2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2013 E350 most often write about the front air bag inflator recall work, rusted brake lines and rear subframes, and a fuel smell inside the cabin traced to lines or the tank under the rear seat. Many reports are inspections or repair-shop visits rather than roadside failures, and a cluster of reports centers on unintended acceleration at low speed. Reports are spread from very low mileage up to well past 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Other or unknown

   Unintended acceleration at low speed

   • 9 complaints (5%)
   • median 11,321 mi at 3.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2021

   Complaints describe the car surging forward or backward while parking, pulling into a garage, or waiting at a light, in several cases with the driver's foot on the brake. Some owners say the dealer could not reproduce the problem or found no fault; others report collisions with structures or other vehicles. A few describe delayed response followed by sudden acceleration. Reported from very low mileage up to about 120,000 miles, typically at parking speeds or when pulling away from a stop.

   What to check: On a test drive, try slow parking maneuvers and repeated stop-and-go starts, and ask whether any acceleration-related diagnosis or software update was recorded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “At a dead stop on a red light the car started accelerating by itself forcing me to step on the brakes with a great amount of force, it happen so unexpectedly that I din't know what was going on. The car accelerated itself three or four times until I was able to put it on neutral very uneasy and scary situation to find your self in.”

   NHTSA complaint #11076107, filed 2018-03, 17,700 miles

   “My 2013 mercedes E350 w4 exhibited very high engine revving followed by high acceleration which could only be controlled by activating the parking brake. This is the second dangerous incident that has occurred with this car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10587944, filed 2014-05, 9,600 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Rusted brake lines and rear subframe

   • 35 complaints (21%)
   • median 68,107 mi at 10.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • owner-quoted repair $4,150 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe steel brake lines from the master cylinder to the rear wheels that rust through and begin to leak; in one case the pedal became inoperable while driving. Several owners were told during routine service or state inspection that the lines and the rear subframe were badly rusted and needed replacement. Others describe rear-end sway, vibration, and the car pulling or jerking to one side. Mostly reported between about 35,000 and 70,000 miles, with some at 100,000 miles or more; several mentions follow annual inspections.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have a shop inspect the rear brake lines and rear subframe for corrosion on a lift, especially on cars from salt-belt states, and ask whether the extended subframe warranty applies to this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a model year 2013 mercedes E350 that has a safety defect with rusted brake lines that should be investigated by your agency. During a recent visit to the mercedes dealer (euromotorcars in bethesda, maryland), I was informed that my car has severely rusted brake lines that need to be replaced immediately at a cost of about $3300. I subsequently had my car inspected by an independent repair shop (star car auto service in rockville, maryland) that confirmed the dealer's diagnosis that the brake lines are rusted and need to be replace. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11319024, filed 2020-03, 37,300 miles

   “Brake line from master cylinder to rear wheels rotten, started leaking. Vehecle has 35000 miles, according to viti mecedes benz dealer, this is an on going problem that they reported in the past,nothing has been done to fix the problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #11415029, filed 2021-05, 35,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor in cabin from lines or tank under rear seat

   • 9 complaints (5%)
   • median 92,500 mi at 9.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2025

   Owners report a gasoline smell inside the car and around the exterior after parking, sometimes strongest right after refueling. In several cases a mechanic found the leak by removing the rear seat, tracing it to the fuel lines or the sending unit in the tank. Some were told the entire tank had to be replaced; others were told the fuel lines needed replacement. Reported from roughly 25,000 to 150,000 miles, often noticed while parked in a garage or shortly after filling the tank.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: After a fill-up, check for a fuel smell inside the cabin and around the rear wheel wells, and ask whether the fuel lines or sending unit have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Fuel leaking from right rear area - when car is filled up - I stopped when pump clicked off - did not overfill - you had a extension of warranty on mercedes up to 2009 but this 2013 has the same problem its under the rear seat passenger side - right where a car seat would be for a kid - someone is going to get killed by this. This should be a mandatory safety recall !! 2013 should be included in the extention big problem we bought this car used and 1st time we filled it up”

   NHTSA complaint #10994369, filed 2017-06, 25,677 miles

   “I noticed the smell of gas in the garage whenever the car was parked in the garage. The mercedes dealer determined that the right side fuel sending unit was leaking gas. The vehicle has a metal gas tank and the fuel sending unit is built into the gas tank and therefore the entire gas tank had to be replaced at a cost of $4209.65.”

   NHTSA complaint #11416128, filed 2021-05, 46,913 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Panoramic sunroof leaks and glass breakage

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe water entering around the panoramic sunroof frame during rain or after a car wash, and in one case a sliding panel came loose and struck the driver. Other complaints describe cracking or crackling noises from the roof glass and one report of the panel shattering outward at speed. Dealers replaced the airflow panel in one case; in others the vehicle was not repaired. Reported from very low mileage through about 91,000 miles, and one owner tied the leak to weather and car washes.

   What to check: Check the headliner and floor for water stains after rain, run the sunroof through its full range, and listen for cracking or rattling from the roof panel.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The panoramic sunroof exploded outward. When it occurred the sound was like someone fired a shotgun next to my head. I was driving northbound on I-25 just south of denver. Had the fabric sunshade not been extended forward so it contained the glass the occupants in the car would have been showered with the sharp shards, which were so sharp the pieces that flew back on the back window and trunk lid left deep scratches on those surfaces. Not sure how much glass was thrown up into the air and impacted traffic behind the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10514803, filed 2013-06, 1,500 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11584985, filed 2024-04, 80,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Air bag recall not completed / air bags that did not deploy

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe being told their car falls under a front passenger air bag inflator recall, and several say they were still waiting for a remedy long after being notified. Others describe crashes in which the air bags did not deploy, including a low-speed parking-lot impact and a highway collision. According to the complaints, dealers and the manufacturer either had no parts or gave no clear timeline. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 13,000 to roughly 120,000 miles, with several entries noting low annual mileage and long waiting periods.

   Recall 18V043000Recall 21V638000Recall 17V627000

   What to check: Ask for written confirmation that the front air bag inflator recalls were completed and check the VIN against open campaigns before purchase. Also confirm whether a prior repair installed the correct passenger air bag.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall - manufacturer has stonewalled and slow walked a resolution to replacement of the potentially deadly and dangerous takata airbags. Consequently, I do not allow my wife and family to drive this car fearful of the implications of airbag deployment. The car basically sits in my garage and has low miles. Mercedes communicated a solution in february 2018 via the attached correspondence but has failed to remedy the issue. I'm stuck with this car since its trade-in value is negatively affected until the airbag is replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #11209942, filed 2019-05, 22,000 miles

   “Accident in which vehicle will be totaled. No air bags deployed. Hit a pole on center divider. Mercedes roadside was on scene in minutes and towed my car. They said the system alerted them to the crash.”

   NHTSA complaint #11203842, filed 2019-04, 79,000 miles

Buying note. Have any E350 of this year inspected on a lift for brake-line and subframe corrosion, confirm outstanding air bag and other recall work is done, and check for a fuel smell after refueling. Documented service history matters more than mileage 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.