Mercedes-Benz 300E Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 37 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Mercedes-Benz 300E (1986–1993) that have at least 5 complaints. 1989 has the most, with 11. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (9 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All 300E model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 8 | 134,344 | 0 | 1 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 7 | 188,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1989 | 11 | 152,378 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 11 | 140,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system9 23%
- Air bags8 20%
- Fuel system5 13%
- Engine5 13%
- Vehicle speed control4 10%
- Transmission and drivetrain3 7.5%
- Suspension3 7.5%
- Engine cooling3 7.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1993: “My entire wiring harness has crumbling insulation, and this appears to be a very widespread problem. This obviously could lead to engine fires, stalling, sudden acceleration, loss of power, etc. My vehicle has stalled several times on the freeway and in the middle of intersections. This problem is heavily documented on the internet with all 91-96 mercedes models.”
NHTSA complaint #10545187, filed 2013-09, 149,500 miles1986: “I just experienced my 4th fuel tank fracture over 5 years. The fractures occur in the surface of the tank not caused by wear of any sort. They just spontaneously occur. The tank is completely factory installed in the trunk of the car this allows fumes to enter the entire car. This is a very dangerous condition. I have never experienced a fractured tank in any brand in 40 years of driving. This is a serious matter.”
NHTSA complaint #10147609, filed 2006-01, 180,000 miles1989: “Sudden acceleration . A 1989 mercedes benz 300E with around 158,900 miles. Since the past 6 weeks has been exhibiting the apparently hard to proof case of sudden acceleration. The first occurrence was while driving to work on highway 101. There was a construction going on so the traveling speed on that stretch of the highway was reduced to around 50mph. After driving for some minutes with my speed around 50mph, the car suddenly surged with the speedometer rising. I wasn't in anyway accelerating. …”
NHTSA complaint #10263812, filed 2009-03, 158,900 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,963 complaintsMercedes-Benz E350
2,215 complaintsMercedes-Benz E320
1,164 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML350
952 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLK350
901 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML320
740 complaintsMercedes-Benz C250
725 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLC 300
657 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology