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Fuel systemPart report

2008 Mercedes-Benz E550 Fuel system Problems

Complaints
8about this part
Share
53%of 15 total for the year
Median mileage
67,174miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the fuel system of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E550, 53% of the 15 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 67,174 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.

“Related to case# ea13003 I recently purchased a pre-owned 2008 E550 with 59k miles in december 2014. After fill-up, I noticed a faint fuel smell on the drivers rear area near the rear wheel. I have also opened up the access hatch and noticed fuel seeping from the sending unit. This seems to be the exact issues I have seen in regards to case #ea13003. This smell goes away after the tank level goes below 3/4.”

NHTSA complaint #10670070, filed 2015-01, 60,213 miles

“Most of the enclosed questions do not apply. The reason is that about a year ago we started smelling gas fumes in our garage from our car. My daughter's bedroom is above the garage. We asked the dealership to look into it and they said they did not see a problem. We started parking our car in the garage again and my daughter started getting sick she said from the gas fumes. It is now very apparent that this mercedes E550 is leaking fumes from the gas tank. …”

NHTSA complaint #10548721, filed 2013-10, 56,000 miles

“I filled the vehicle up with gas and it started smelling very strong of gas for the next two weeks and I discovered gas underneath the driver's rear seat... I cleaned up the gas but continued to smell strong fuel Vapors and I'm just below three quarters of a tank the 15-year warranty is over. The Mercedes dealer says that they can't do anything for free and I feel this is a safety issue that needs to be rectified before someone dies in an explosion... no warning lights showed up but it is a common problem on the E-Class due to a cracked fuel filter housing module.”

NHTSA complaint #11586911, filed 2024-05

“The seal that connects the fuel level sensor to the fuel tank has failed, allowing fuel to leak onto the top of the tank when it’s filled. This creates a serious risk of fire or explosion. Unfortunately, Mercedes does not offer a remedy unless you pay a prohibitively high fee.”

NHTSA complaint #11638060, filed 2025-01

“The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E550. While operating the vehicle, the fuel gauge displayed inaccurate fuel levels and a strong odor of fuel was present coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to Mercedes-Benz of austin (6757 airport blvd, austin, tx) where it was diagnosed that the fuel leveling sensor was faulty and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000. The VIN was unknown.”

NHTSA complaint #11258982, filed 2019-09, 160,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Fuel system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201216%
201123%
201011%
2008853%
20073286%

Other parts of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E550

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E550

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