1998 Mercedes-Benz E320 Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 14%of 37 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 151,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the body and structure of the 1998 Mercedes-Benz E320, 14% of the 37 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 151,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I noticed while at a stoplight with my foot on the brake, that my steering column was vibrating, as well as the gear shift and the instrument panel. It was also very noisy. The dealership said that the motor and transmission mounts had collapsed!”
NHTSA complaint #10251439, filed 2008-12, 64,000 miles“I was driving my 1998 e-320 down a main road at about 45 MPH when my front spring came off the frame and fell off my car, causing the hole front end to drop and the car to lose control. I went off the road into a ditch, my front end bounced off the ground, my neck and back are hurt, and my exhaust sounds messed up now too. I checked the mercedes benz forum and this is a common problem on the w210 chassis, I am going to contact the dealer, on monday when they re-open, and at the very least I would expect them to fix it because it should have been a recall type deal, and it is very dangerous. …”
NHTSA complaint #10248219, filed 2008-11, 151,000 miles“Some rust damage has been observed on the body of the car for quite some time, but no mercedes mechanics suggested it was structural or dangerous. Recently, a loud creaking noise from the front right tire began to occur when driving, especially when subjected to bumps, even at very low speeds. By removing the tire, we discovered that the creaking was from the poorly designed suspension cap, which had rusted and broken partially off, bending the spring against the axle. …”
NHTSA complaint #10437260, filed 2011-11, 200,047 miles“Had an inspection on friday. Found passenger shock tower broken from the body frame, this is an extremely dangerous situation. Looked in mercedes benz world website, and saw many many complaints about this typical issue, people must not be reporting this typical rust of the spring tower to body rust issue. Apparently there is a recall for this issue in canada but not in USA.”
NHTSA complaint #10610053, filed 2014-07“The rear left door opened on impact. The car was hit mostly on the driver's door towards the center column and the rear door opened. My 5-year-old son was sitting next to that door and could have been ejected from the car.”
NHTSA complaint #732025, filed 2000-09Related service bulletins
- 10151924Jul 2, 2018Liftgate intermittently does not open fully
- 10033067Jun 4, 2009Mercedes benz: tailgate does not open fully in cold weather. The tailgate not opening fully in cold weather, do not replace the struts.
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 | 13% |
| 2008 | 1 | 10% |
| 2005 | 1 | 0% |
| 2004 | 6 | 3% |
| 2003 | 4 | 2% |
| 2002 | 1 | 4% |
| 2001 | 1 | 3% |
| 2000 | 3 | 7% |
| 1999 | 5 | 6% |
| 1998 | 5 | 14% |
| 1997 | 4 | 6% |
| 1996 | 5 | 11% |
| 1995 | 2 | 2% |
Other parts of the 1998 Mercedes-Benz E320
8 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsEquipment
4 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
2 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Mercedes-Benz E320
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology