CSR

Mercedes-Benz · NHTSA safety record

2010 Mercedes-Benz E550

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

67

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 have filed 67 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2010 and September 2024. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 30 of them (45%). The typical failure was reported at 69,000 miles, the median across the 35 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Recalls (3)

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V010000 · January 9, 2019

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014 C250, C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2014-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, GLK 350, GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, 2015-2017 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2014-2017 E550 Cabrio, and 2014-2016 E550 Coupe vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally, MBUSA is recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2011 C300, 2011-2014 C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Coupe, 2015-2016 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2011-2016 E550 Cabrio, E550 Coupe, 2011-2015 GLK350 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, and 2013-2015 GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." MBUSA is also recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2010-2011 C300, 2010-2014 C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 Coupe, 2011-2014 E350 Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2015-2016 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2016-2017 E550 Cabrio, 2010-2016 E550 Coupe, 2010-2015 GLK350 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, and 2013-2015 GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 288,779 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

18V043000 · January 10, 2018

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013 C250, C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C350, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG, C63 Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, E550 Cabrio, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E550 Coupe, GLK350 4Matic, GLK250 Bluetec 4Matic, GLK350, SLS Coupe, SLS AMG GT Coupe, and SLS Roadster vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, MBUSA is recalling certain 2010 C300, C300 4Matic, C63 AMG, E350 Coupe, E550 Coupe, GLK350, and GLK350 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." MBUSA is also recalling certain 2009 C300, C300 4Matic, C63 AMG, and C350 vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI and WY or "Zone C." In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. Mercedes issued an interim notification to owners on February 23, 2018. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 132,167 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

16V081000 · February 11, 2016

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy
MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 711,159 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (2)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Rear brake line failure

DP20004

Closed defect petition · opened April 24, 2020 · closed October 9, 2020

the brakes, the hydraulic brakes

On April 10, 2020, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Surjit Singh alleging premature corrosion of the rear brake lines in his 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan. The petitioner states that he was recently informed by a Mercedes dealer service department that his car had severely rusted brake lines that need[ed] to be replaced immediately at a cost of about $3300. He further stated that the dealer service advisor informed him that he had seen the issue on many cars like his. The petitioner requested ?that NHTSA launch an investigation into this serious issue of rusting brake lines on [his] 2013 Mercedes E350.? The brake line corrosion reported by the petitioner did not result in brake line leakage or any compromise in brake system performance before it was detected in a dealer vehicle inspection. The petitioner submitted a complaint to NHTSA documenting his experience (NHTSA ID 11319024).On April 24, 2020, ODI opened Defect Petition DP20-004 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI conducted a search for all consumer complaints and Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data related to allegations of brake line corrosion or leakage in 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedans and similarly equipped vehicles. The 2013 E350 is a fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicle (W212 platform), which was first sold in the United States in 2009 as a 2010 model. Mercedes-Benz sold approximately 245 thousand model year 2010 through 2015 E-Class sedan and wagon vehicles in the United States with the same brake line design as the petitioner?s vehicle.ODI?s search for complaints and EWR data in 2013 Mercedes E350 vehicles found no additional records related to the alleged defect. Expanding the search to all W212 platform vehicles identified just one incident, a complaint alleging unspecified brake line corrosion and leakage in a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 (NHTSA ID 10902081). The complaint did not allege that the brake line leakage resulted in reduced brake performance, crash, or injury. The resulting failure rate of 0.4 failures per hundred thousand vehicles is extremely low for a population that includes vehicles that have been in service for over ten years. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence of a defect trend in the subject E-Class vehicles that would support opening a defect investigation into premature brake line corrosion failure. NHTSA is authorized to issue an order requiring notification and remedy of a defect if the Agency?s investigation shows a defect in design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle that presents an unreasonable risk to safety. 49 U.S.C. ?? 30102(a)(9), 30118. Since the information before the Agency is not indicative of a vehicle-based defect, it is unlikely that any investigation opened because of granting this petition would result in an order concerning the notification and remedy of a safety-related defect. Therefore, upon full consideration of the information presented in the petition and the potential risks to safety, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action if warranted or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists based upon additional information the agency may receive.A Federal Register notice further detailing NHTSA?s reasons for denial of the petition will be forthcoming.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 67.

AIR BAGS 30 45%
SUSPENSION 27 40%
STRUCTURE 4 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 4%
POWER TRAIN 2 3%
STEERING 2 3%
VISIBILITY 2 3%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 1%
ENGINE 1 1%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 1%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2017 at 17.

2010 2017 2024
2010 to 2024

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE MAIN FUSE BOX CHART.

NHTSA complaint 11612340. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION
There is an ongoing issue with the front and rear air shocks. They don't inflate properly. Sometimes they inflate and sometimes they don't. This is a risk because my suspension system is not stable. The problem has been confirmed by Astorg Mercedes-Benz. Yes, the problem has been inspected by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership. There was no indication beit warning lamps, messages, etc., before the issue happened.

NHTSA complaint 11508974. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
The subframe on the back of the car starts to rust and potentially just breaks without warning which can cause loss of control of vehicle. This is an ongoing issue for all w212 Mercedes models.

NHTSA complaint 11497224. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
Rear control arm attachment to subframe snapped off at the weld during breaking

NHTSA complaint 11484385. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car has this issue that when I am slowing down it will automatically shift to park and will not let me shift to drive until I turn the car off and on. When rolling to a stop, I've had a few instances where the car shifts to park and the car behind me almost hits me due to the car shifting on its own and not allowing me to proceed with the flow of traffic. This puts not only me, but the person behind me at risk. I took the car to a mechanic and he stated that there was no recall for this issue but that I should contact you (NHTSA). The mechanic stated that the component that might be failing is the electrical ignition switch, basically telling the car that there is no key in the ignition.

NHTSA complaint 11482579, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

149,200 miles

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-550. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the rear subframe fractured. The contact went across the highway but was able to regain control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 149,200.

NHTSA complaint 11477434. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mercedes-Benz E550

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2014 16 4
2013 16 5
2012 17 4
2011 61 3

Other 2010 Mercedes-Benz models

Every Mercedes-Benz on this site — 216 vehicles, 576 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst