Total Complaints
10 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS · model year
2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS
10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005MERCEDES-BENZE CLASS carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2005 E CLASS is fuel/propulsion system with 5 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2005 E CLASS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20131009FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
THE CAR HAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THEIR VEHICLE, PARTICULARLY AFTER REFUELING. IT APPEARS THAT THE GASKET ON THE FUEL TANK LEAKS. *TR
Mileage: 105,276
20121217FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
DURING THE PAST 2-3 YEARS, MY WIFE AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE A GASOLINE VAPORS IN OUR CLOSED GARAGE IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR 2005 E320 HAD BEEN REFUELED. WE ALSO NOTICED THAT AFTER A FEW DAYS DRIVING, THE GASOLINE VAPORS, DIMINISHED. MORE RECENTLY, IT ALSO SEEMED THAT THE GASOLINE ODOR HAS BEEN STRONGER AFTER REFUELING. IN ADDITION, MY WIFE, WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR, HAS RECENTLY BEGUN TO SMELL GASOLINE VAPORS FROM INSIDE THE CAR, AND WHILE DRIVING. DURING A RECENT VISIT TO MY DEALER FOR SERVICING, I ASKED THEM TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. THEY REMOVED THE REAR SEAT, FILLED THE FUEL TANK, AND THEN DISCOVERED GASOLINE LEAKING AND PUDDLING AROUND THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, THE DEALER TOLD ME TO EITHER 1) REPLACE THE ORIGINAL FUEL TANK WITH A SLIGHTLY REDESIGNED TANK, OR 2) WHEN REFUELING, FILL THE GAS TANK TO A LEVEL LESS THAN COMPLETELY FULL. THEY ADMITTED THAT THE EXISTING DESIGN PROBABLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEAKING. THE DEALER STATED ALSO THAT A REPLACEMENT FUEL TANK
20121113FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WE FIRST NOTICED A STRONG FUEL SMELL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED UP, BUT SHORTLY AFTER WE WILL THE VEHICLE FUEL STARTED TO DRIP ONTO THE PAVEMENT NEAR THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WHEEL AREA. *TR
Mileage: 90,000
20121002FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING UNDER THE BACK SEAT WHEN FILL UP TANK. *TR
Mileage: 72,319
20120916FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I FILLED MY GAS TANK AND THE NEXT DAY I SMELLED GAS BOTH NEAR MY DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL WELL AND INSIDE THE CAR IN THE REAR SEAT AREA. I FILLED THE CAR AS I ALWAYS DID UNTIL CLICK AND I AM SURE NONE SPILLED, AS I AM VERY FUSSY ABOUT MY CAR. I CANNOT PUT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AS IT FILLS THE GARAGE WITH FUMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW UPON FUELING UP. IT NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I HAVE SEEN WHERE OTHERS I KNOW HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THE SAME MODEL MERCEDES. *TR
Mileage: 40,876
20111127EXTERIOR LIGHTING
POOR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT SECONDARY TO LIGHT LENS FOGGING DETERIORATION OF PLASTIC LENS MATERIAL NECESSITATING USING HIGH BEAMS ALL THE TIME. *TR
20090826SUSPENSION:FRONT
ON OR ABOUT JUNE 22, 2009, I WAS DRIVING HOME ON INTERSTATE 64 WHEN THE LEFT FRONT SPRING BROKE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I DID NOT HIT A POT HOLE AND THE CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS CAUSED THE LEFT FRONT SHOCK TO IMMEDIATELY BREAK. THE FRONT END OF THE CAR FELL ONTO THE TIRE WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE MERCEDES DEALER COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CORRESPONDED BY E-MAIL WITH 2 MERCEDES REPRESENTATIVES WHO TOLD ME THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE WARRANTY WAS OUT AT 50,000.00 MILES AND THE CAR HAD APPROX. 56,000.00 MILES AT THE TIME. I EXPLAINED THAT I KNEW THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY WHEN I CALLED, HOWEVER, I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A PREMATURE FAILURE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE MERCEDES REPS TOLD ME I PURCHASED THE CAR AS A USED VEHICLE AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING AND HOPED THAT MY CONFIDENCE IN MERCEDES WOULD BE RESTORED AS I CONTINUED DRIVE TH
Mileage: 56,500
20060224ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG AND ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 03/28/06. *JB
Mileage: 5,000
20060224ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG AND ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 03/28/06. *JB
Mileage: 5,000
20050825UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I HAVE A MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CDI THAT HAS A DEFECT IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT RATHER THE BRAKES MAKE A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN APPLIED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM IN GERMANY AND THAT THE NOISE CANNOT BE FIXED. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN WITHIN 1 MONTH OF THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE. PURCHASE DATE 4-29-05
Compare 2005MERCEDES-BENZE CLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS have?▼
The 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.