Mercedes Benz E320
Owners filed 1,164 complaints across 16 model years of the Mercedes Benz E320. The 2005 drew the most (231); the 2009 the fewest (8).
Model years16
Complaints1,164
Recalls21
Fires29
Deaths4
Every Mercedes Benz E320 model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 8 | 3 | — | — | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2008 | 10 | 3 | — | — | Engine | Routine | |
| 2007 | 17 | 4 | — | 1 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Routine | |
| 2006 | 41 | 4 | — | 2 | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2005 | 231 | 3 | 4 | 10 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2004 | 203 | 2 | 1 | 6 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Above average | |
| 2003 | 214 | 2 | 1 | 8 | Fuel/Propulsion System | Above average | |
| 2002 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2001 | 38 | 0 | 4 | 6 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2000 | 44 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1999 | 83 | 0 | 6 | 12 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 1998 | 37 | 0 | — | 3 | Suspension | Routine | |
| 1997 | 63 | 0 | 3 | 4 | Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil Springs | Routine | |
| 1996 | 45 | 0 | 3 | 6 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 1995 | 96 | 0 | 3 | — | Electrical System › Wiring › Front Underhood | Routine | |
| 1994 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Electrical System | Routine |
Which Mercedes Benz E320 years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2005 is the weakest year on record, with 231 complaints concentrated in the fuel/propulsion system. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.