NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Car will loose power unexpectedly and start shaking badly. Check engine light comes on flashing. Vehicle gets towed to shop to find loss of compresión on cylinder one. Mercedes Benz forums full of this type of issue. Shop says repair is to rebuild or replace engine. Vehicle available for inspection.
The car lurches forward upon accelerating. Other times the car lags when accelerating after slowing for a dip or speed bump. This has caused me to almost be hit from behind on multiple occasions. My car has been in the shop multiple times since I bought it.
Having a Mercedes was my dream since I was a kid and I’m completely heartbroken to have to file this complaint. I’ve been working literally my whole life to finally be able to afford my 2017 E300. I purchased it from Autobahn Motors in Belmont, California in August 2020. My car has ~48,000 miles on it and I still own approximately $14,000 on the car as of today (5/20/2023). When I was driving on the highway my car engine light came on, started to violently shake, and I thought it was going to stall out. I immediately took it in to my mechanic and he told me that piston #1 is broken and the spark plugs are melted! Premature engine failure. I can no longer use my car until I get my engine replace! I’ve gotten one quote and it is approximately $15,000! I don’t even have 50,000 miles on my car. I saw a large volume of complaints online for the M274 engine including a class action lawsuit that have exactly the same issue as what my mechanic diagnostics is showing (broken piston #1 leading to premature engine failure). This is a huge safety concern and needs to be investigated immediately and corrected by Mercedes Benz before someone gets hurt or dies from this failure. For the price I’ve paid, still owe, as well as what the repair would be is completely unacceptable. I need my car for work and I’m also a parent so this is creating a huge inconvenience and financial hardship. Mercedes must be aware of this problem and held accountable for there negligence on correcting this issue.
Safety Issue. The Chrome on the lever to make the seat move forward to access the back seat has sharp razor blade ridges. It has cut my hand open multiple times as well as my wife and a friend. A lot of blood, this is a serious issue. When I brought my car to the Mercedes Service center the agent told me this is a known problem and he too has cut his hand open on customers cars. This is not from wear and tear, this lever is used in frequently, I see a lot of complaints on the blogs too. Mercedes will not fix it. The Part is only $270 but they want $650 to install it.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal gasoline odor entering the vehicle. The contact stated that he did not notice a warning light being illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact then drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel rails and fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The independent mechanic advised the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V961000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The steering wheel tilt feature is stuck in the up position.
There was a smell of gasoline in and outside the car when the car was idling. Also, a smell of gasoline in the garage around the parked car. Also a smell of gasoline after starting the car, that went away after driving. I called the service department. They gave me an appointment one week later. I have no complaints about the service dept. When the car was repaired several hours later, the report stated "found seep at fuel hose to pump", and then, "replaced upper fuel hose to high pressure fuel pump". They told me it was no charge because they knew about this problem happening in their vehicles and had extended the warranty for it. I was/am very concerned because(1.) if I had been in an accident, could have more easily been a fire? (2.) Mercedes knew about this and to my knowledge have not let customers know, (3) I kept up with all maintenance/service visits and I was never told to be aware of this possibility, (4) when reported by me, there was no procedure in place to prioritize scheduling this repair. I may be wrong in my analysis and do not want to cause anyone any trouble. I just think if one car fire can be avoided that is important. If my thinking is incorrect, I apologize sincerely for my reaction to this situation.
have engine light on, and error code p052, which is a PVC malfunction. It is a common issue happens to a lot of MB owners. Mercedes Benz refuses to have the replacement covered by extended warranty.
MY check engine light has come on and the code is P052E71 stating Crankcase Ventilation Valve has a malfunction
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the power steering assist failed with the "Steering Malfunction, Increased Physical Effort" and "Active Brake Assist" warning messages appeared on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where an attempt was made to repair the power steering failure; however, the repair was unsuccessful. The mechanic then informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V574000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was notified and informed her that there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
once i turn on the AC and switch TO heat i smell a strong gas odor everytime
Code P052E Crankcase Ventilation Valve Replacement, Emissions system manufacture does not cover and commonly fails around 25-55K miles.
