Total Complaints
13 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ E300 · model year
13 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998MERCEDES-BENZE300 carries 13 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1998 E300 is exterior lighting:headlights with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel (2) and suspension (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 1998 E300. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
13 filings
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL | 2 |
| SUSPENSION | 2 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
The front driver side coil spring ejected out while driving, causing the front of the car to dive down on the driver side. I do have the parts that came out. Luckily I had just got off of the freeway and was only going around 10 mph when it happened and no one was hurt. I'm sure at hwy speeds you could potentially lose control. This issue just happened today 11/19/23 and no repair shops, insurance or agencies have been notified. This is the first report of my problem. There were no warning signs noticed prior to the failure.
The front driver side coil spring ejected out while driving, causing the front of the car to dive down on the driver side. I do have the parts that came out. Luckily I had just got off of the freeway and was only going around 10 mph when it happened and no one was hurt. I'm sure at hwy speeds you could potentially lose control. This issue just happened today 11/19/23 and no repair shops, insurance or agencies have been notified. This is the first report of my problem. There were no warning signs noticed prior to the failure.
The front driver side coil spring ejected out while driving, causing the front of the car to dive down on the driver side. I do have the parts that came out. Luckily I had just got off of the freeway and was only going around 10 mph when it happened and no one was hurt. I'm sure at hwy speeds you could potentially lose control. This issue just happened today 11/19/23 and no repair shops, insurance or agencies have been notified. This is the first report of my problem. There were no warning signs noticed prior to the failure.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ 300E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE TOP FRONT SPRING MOUNT FRACTURED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000. *TR
Mileage: 200,000
I WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 10 IN GULFPORT, MS IN A LIGHT RAIN ( IT HAD BEEN HEAVY 2 HOURS BEFORE ) WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 65 MPH. I HAD JUST COME OVER THE LORRAINE COWEN (SPELLING?) EXIT AND A LITTLE AFTER THE CAR WAS ON THE FLAT ROAD, THE CAR WITHOUT WARNING SPUN 180 DEGREES AND WE WERE BACKWARD ON THE INTERSTATE. SEEING THE TRACKS ON THE SHOULDER THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR CAME OFF THE INTERSTATE BACKWARDS AT ABOUT A 15 TO 20 DEGREE ANGLE, SPUN ANOTHER 270 DEGREES AT THE LOWER EXTENT OF THE CLEARED EMBANKMENT, AND WENT INTO THE WOODS. IT MIRACULOUSLY MISSED ALL LARGE TREES AND THE 3 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AT ALL. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AS THERE WAS NO SEVERE IMPACT, THE MOST SEVERE AREA OF IMPACT DAMAGE BEING SOMEWHILE IN THE RIDE HITTING THE LEFT REAR DOOR AREA MORE SEVERELY, AS THE LARGEST DENT WAS THERE. THE SPIN-OUT WAS NOT PROCEEDED BY ANY HYDROPLANING FROM THE FRONT END. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF POOLED WATER ON THE ROAD AT THAT PO
Mileage: 65,000
WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER FAILED TO PROVIDE A SUGGESTIVE REMEDY, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. *AK
UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN CRASH, RESULTING FROM OIL INTO INTAKE FROM SEAL ON TURBO CHARGER. CAR HAD BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED 5 DAYS PRIOR, WITH ERROR MESSAGE ON AIR MASS SENSOR. PART WAS REPLACED. THIS ERROR MESSAGE ALSO OCCURRED 15 MONTHS BEFORE, AND WAS ALSO REPLACED THEN. CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING NORMAL PRIOR TO BOTH SERVICING. NO ENGINE INDICATOR WARNINGS EVER CAME ON PRIOR TO CRASH. SEAT BELT APPARATUS ALSO BROKE UPON IMPACT ON DRIVERS SIDE WHEN MY HEAD STRUCK IT. *JB
Mileage: 106,223
UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN CRASH, RESULTING FROM OIL INTO INTAKE FROM SEAL ON TURBO CHARGER. CAR HAD BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED 5 DAYS PRIOR, WITH ERROR MESSAGE ON AIR MASS SENSOR. PART WAS REPLACED. THIS ERROR MESSAGE ALSO OCCURRED 15 MONTHS BEFORE, AND WAS ALSO REPLACED THEN. CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING NORMAL PRIOR TO BOTH SERVICING. NO ENGINE INDICATOR WARNINGS EVER CAME ON PRIOR TO CRASH. SEAT BELT APPARATUS ALSO BROKE UPON IMPACT ON DRIVERS SIDE WHEN MY HEAD STRUCK IT. *JB
Mileage: 106,223
UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN CRASH, RESULTING FROM OIL INTO INTAKE FROM SEAL ON TURBO CHARGER. CAR HAD BEEN ROUTINELY SERVICED 5 DAYS PRIOR, WITH ERROR MESSAGE ON AIR MASS SENSOR. PART WAS REPLACED. THIS ERROR MESSAGE ALSO OCCURRED 15 MONTHS BEFORE, AND WAS ALSO REPLACED THEN. CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING NORMAL PRIOR TO BOTH SERVICING. NO ENGINE INDICATOR WARNINGS EVER CAME ON PRIOR TO CRASH. SEAT BELT APPARATUS ALSO BROKE UPON IMPACT ON DRIVERS SIDE WHEN MY HEAD STRUCK IT. *JB
Mileage: 106,223
CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE WITH NO SUCCESS. CHECKED OIL AND DIPSTICK WAS DRY. CONSUMER ADDED ADDITIONAL OIL AND VEHICLE STARTED. RECHECKED OIL AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS OVERFILLED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED CAR HAS A DEFECTIVE "SHUT-OFF VALVE". DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IF CAR IS PARKED ON AN INCLINE THE OIL AND FUEL WILL DRAIN TO AN AREA OUTSIDE OF "SHUT OFF VALVE" MAKING THE CAR "THINK" IT HAS NO OIL OR FUEL. CONSUMER STATED CONTACTED MANUFACTURER WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT PROBLEM DOES EXIST. TS
TIRE ON LEFT REAR OF VEHICLE BLEW OUT. TIRE WAS LESS THEN ONE YEAR OLD AND HAD ONLY 25,000 MILES ON IT. MICHELIN INSISTED IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD EVEN THOUGH TIRE WAS LEFT REAR. *AK (TIRESIZE: 215/55R-16)
CERTAIN NEW MERCEDES HAVE HEADLIGHTS WITH A BLUE TINT WHICH CAUSES A SAFETY HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHTNESS AND GLARE.
CERTAIN NEW MERCEDES HAVE HEADLIGHTS WITH A BLUE TINT WHICH CAUSES A SAFETY HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHTNESS AND GLARE.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1998 MERCEDES-BENZ E300; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.