"How reliable is the 1998 Mercedes Benz E320?"

"Based on 51 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Mercedes Benz E320 has a median complaint mileage of 89000 miles. The most common issue is Suspension."

"What are common problems with the 1998 Mercedes Benz E320?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Mercedes Benz E320 is Suspension, accounting for a significant portion of the 51 total complaints filed."

1998 Mercedes Benz E320: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 51 complaints

Total Complaints

89,000mi

Median Mileage

Suspension

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

36,000 25th Percentile

89,000 Median Mileage

138,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Suspension

Unknown Or Other

Air Bags

Engine

Gasoline

Frame And Members

Front

Belts And Associated Pulleys

Air Conditioner

Engine

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CAR HAS STALLED 3 TIMES. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *AK"

"CAR HAS STALLED 3 TIMES.ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Suspension 5 complaints

25th: 120,255 mi Median: 143,681 mi 75th: 170,253 mi

Engine 3 complaints

Median: 58,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 13 VA: 11 TX: 4 NJ: 3 KY: 2 FL: 2 IL: 2 AL: 2 MA: 2 OK: 2

Who Files Complaints?

29.4%

Original Owners

70.6%

Second+ Owners

Mercedes Benz E320 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1995	129	102,000	Front Underhood	0
1996	62	107,700	Electrical System	7
1997	80	113,200	Coil Springs	5
1999	109	80,000	Air Bags	12
2000	81	130,000	Air Bags	2
2001	54	95,000	Electrical System	8
2002	27	85,992	Air Bags	1
2003	281	97,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	12
2004	243	99,793	Fuel/Propulsion System	8
2005	287	80,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	10
2006	49	89,234	Service Brakes	3
2007	20	79,102	Engine	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28