NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
1: The accelerator was sticking and i could not get the car to stop even when i was pressing on the brakes . Unfortunately, due to this scary event i hit the car in front of me injuring the the gentleman. the vehicle has not been inspected by the insurance as it was a total loss withn damages more than 14k
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle through a car wash, water started leaking into the vehicle from around the sunroof frame. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V874000 (Visibility); however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The rear subframe needs fixing. And they are putting my car on hold for 3 weeks, denied a loaner car, and I have to get back to work.
I took car to dealer to have subframe repaired due to rust and the brake lines are rusted as well due to this issue and i am being charged for the brake lines.
Car difficult to control found to have corroded sub frame and rear break lines. Very unsafe to drive brought to independent dealer who had car towed back to Mercedes. No warning lamps, or other symptoms prior to failure. Scary situation.
rear brake lines corroded and leaking, making the car disabled
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken for a routine inspection, the dealer diagnosed that the rear brake lines were rusted through. The contact was informed that the rear brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Last April, during our routine oil change our mechanic pointed out that our Cam sensors were wicking oil into the harness and making its way to the ECM. This is the first we had ever heard of this issue and the repair was $2400 or so. After researching the problem we wrote to MB USA and never got any response until we filed a lawsuit in sessions court. Turns out we cant do that locally. Mercedes has never contacted us since we registered the car in 2016 and never even acknowledged us until after we filed the attempt to collect the cost of repair. THE problem is endemic and well known. MB put a poorly designed part on their 270 engines and it could have had a worse outcome had the ECM failed while my wife was driving on the interstate Please let me know what has already been done about this problem and if they are required to notify owners. MB is silent on the issue to the point I feel as though they are hiding something.
Excessive corrosion on rear brake lines. I've never had to replace brake lines on car before. The cost is almost $5,000 out of pocket and I believe this due to low quality products used to manufacture the original brake lines. I believe there should be an investigation into the brake lines as there could be serious injury if they fail.
Rear subframe recall and brake lines. I am very disappointed and frustrated right now. 2013 e350 has completely corroded brake lines on an otherwise relatively rust free car. The vehicle is due to get the rear subframe replaced as part of the warranty extension. The brake lines are not covered and are 4,000 dollar additional fee to replace. I can’t get the work done anywhere else for cheaper because the rear subframe needs to be dropped in order to do the brake lines, making it cost prohibitive to have the subframe and brake lines done at different shops. Something is wrong with the brake lines they used when building this car. I’ve owned cars with 10x more rust and perfectly in tact brake lines. Frames rot away before I see brake lines this bad. They should have extended the warranty to the brake lines and I hope they do so I can get reimbursed in the future.
my car has always had an issue with the extension of the steering column. On [XXX] I had the experience of my entire steering wheel locking up totally. once I reached the repair center of Mercedes Benz I was informed that the anti theft system was no longer working. I was also informed there were several cars in the dealership with the identical same problem.. this was a very dangerous experience and has and will cost me a lot of money, as well as a safety issue as I was traveling from Atlanta to tx, 4 hrs out managed to pull off the hwy and that's where my car was towed from, leaving me in the middle of no where for 10 hrs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
There was already a recall for my rear subframe that I am now getting done due to rust corroding the metal structure. However, upon the dealers inspection the corrosion is also present on the rear brake lines which cause a safety concern and are charging $4000 to replace the brake lines aside from the warranty repair. It poses a safety hazard if the lines were to fail and have heard of others having the same issue along with rotted rear subframes.
Was informed about the extended warranty for the rusting rear sub-frame issues on this make and year. Upon speaking with the dealership and further research online the rear hard brake lines are rusted as well and not covered by Mercedes. Upon further research this a common issue and danager to my safety and others as well. Upon work required to fix rear sub-frame would make it easier job to also replace rusted brakes lines. But Mercedes does not cover that and wants to charge customers a extra 3500$ to fix something that should not be happen as well. With the sub-frame out for replacement would make sense to replace other rusted parts with the extended warranty. It's a major safety issues already with rusted sub-frame and also added rusted brakes lines. This should be investigated further into to keep everyone safe. There are lot of owners unaware of this issues that could lead to brake failure. We use our brakes to stop and most new cars should not be having this issue so early.
