2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 5%of 142 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 109,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the engine of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500, 5% of the 142 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 109,000 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.
“I filled up my car & noticed a gas smell I was on my way to atlanta for work I had to inhale strong gas fumes for most of my travel. When I got there I took my car to a shop & they discovered my gas tank had a leak and gas was leaking near back seat they gave a me an estimate of about 2500 to fix I was told that this had been a known issue for mercedes but no recall yet which I don't understand. This is very dangerous not only the inhalation of the fumes & gas leaking in a car with electrical wiring & parts that get extremely hot. …”
NHTSA complaint #10604788, filed 2014-06, 139,000 miles“Benz E500 2004 (54k miles) safety issue1: nov 2008(36k miles), the car used to lose power and shut down while driving with all the lights blinking on the dash board. But I was able to break ansdstop . Sometimes it started back on and sometimes it did not.dealer replaced the crankshaft sensor and the sender unit. Had to pay the bill of $600 plus towing. They did not inspect other safety issues like the sbc pump or let me know about the 10 year warranty. Neither did they tell me if sbc pump failure or its malfunction has any impact on other parts of the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10676537, filed 2015-01, 36,003 miles“After refueling, car had strong odor of fuel leaking. Fills garage with fumes. Worried that pilot light will ignite fumes. Also, fuel gauge sticks on 1/2 tank even when tank is empty.”
NHTSA complaint #10504055, filed 2013-03, 105,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 mercedes benz E500. The contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, the vehicle did not start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery and the ignition key needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10723295, filed 2015-06, 109,000 miles“The contact owns a 2004 mercedes benz E500. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and a strong odor of fuel was noticed. In addition, the coolant warning light was illuminating after the coolant was refilled. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10809765, filed 2015-12, 127,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11017039Apr 1, 2025Complaint Vehicle with atypical reduced heat output. Cause Silicate granulate may have escaped from a damaged bag in the expansion reservoir (not visible), reducing the coolant…
- 10158329Oct 9, 2017Oil in engine wiring harness
- 10135598Mar 25, 2015Engine diagnosis warning lamp lights up in instrument cluster, fault code U145400: "Implausible data were received from the ethanol sensor"
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500
84 complaintsBrakes
26 complaintsSuspension
23 complaintsElectrical system
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsEngine cooling
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsSeat belts
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsTires
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500
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