1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about two very different kinds of trouble: the crankshaft harmonic balancer pulley separating and taking the belt-driven accessories with it, and airbags deploying with no impact at all. Front spring perches rusting through and collapsing the front end also come up repeatedly. Reports are spread across the mileage range, from well under 60,000 miles to well past 150,000, and often appear years after purchase.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Front spring perch rusts and front end collapses

   • 10 complaints (12%)
   • median 117,000 mi at 12.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2015

   Complaints describe the front spring perch or coil spring mount corroding until it separates from the body, after which the front of the car drops onto the tire, sometimes while pulling out of a driveway or turning into a lot. Owners often say the car gave no warning beforehand, and some learned of the rust only while it was in for unrelated brake work. Complaints note that the affected area must be cut out and rebuilt, and that neither the dealer nor the manufacturer offered help. Reported from roughly 85,000 to 190,000 miles, most often described as corrosion found during other repairs.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the front spring perches and surrounding wheel wells inspected for rust before purchase, especially in cars from salt-belt states. A suspension light or message in the cluster is also worth having read out.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Front spring perch: this component is heavily corroded. It started to separate from the body work. Spring is noticibly bent and touching the struts which is causing grinding and vibration. Spring is very close to falling off which will cause the front end of the car to drop which I believe is very dangerous if the part fails while driving especially in the highway. Please have mercedes benz issue a recall regarding this matter. I would hate for people to lose their lives if it's something that could've been prevented.”

   NHTSA complaint #10427963, filed 2011-09, 143,700 miles

   “1999 E320 right front upper coil spring mount almost completely rusted away from frame. This problem is frequent on this model and can cause a serious loss of vehicle control under a failure condition. The left coil spring cap is fine, as it is in most cases I've researched. - I found this problem just before it broke while replacing the front brakes, and this parts failure requires removal and replacement of the affected area and parts. The repair is ~$550.00 and is a must to use the car safely. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10781492, filed 2015-10
2. 2
   Air bags

   Airbags deploy with no impact

   • 9 complaints (11%)
   • median 125,000 mi at 13.1 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2019

   Complaints describe front, side curtain and door airbags firing while the car is parked, reversing at low speed, or cruising on the highway, with no crash involved. Several owners say the deployment happened while removing the key or shortly after start-up, and some report bruising or head and arm injuries. When dealers looked at the cars, complaints say they either could not identify a cause or declined to cover the repair. Other owners report the opposite: airbags that did not deploy in a collision the owner considered severe. Reported from roughly 92,000 to 218,000 miles, in parked, reversing and highway conditions alike.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether any airbag work or SRS warning has ever come up, and have a shop pull stored SRS fault codes before buying. A service bulletin for a related platform describes an SRS lamp with high resistance in a sidebag ignition circuit.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was entering the interstate on the on ramp my rear u joint on front drive shaft came apart. Subsequently both my curtain airbags deployed as well as my driver front door air bag. As it was considered a mechanical failure my insurance with usaa did not cover anything.”

   NHTSA complaint #10444917, filed 2012-01, 218,556 miles

   “I was pulling out of my driveway, going ~5 MPH, when I smelled something, there was an explosion by my head and the air curtains on the driver's side self-deployed. After that my husband, a mechanic, deactivated the srs using the switch on the console of the car. However, approximately one year later, the air curtains and airbag on the passenger side self-deployed while he was driving the car. Then on or about july 31, 2014, a clear day, around 8:30 a.m. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10669889, filed 2015-01, 101,700 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Crankshaft pulley (harmonic balancer) fails

   • 9 complaints (11%)
   • median 61,265 mi at 4.9 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2004