1. brake lines corroded and broke. i see there were numerous reports sent to you and nothing was done. 2. both driver and passenger seat broke in the same spot...mercedes recognized the issue in their internal bulletins. nothing was done 3. both rear springs broke on their own. no accident. car was really unstable in highway speeds
Brake line corrosion and rear subframe corrosion
REAR SUBFRAME RUSTED,
The brake lines leaked fluid brakes started failing. Brought to a repair garage. Advised that subframe is cracked and completely corroded. Mercedes is covering the subframe but not the inferior brake lines which are failing.
I don’t know why your system is stating that there is not a recall there definitely is a recall in 2023. They recalled the subframe with the extended warranty covering it because it’s been corroded and nearly dropped out of the bottom of my car. I only found out that it was so rusted and corroded by taking it to an auto mechanic because my brakes spongy and my brake light came on, so I took it in automatically to get looked at, and the mechanic said that I needed two rear brake lines, and then proceeded to tell me about the corrosion all around my subframe which needed to be replaced, which is under warranty however, my question is why is the brake lines not covered when I’ve been reading numerous complaints about the corrosion of it and yet they still have not put an extended warranty to cover that Which they should do now before a definite recall is set in place with all of the complaints coming in. I’m very upset because now Mercedes is telling me that another $3000 job. I do not have an additional $3000 for this to get fixed so I ask you, how can I get some help here?
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V017000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the recall notification stated mobile repair service was available however, the contact was declined the mobile repair service. The contact stated that she had been attempting to have the recall repair completed for almost a year. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Rear brake lines rusted and replaced. Had taken to dealer to replace rusted rear subframe for which Mercedes had covered under an extended warranty. During this repair dealer noted that the brake lines were rusted and should be replaced. This was not covered by Mercedes.
Rear brake line failure, loss of brake fluid, caused loss of braking
Rusted brake lines after Sunframe rust. All E350 models are experiencing this issue with the rear brake lines and the dealership is charging upwards of $4300 to replace even when the subframe is already removed from the vehicle due to subframe issues
Contacted Mercedes because Dealer said it was a common problem. Airbag light was on. I was told that airbags could unsafely deploy as driving the vehicle and the issue was connected to the steering column. After looking online, I found that there are several drivers that could be in unsafe conditions while driving the car who reported the same thing. I contacted Mercedes to advise and Mercedes was dismissive. My concern is for innocent people that could be in danger because of Mercedes defects or possible negligence in addressing the safety issue that could lead to the loss of life.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the front end of the panoramic sunroof allowed water to leak into the vehicle during inclement weather. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further research, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V918000 (Visibility) and 21V197000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The brake fluid lines rusted. The front line, due to the rusted hole, leaked brake fluid to the point that the car had little to no braking ability. In addition, the computer warning did not activate. The car was taken to the dealer, where they verified that the computer warning did not activate, and that the brake fluid had bleed out causing the vehicle to have no brakes. This is a dangerous situation! The car is a little over 10 years old, has about 54,000 miles. Had I been on the highway and tried to make a hard stop, I could have had a terrible accident. The dealer now has the car for repairs, but there are many other E350 that have posted online that they have had an identical situation where the brake fluid lines have rusted out! This leaves the driver, without any warning, to be put in a life threating situation!
Complete system brake failure. Brake lines are completely corroded.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E550. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the vehicle brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop. During the failure, the "Forward Collision Avoidance" feature had malfunctioned. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 20,800.
My break’s completely failed with no warning signs while I was driving on the freeway. About 6 months ago my driver side break lines were rusted and had a leak in the line causing my brakes to fail. The line was replaced with nickel copper lines and on Sunday when driving the car at 40 mph for ten minutes and the breaks began to fail. As I pulled over to get to safety after parking the car the check BREAK fluid level warning came on the dashboard. I got the car towed to my house and the following morning I added brake fluid the following and realized it’s leaking near the rear brake line on the driver side. But why and how?
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the power steering function was inoperable, and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured steering box. The contact was informed that the steering box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts to complete the repair were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350W4 equipped with Continental Tires, Tires Line: Continental Pure Contact IS, Tires Size: 245/40/R18 and DOT Number: AF2PWD41. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the tires appeared deflated. The contact added air to the tires; however, the failure recurred the following morning. The contact added air to the tire. The contact stated that the failure occurred in low-temperature weather. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The tires were not diagnosed or replaced. The tires were replacement tires. The Tire manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The tires failure mileage was approximately 10,889. The vehicle failure mileage was 59,848.
I am the owner of a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 and am writing to formally express my concern regarding a persistent fuel leak issue I have experienced with my vehicle. Over the past months, I have spent more than $4,000 attempting to address this problem. Repairs have included the replacement of the fuel canister and the fuel pump. Despite these efforts, the vehicle continues to leak fuel from the area near the rear right tire, both when the vehicle is in motion and when it is parked. This issue presents a significant safety risk, not only to myself but to others on the road. I am aware that there is an existing recall for the 2014 E350 model related to similar fuel leakage problems. Given the similarities in design and the nature of the defect, I strongly urge Mercedes-Benz to investigate this matter and consider extending the recall to include the 2013 E350 models as well. I believe this is a critical safety matter that warrants immediate attention to prevent any potential accidents or hazards. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response and to a resolution that prioritizes customer safety.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the panoramic sunroof was making a crackling sound as if it was about to fracture. The contact was concerned that the sunroof glass might fracture with impact with passengers seated inside the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
My vehicle was pulling in the rear when braking. My mechanic informed me that it was a rotted undercarriage. When I called Mercedes they informed me that there is a problem with many models of Mercedes with this. They told me there is a warranty to cover it. This is a very dangerous condition. There should be a recall on all impacted vehicles. This safety failure and lack of transparency by the company (reportedly known for years) puts owners and motorists at risk. Please investigate. To make matters worse, the Dealers are unresponsive and slow to provide service and help. One dealership, Mercedes in New London CT has ignored my repeated phone calls and emails trying to clarify and schedule service. I went to another dealership Mercedes in Warwick RI. They have been more responsive with confirming the issue--but there are delays in getting the vehicle fixed--and no provision of loaner vehicles requiring the renting of vehicles during this time frame. Please investigate and require a recall.
Corrosion in rear brake line. Brought car for warranty service for rear subframe corrosion at a Mercedes dealership, and the service advisor noted corrosion in rear brake line. Researched online and another complaint for same issue was denied in October 14, 2020 (85 FR 65136). A website [XXX] lists anecdotal evidence of complaints following the initial investigation. Since it is the same problem effecting same model year as the subframe, further investigation seems warranted. Before being brought in, the car fishtailed, which could have been due to the defective subframe. No lights or warnings. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Brake fluid low light came on. Brake peddle was low. I brought it to dealer and said brake line was corroded and leaking. I have read that this is a problem with this year model.
On July 5, 2023, I was driving my 2013 Mercedes E350, when a red text warning appeared in the speedometer display: "BRAKE Check Brake Fluid Level". I immediately took my car to the dealer's repair shop at Contemporary Motor Cars in Little Silver, NJ. Their mechanic inspected and found that both rear brake lines were leaking and needed to be replaced. I requested that they do the necessary repairs. The total cost I paid was $2309.18. My car has 106,352 miles driven. In my 50+ years of driving, I have never experienced such a serious failure in the many cars I previously owned. Subsequently I did some research and found the the NHTSA denied a Defect Petition DP20-004 for a complaint that had been filed by Mr. Surjit Singh for the same failure in his 2013 Mercedes E350. I also found many other on-line complaints about leaking rear brakes lines in 2013 model Mercedes E350 cars. I recommend the NHTSA re-investigate this serious car defect.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle veered into another lane. Additionally, while her son was driving at high speeds, he detected a shimmy in the front end. While approaching a stop, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle was slow to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
While under a hard stop the vehicle’s rear end started to swing back and forth suddenly causing loss of control of the vehicle. Mercedes Benz diagnosed the problem as a rusted through subframe which they’ve said is a “known issue” and extended the warranty on the part. The part is unavailable and there’s no ETA from Mercedes which means that the vehicle is unsafe to drive and cannot be repaired.
The 2013 Mercedes Benz E350 model has a problem wherein the windshield sealant used by Mercedes Benz has deteriorated to the point wherein water is leaking into the car cabin. The windshield is supposed to be an integral structural part of the vehicle and should not separate from the car. The separation of the windshield from the car is a huge safety risk to the driver as well as others on the road - especially if the driver is going at speeds of 65MPH on the freeway. The vehicle and the windshield was inspected by the authorised and official Mercedes Benz dealership and they confirmed the findings that the factory sealant used to seal the windshield had deteriorated and separated from the rest of the car body to the point wherein water was leaking into the car cabin.
Same problem that many others have reported. Took car dealer for a battery. Was told subframe is rusted and about $5000 to fix and that if not fixed could lead to car failure. 1) Why has Mercedes not informed the many thousand 2010-2014 C-Class and E-Class drivers affected by this dangerous defect. Many do not take their cars to the dealership for service anymore and could miss the problem until it is too late. 2) These cars have been recalled in Germany and elsewhere. Why not in the United States? 3) Is this situation up the the standards of NHTSA? If not why has a recall not been ordered? 4) Is there a difference in weighing customer safety against company bottom-line in the US compared to other countries? Thanks.
I took my vehicle to Sun Mercedes for a Pennsylvania safety inspection on 14 Dec 2022. I was approached by the service representative that my vehicle failed inspection. There is a rust hole in the left rear sub-frame. He indicated this is common to Mercedes vehicles of my type/years. The location of rust is common and appears to stat from inside the frame. I saw many similar cases in my research. Also read that Mercedes covers the costs in some of the cases, specifically in United Kingdom and other countries. Here is ink to service video: http://smcipa.mkvwa43.com/p/thwROZ.html
RUST ON THE REAR SUBFRAME AND CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. MB WILL NOT HELP AND THESE CARS ARE A DANGER TO THE PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AND WILL CAUSE DEATH IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD 5K TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ALL THESE CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND MB IS NOT TAKING THE BLAME FOR THIS AND NOT LISTING THIS AS A RECALL TILL SOMEONE DIES.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that an abnormal, fuel odor was coming from the vehicle without warning. The contact later noticed a small leak coming from the fuel tank. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was confirmed that the fuel leak was caused by severe corrosion to the subframe. The contact was then informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, after depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was jerking and steering to the left independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the independent mechanic awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 181,000. The contact stated that the rusty subframe was so bad that if a piece had broken off it could have punctured the gas tank. The contact paid for the repairs necessary to fix the issues.
Subframe is rusting and will cause structural failure. If failure happens car stability will be compromised and therefore cause an accident. Detected and confirmed by independent service center. Not inspected by dealer or ins. No warnings triggered since system not set up for that detection. Part in such high demand that there is a 10 mo wait via several dealer parts depts.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being State Inspected, the vehicle failed due to a rusted subframe. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was sway coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. There was also a slight vibration coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
We have been told by our Mercedes Auto Repair shop and subsequently confirmed by two additional auto repair shops, that our rear sub frame has deteriorated and that the steel brakes lines are also rusting creating a very dangerous situation. We were warned to drive straight home and not to drive it again. We have also been told that this is a "known" problem with Mercedes C and E class cars and that the sub frame deteriorates from the inside out and has nothing to do with salt on the roads or snow or ice. Had we not brought it in for the usual oil change and check up we could have been killed. We understand that there are recalls in the UK, Canada, Ireland, and other countries but not in the US. The repair is $7,000.00+ and the wait for the part is approximately 6 months. Why is there no recall in the US? We have read numerous reports on the Menz World Forum with the same issue. I would like to file a complaint as someone could be killed and Mercedes is not addressing this hazardous issue. Does someone have to die before it is recalled?
While driving, car suddenly goes to park, and stops , I was rear ended because of the sudden stop. When approaching red light, as soon as I start slowing down, it would without warning change gear to Park and would stop. In a heavy traffic, as soon as I started slowing down would go straight to Park and stop on the middle of highway. Mercedes Benz is aware of this problem, since they issued a bulletin for EIS ( Electronic ignition switch)
I have a pre owned 2013 Mercedes Benz E-Class 4 Matic. This car runs beautifully and has been not missed a service appt since I took ownership in 2016. September 2022, the cars break light came on, took it to Mercedes Benz Natick, Ma and they states the cars brake lines were heavily corroded and was unsafe to drive. It was leaking brake fluid as well. Upon doing extensive research it seems to be a trend with this years model due to the material that Mercedes Benz used instead of the brake lines used in previous models that had no issues at all. It is a safety issue and they are endangering lives due to the poor quality material that they used for the brake lines.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026