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Mercedes-Benz E500Model year report

2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 Problems

Complaints
140filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
99,250miles, 123 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 5.0L 8-cyl RWD · 15 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2005 E500 most often describe a strong gasoline smell inside and outside the car after refueling, which fades as the tank drops below roughly three-quarters full; many trace it to the fuel tank area under the rear seat. The other recurring theme is a loss of brake assist, with the pedal going to the floor and a red brake warning appearing, usually at highway speeds. Both tend to show up well past 60,000 miles, and complaints are concentrated on higher-mileage cars.

  1. Fuel system

    Fuel smell after refueling (tank and sending unit area)

    • 65 complaints (46%)
    • median 95,000 mi at 9.0 yrs old (57 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 13 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2025

    Owners describe a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin and around the rear of the car shortly after filling the tank to full, strongest near the rear seat and driver-side rear wheel well. The smell fades once the tank drops to roughly half to three-quarters full. Dealers and independent shops commonly diagnosed leaking seals, a cracked tank seam, or a leaking sending unit/pump on top of the tank, and many repairs involved replacing the tank, pump and sending unit. Several owners report the odor returning after a repair. Most often reported between about 40,000 and 150,000 miles, typically right after a fill-up.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Smell the cabin and the area around the rear seat and driver-side rear wheel well right after a fill-up, and ask for receipts showing whether the tank, pump or sending unit seals were replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “After completely filling up my fuel tank and drove away, I was overwhelmed by a strong fuel fumes. When I arrived at my residence, I found that some fuel had leaked onto the ground. I went online and found all over the internet that other owners of this class of vehicle have had similar problems related to the fuel sending units located under the back seat. When I looked under the seat the pad had fuel through to the foam under the seat. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10482539, filed 2012-10, 201,000 miles

    “When I full my gas tank, I get a strong odor of gasoline both inside the car and outside. Inside the vehicle the gasoline smell is throughout the car and smells strongest in the driverside rear seat location. Outside the vehicle the strongest smell of gasoline seems to be coming from the driverside rear door/wheel well. The smell seems to last until the gas level goes below 3/4 of a tank of gasoline. This happens everytime I full the gasoline tank.”

    NHTSA complaint #10641212, filed 2014-10, 88,000 miles
  2. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes to floor / reduced braking power

    • 37 complaints (26%)
    • median 111,000 mi at 11.1 yrs old (35 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,633 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2005–2025

    Complaints describe the brake pedal traveling to the floor with little or no resistance, often while slowing from highway speed, accompanied by a red brake warning on the dash. Owners report stopping by downshifting or using the parking brake, and in some cases the pedal returned to normal after restarting the car. Dealers typically diagnosed the fault to the hydraulic brake unit and replaced it; in other cases shops pointed to the ABS/ESP module. Mostly reported between about 65,000 and 170,000 miles, often at highway speeds and sometimes in wet conditions.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the hydraulic brake unit has been replaced and whether any extended warranty coverage on it applies to this car; have a shop scan for stored brake and ABS fault codes before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Per incident was back glass detached from window and broke all over the road and on the back of my car while driving. 2: Sbcc pump goes in and out admittedly and type of a no brake issue at all hard as a rock will not move car only has 180,000 miles on it and it’s been doing that since 140,000 miles Which did cause me to get in a minor accident on the right side of the car the passenger side where now I’ve had to replace a fender and still have problems because of it”

    NHTSA complaint #11509075, filed 2023-02, 180,000 miles

    “I was driving on the highway at about 55mph, and all of a sudden the brake lights came on saying reduce braking power. Car was very difficult to stop. I almost hit a guard rail.”

    NHTSA complaint #10876628, filed 2016-06, 67,194 miles
  3. Suspension

    Rear or front of car sags (air suspension)

    • 8 complaints (6%)
    • median 120,000 mi at 10.8 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2010–2022

    Owners describe the car sitting low or dropping at one corner, sometimes overnight or while parked, with a red warning telling them to stop because the car is too low. Some report the warning clearing after a restart only to return. Complaints describe diagnosis as leaking air springs or a leaking air suspension system rather than a failed compressor, with repairs described as expensive. Reported from roughly 27,000 to 175,000 miles, sometimes after hitting a pothole.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Let the car sit overnight and check that it stays level on all four corners; ask whether air springs or the compressor have been replaced and when.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving my 2005 E500 4matic mercedes hit a giant pot hole busting my left passenger rim n wheel. Suspension malfunction begin by the car not rising due to a malfunction. Reported the incident to scdot on 12/5/2019. My claim was denied. I received a letter stating the pot hole was fixed a d they were unaware of the damaged road because no other reports was made about the gigantic pothole.”