   Owners describe a rubber ring on the crankshaft pulley separating, sometimes with a burning belt smell, clicking or knocking, and rubber debris in the engine bay. When the pulley comes apart the serpentine belt is lost, and with it power steering, charging and water pump drive, so steering effort rises and the engine can quit. Complaints say the failure can happen at highway speed with little warning, and that the repair is done at the owner's expense. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 77,000 miles, sometimes with no warning at all.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the crankshaft pulley for a cracked or separating rubber ring and belt dust, and ask whether the pulley or belt tensioner has been replaced. A service bulletin for this platform addresses engine rattling after start-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was accelerating onto the freeway, I heard a loud noise from my engine. I started losing power steering and my battery charger light kept flashing indicating a problem with the crankshaft pulley. Luckily I was able to get home safely. After safely driving home, I looked under the hood and noticed huge chunks of rubber parts inside. I took the car to the mercedes dealership the next day and was told that the harmonic balancer had been damaged. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10088948, filed 2004-09, 56,989 miles

   “Crankshaft balancer failure- mercedes E320 1999 (from individual experiences of several mercedes customers with 320 v6 engine on w210 platform and others). Around 72000 miles, my vehicle crank shaft balancer pulley started sperating a thick black rubber ring, which is sandwiched between the cranksfat and the serpentine belt pulley on the outside, belt burning smell and clicking noise which quickly turned into a knocking noise recognized as I was driving at very low speed, luckily. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10037113, filed 2003-09, 71,500 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission will not shift or loses drive

   • 6 complaints (7%)
   • median 65,624 mi at 6.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2010

   Owners report the transmission sticking in first gear, refusing to upshift, locking into a low range at speed or failing to engage after a stop. Some complaints tie the shifting trouble to electrical faults, such as a wiring harness shorting near the brake booster or a bad wheel speed sensor, and one describes a fire in that harness area. Others describe being told the unit was sealed for life and later needing a replacement. Reported from about 76,000 to 115,000 miles, sometimes appearing as intermittent limp-home behavior.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for transmission service records, check the fluid level and condition, and drive the car from cold through all gears. Bulletins for this platform describe harsh engagement when moving from P to D or R.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought a mercedes ml320 in 2003 as certified car with only 45628 miles. I drove on my way from mariposa on 8/23/05 the car suddenly locked the transmission to low gear and refused shift to high gear automatically. I stopped the car and restarted the engine maintaining a low speed back home. On 8/24/05 I brought the ml320 to fresno mercedes for repair. Finally I found that they sold me ml320 without proper disclosure about the car previous history of transmission malfunction and services in 2003. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10134354, filed 2005-08, 76,249 miles

   “The regulator on the windows have failed at least every 6 months the check egine light has been on since the purchase of the vehicle even after repairs where done. The transmission has been losing power and now will not shift since the purchase.”

   NHTSA complaint #10088199, filed 2004-08, 12 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls or will not restart when hot

   • 11 complaints (13%)
   • median 57,901 mi at 6.8 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2014

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out while driving or idling, sometimes during a turn, and then restarting only after cooling down. Several owners point to a crank position sensor that misbehaves once outside temperatures climb, and others report a check engine light with a mass air sensor or catalytic converter replaced. One owner describes the steering assist and engine both quitting at speed. Reported from about 28,000 to 134,000 miles, often on hot days or after 15 to 30 minutes of driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Start the car from cold and again after a hot drive, and ask whether the crank position sensor has been replaced. A bulletin for these engines describes a check engine light with a stored camshaft adjust fault.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Just like the GM cars now being recalled, my car shut itself off completely while I was traveling at 60 MPH. It had to be towed to be repaired---and the diagnosis was made immediately, as the mechanic had done taken car of a car that had the identical problem just the week before. Parts replaced were l catalytic converter and air mass meter.”

   NHTSA complaint #10568000, filed 2014-03, 57,901 miles

   “Crank position sensor (cps) started to fail when the outside temperature was above 95f. Car (1999 mercedes benz E320) failed to start twice when parked after driving for a short distance. Only after cooling it would start again. At one point the engine became very erratic while in traffic. At another point I was stopped on the traffic light and the engine just stopped running. Fortunately I was near home and after waiting a few minutes it started again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10163861, filed 2006-07, 64,000 miles

Buying note. This model year has enough repeated trouble that a pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with the model is worth the cost, with attention to the front spring perches, the crankshaft pulley and stored fault codes. Service records showing recent work on those items, plus a cold and hot start, tell you more than the odometer here.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.