2001 Mercedes-Benz E430 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 11%of 19 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 36,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430, 11% of the 19 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 36,000 miles.
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.
“My 2001 mercedes benz E430 slips out of gear for no reason while driving. This occurs intermittently and with no warning . It occurs almost every day and in order to re-engage the drive gear I have to stop the car, put gears in park or neutral and then back into drive, sometime during this operation several times . I contacted a mercedes specialist and he showed me the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10260264, filed 2009-02, 22,000 miles“The catalytic converter began very lightly rattling at low speeds only intermittently at only around 50000 miles. It now has approx. 60000 miles on it and has a loud noticeable rattle which is also causing vibration in the car and has made the hard shifting from first gear in the transmission worse and of course it is now out of warranty when it needs to be replaced and I will have to pay thousands of dollars to replace a part that should last a lot longer especially for a vehicle that is pristine and garage kept. Hopefully the oem remanufactured dealer part wont die in another 50,000 miles. …”
NHTSA complaint #10456477, filed 2012-04, 50,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11019018May 21, 2025Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse…
- 11013332Jan 15, 2025Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing…
- 10181124Sep 30, 2020Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- 10181123Sep 22, 2020Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430
4 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaintsWheels
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E430
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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