    NHTSA complaint #11321351, filed 2020-04, 175,542 miles

    “Mercedes benz 2005 E500 front airmatic strut failure. While driving the car, the passenger front end suddenly drop and car veer to right side. Fortunately, there wasn't any car on the right side and I avoid the crash. I stop the car on the side of road and found out the front tire is all the way down and rear driver side is way up. Exact same failure on front left side occurred around 35,000 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #10339604, filed 2010-06, 56,550 miles
  4. Fuel system

    Fuel gauge and fuel cap warning messages

    • 9 complaints (6%)
    • median 120,000 mi at 9.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2011–2020

    Some owners describe the instrument cluster showing a check fuel cap message or a fuel gauge reading that does not match the actual fill level, with the gauge later failing altogether. Complaints also describe a check engine light with codes consistent with an evaporative emissions leak. Repairs reported include sending units, vent control parts and wiring in the fuel level circuit. Reported from about 47,000 to 165,000 miles, often alongside fuel odor complaints.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Fill the tank and compare the gauge reading with the actual amount added; have the evaporative emissions system checked for leaks if the check engine light is on.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Started smelling gas from the drivers side of the car. Faint at first but when the car was refilled to full tank it was very strong. While in the vehicle we were breathing gas fumes. The gas gauge read half tank and we broke down because we were actually on e. The fuel sensor or float was bad too and now the gauge has gone bad. The whole system is being affected.”

    NHTSA complaint #10633835, filed 2014-09, 164,000 miles

    “Red colored message appeared on dashboard window readout indicating a problem with the gas cap. The message appears inter mitenaly while driving along with the check engine message. Message came on 7/717 while driving on highway and continues except when engine is shut down.”

    NHTSA complaint #11003845, filed 2017-07, 147,000 miles

Buying note. These cars are well past 100,000 miles on average in the complaints, so service history matters more than age: ask specifically about fuel tank, brake hydraulic unit and air suspension repairs, and budget for them. A pre-purchase inspection that includes brake, airbag and evaporative emissions fault codes is worth the cost.

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.

NHTSA recorded 140 consumer complaints for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500. 123 of the complaints include a mileage, and 16% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 99,250 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 85 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Engine cooling (1), Equipment (1), Seats (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “There is a strong fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The odor is so strong sometimes that it gives me a headache. I know this can't be good for my health and I've read that other people are having the same type of problem with this model car. This problem usually occurs after refilling the gas tank and lasts about a week at a time.”

NHTSA complaint #10552695, filed 2013-11, 134,000 miles

Brakes: “I was traveling at about 60mph and started to slow to turn off the highway. Suddenly a red brake warning light came on and it took tremendous pressure to slow the car down and I overshot the turn. Then the car had no power. I was 36 miles from my home. I limped at 5-20 mph to a friends house and had the car towed to my home. There was absolutely no warning of any kind of brake problem. The car was driving just fine before this happened. I believe it could have been a much worse situation had I been in any kind of traffic.”

NHTSA complaint #11475607, filed 2022-07, 156,000 miles

Suspension: “Rear end goes down when the car in parked. Stop message (red) appears on dashboard. Do not drive car and take to mechanic immediately. When I start car after 15 to 20 min message goes away and car again comes to normal position. Its happening almost everyday from last few days. In forum I read it is common issue with e series of 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. My car only has 120k miles. Learned that there is leak in air springs and it is very expensive to repair. I had same issue 6 years back on front passenger side when I was driving. …”

NHTSA complaint #11052111, filed 2017-12, 120,000 miles

Engine: “I took my car 2005 E500 for regular maintenance at the dealer and was told the ball bearings needed to be replaced in july 2011. Then after checking everything out, the dealer told me the fuel ring under the seat needs to be replaced. Cost usd 600. Also there was gasoline seeping out of car onto the driveway when car was parked. I started smelling gasoline smell in march 2012. I took the car again to the dealership in july 2012 and this time they replaced the fuel system. Cost usd 2100. There were puddles of gasoline in my garage after the service. I was told there might be gasoline smell. …”

NHTSA complaint #10550436, filed 2013-10, 51,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

16% of the 123 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 67,194 and 127,000 miles.

7%0–101%10–259%25–5015%50–7519%75–10038%100–15011%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (123 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 99,250 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’05’10’1331’16’19’22’25
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
E-Class · sedan not rated4 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 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
E500 RWD5.0L 8-cyl7-speed automatic152318$4,550
E500 4matic 4WD/AWD5.0L 8-cyl5-speed automatic141916$5,150
E500 4matic (Wagon) 4WD/AWD5.0L 8-cyl5-speed automatic141816$5,150

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

Recall details for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 → · Check a 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. 85 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 85 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz E500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20065079,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200514099,2503—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200414290,8003—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200312590,6003—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Mercedes-Benz E500 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500?

Owners of the 2005 E500 most often describe a strong gasoline smell inside and outside the car after refueling, which fades as the tank drops below roughly three-quarters full; many trace it to the fuel tank area under the rear seat. The issues reported most often: Fuel smell after refueling (tank and sending unit area); Brake pedal goes to floor / reduced braking power; Rear or front of car sags (air suspension).

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 have?

NHTSA recorded 140 consumer complaints for the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 76 complaints (54% of the total), followed by brakes with 38.

Has the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 get?

The EPA rates the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 (E500, 5.0L 8-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 15 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500 reported?

Among the 123 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 99,250 miles and the middle half falls between 67,194 and 127,000 miles; 16% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. 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.