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What 20 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 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 (20)Crash / fire / injury (5)Engine (6)Backup camera & sensors (3)Body & structure (3)Electrical system (3)Fuel system (2)Tires (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Latches & locks (1)Visibility & wipers (1)

3 of 20 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

Jul 8, 2025Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

The Engine Electrical harness is completely corroded after only 50,000 miles requiring a 4k+ repair. Oil leaking from the camshaft sensor pushed it way all throughout harness. There are no warnings as it will only be noticeable after doing routine maintenance OUTSIDE of the manufactures warranty. While driving you may lose complete power or slight power loss due to engine misfiring and low system voltage. Warranty company has denied my claim saying that it looks as if the car was in an accident with water damage but the car is pristine and accident free. This is happening to all Mercedes with magnetic camshaft solenoids after doing routine spark plugs. Any movement of the wires will cause damage to the corrosion and then electrical problems. This happened before with previous generations and they recalled the engine to put extensions between the sensors and harness. Unfortunately they did not do a recall for this generation even though the same problem is apparent!

NHTSA ODI 11672020

Sep 24, 2024Electrical systemEngineFire

There was smoke coming from from the engine compartment and spontaneous fire started while the car was at a stop light. The car was totally damaged. The car has less than 15000 miles driven. It is still under warranty. Information was sent to Mercedes-Benz USA with a certified mail and immediately via email from the dealership. Also was reported where the vehicle was stored if they wanted to investigate the engine. Benz USA just wanted me to fill out their standard report form. The towing company also told me that they had to tow another Benz not long ago from engine fire.

NHTSA ODI 11616110

Nov 12, 2020Electrical system1 injury

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PDF. IT CONCERNS THE TRUNK OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SIGNAL WHEN SOMETHING IS IN THE WAY BEFORE IT CLOSES. THE TRUNK CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING ON MY HEAD. MERCEDES REFUSES TO DISCONNECT THE TRUNK LATCH FEATURE BECAUSE I WILL NOT SIGN A RELEASE, WHICH I WILL NOT DO. SEE ATTACHED INCIDENT REPORT FILED WITH MB.

NHTSA ODI 11374322

Working with the data? Download all 20 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 2020 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon verdict →