFE.

NHTSA ODI 11321457

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ E-300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNKNOWN ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE FAILURES. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF SEATTLE LOCATED AT (2025 AIRPORT WAY S, SEATTLE, WA 98134) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS CARBON MONOXIDE LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CONTACT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER FOR ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO BE PERFORMED. WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE TWO FRONT TIRES EXPERIENCED BLOWOUTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OF THE FAILURES BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ODI 11312130