"How reliable is the 2003 Mercedes Benz E320?"

"Based on 281 NHTSA complaints, the 2003 Mercedes Benz E320 has a median complaint mileage of 97000 miles. The most common issue is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 2003 Mercedes Benz E320?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2003 Mercedes Benz E320 is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 281 total complaints filed."

2003 Mercedes Benz E320: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 281 complaints

281

Total Complaints

97,000mi

Median Mileage

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

69,000 25th Percentile

97,000 Median Mileage

129,260 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SERVICE BRAKES

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

AIR BAGS

SUSPENSION

ENGINE

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ARM FOR THE CRUSIE CONTROL IS TOO CLOSE TO THE TURN SIGNAL ARM. SEVERAL TIMES A DAY I FIND THAT MY HAND (ALBEIT A SMALL HAND) ACCIDENTALLY HITS THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER INSTEAD OF THE TURN SIGNAL - ESPECIALLY WHEN SIGNALLING LEFT. THIS ACTIVATES THE CRUISE CONTROL AT A TIME..."

"THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND THE VEHICLES AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NLM"

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.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 71 complaints

25th: 86,648 mi Median: 104,000 mi 75th: 137,000 mi

SERVICE BRAKES 57 complaints

25th: 89,440 mi Median: 120,645 mi 75th: 139,500 mi

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19 complaints

25th: 30,000 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 118,893 mi

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 18 complaints

25th: 86,500 mi Median: 107,500 mi 75th: 117,498 mi

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 16 complaints

25th: 28,634 mi Median: 58,206 mi 75th: 97,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 58 TX: 30 FL: 24 NY: 19 GA: 15 MD: 15 NC: 11 VA: 11 AZ: 10 AL: 10

Who Files Complaints?

11.4%

Original Owners

88.6%

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	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD	0
1996	62	107,700	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	7
1997	80	113,200	SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS	5
1998	51	89,000	SUSPENSION	3
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
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