Skip to content
Mercedes-Benz E430Model year report

2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 Problems

Complaints
19filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
65,000miles, 15 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 4.3L 8-cyl RWD · 16 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430. The part named most often is air bags, with 4 complaints (21% of the total), followed by electrical system (4) and engine cooling (2). 15 of the complaints include a mileage, and 27% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 65,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 32 technical service bulletins for this model year. Air bags complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 4 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Body and structure (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “I had a auto accident and none of my airbags went off. I had a side impact (passenger side) first and was driven head on into a telephone pole. The force of the accident broke the pole. My face hit the windshield and my chest was impacted by the steering wheel. Windshield broke, glass was imbedded in my forehead.”

NHTSA complaint #10025341, filed 2003-07, 31,000 miles

Electrical system: “2001 mercedes E430. Maybe as much as two years ago the time and temp sections of my instrument cluster began losing lines or pixels so the time and temp could not be read. I had just gone out of warranty due to mileage and was told, on the phone by a merc. Service person, it could be fixed but not under warranty. I have seen many forum posts about others with the same problem making me think it is not an uncommon problem. I heard other models of the same year are being recalled for this same problem. Why not my model car?? This is a costly repair I don't feel I should pay for. …”

NHTSA complaint #10208646, filed 2007-11, 65,000 miles

Engine cooling: “While traveling down a highway, I was approaching a stoplight. While slowing down to traffic, going around 20mph, my engine died without warning, over-heating, or anything indication. After several attempts to re-start the car, the engine would only turn, but no ignition. I waited nearly 20 minutes of trying to restart the car, when it finally did ignite and start. I was able to drive home (about 15 minutes) where it then died again, just outside my parking space. The car was checked for indication codes and the crankshaft position sensor came up as malfunction .”

NHTSA complaint #10550539, filed 2013-11, 182,348 miles

Other or unknown: “A very small amount of liquid from a cup sitting in the cup holder spilled into the gearbox and the car began to sputter and shake, wouldn't shift or accelerate. I had to pull over and call for the car to be towed to the nearest mb dealer. The car would not function at all. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where over $600.00 was spent to get a brand new gearbox installed for the car to be functional again. The service advisor said all it took was less than a teaspoon of liquid to drop into that area to cause the car to fail and it was very common--that he'd seen it a lot on these cars.”

NHTSA complaint #10142522, filed 2005-11, 88,048 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

27% of the 15 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 50,000 and 119,698 miles.

7%0–107%10–2513%25–5027%50–7513%75–10013%100–15020%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (15 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 65,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’01’03’063’08’10’12’16’19
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
E430 RWD4.3L 8-cyl5-speed automatic162319$4,350
E430 4Matic 4WD/AWD4.3L 8-cyl5-speed automatic162118$4,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 32 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 32 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz E430

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20011965,0000—19—Stable
200019108,1720—18—Stable
19992199,8290—19—Falling
19988120,0000———Not enough data

All Mercedes-Benz E430 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 have?

NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 4 complaints (21% of the total), followed by electrical system with 4.

Has the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 get?

The EPA rates the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 (E430, 4.3L 8-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 16 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 reported?

Among the 15 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 65,000 miles and the middle half falls between 50,000 and 119,698 miles; 27% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.