Battery being drained, the car does not start, water inside the vehicle on the floor at the drivers side
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and the contact was made aware of a failed piston. The contact was informed that further diagnostic testing on the engine was needed. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed back to the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
Positive crankcase ventilation regulator valve performance
Vehicle running really rough. Check engine light came on and stated Cylinder #1 misfire. Technician took apart the engine and found cylinder #1 piston to have a Crack in it.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced jerking and hesitation and erroneously switched from the automatic transmission to the manual transmission position, without the transmission selector being switched. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not yet notified of failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
2017 Mercedes Benz E300 38k miles Parking brake malfunction. Replaced rear two Electric parking brake module /actuator. Still have the same problem. Mercedes Benz are claiming it to be ABS module.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that the GPS Navigation voice control was providing driving directions to random locations. The contact stated that the locations might be miles away from the intended destination. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the GPS Navigation unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The sunroof is leaking when it rains on the front upper left side by the driver. My safety is act risk because of the water coming in the car distracting me from driving and not sure if the water is damaging the electrical system in my car.
I've owned this vehicle for a few years and don't use it that often. I purchased it as a certified so I thought everything had been checked out. However, not too long ago i took my wife and my son who was home from college out to dinner. When we left and started back to the car, my son was ahead of us and didn't think when he lifted the door handle. The alarm came on and I was still quite some distance from the car. That didn't seem right so when we got home, I walked quite a distance from the locked car and had him try it again. Again the door came open when he lifted the handle and the alarm came on. After resetting it, I locked it again and this time had him try all handles. They all locked except the rear (passenger) door on the driver's side. That convinced me that something was wrong. I took it to the dealer, the same place I purchased it from three years ago and they said the door lock was bad and it would cost me $800 to fix it. I thought that was a little steep and told them it was probably like that when i got it. That didn't mean anything to them. I am thinking of trading the car so I don't want to spend more money on it so I told them to hold off. I was searching for that problem on the Internet and I ran across a recall notice that identifies that same problem on the same door in a number of other model Mercedes, and I thought, that seems like a coincidence. What are the chances of that? The same manufacturer, the same year, the same problem on the same door. Only the model is different. Can someone check to see if there were any problems recorded for the E300 on bulletin 17V816000? It was on Mercedes recall 2018010009 I have not checked to see if the door locks when the doors auto lock above 10 mph because I didn't want a chance for an accident.
I’m having issues with my control module not going forward or backwards at times and there was a recall on models of this vehicle for that exact reason NHTSA ID: 17V078000 Issued: Feb 2, 17. Dealership is telling me it’s not open. I’m scared for my safety when my car doesn’t shift in the correct gear. This started in 2021 or 2022 and I’m not getting resolution. When getting my bumper repaired I noticed that this was on the recall list a few years ago. I’ll submit the papers I received form Park Place.
Piston 1 failed at 40,00 miles.
The door will not stay open on hills and makes a loud clicking noise
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse to another gear, the gear shifter seized. The contact stated that after turning off and restarting the vehicle several times the gear shifter operated as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V078000 (Power Train). The contact was advised by the mechanic to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Suddenly , the trunk stopped closing completely. Noted a significant gap in the trunk to the quarter panel due to the pull down function / soft close not working. Trunk is now slightly open, which could be an issue with water ingress with many electrical components in the trunk compartment.
There are three main issues: As the weather got cold here in NJ, whenever the car is started in the morning, there is a strong fuel smell inside the cabin. Also there is a lot of fumes that smell gasoline. I think it is safety issue. The auto braking does not seem to operate right. I do not see any error message, but it had never tried to avoid a collision when I have tried other cars that would have normally applied the brakes in those situations. The garage door opening function does not work as soon as the ignition is turned off. This is an electrical issue in my view.
The contact owned a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300W. The contact stated while driving approximately 55mph when the contact heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle causing him to lose control of the vehicle and crash into another vehicle. The contact stated the crash avoidance system had failed to activate. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained arm bruises but did not seek medical treatment. The other vehicle contained 2 people but the contact does not know what injuries they had sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, the steering wheel lost power steering function. The warning message “Steering Malfunction” was illuminated. The vehicle was able to continue to drive by forcefully steering the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving and was increasingly intense while making turns. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was oil on the engine harness and the oil had been going to the electric steering rack. The dealer informed the contact that the engine wiring harness needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V714000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. Engine harness( found oil in harness going to M.E. and electric steering rack) after starting car- can hear a clicking noise inside of engine bay.
There is a smell of gas inside the cabin coming from the vents
The contact owned a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300W. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH he was side swiped on the drivers side door by another vehicle causing his vehicle to jump the curb. The contact stated he had a brake malfunction and had to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard. The contact had to steer the vehicle into a fence in order to come to a stop. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The police were called and filed a police report. The contact had the vehicle towed to a collision center. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact's insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact suffered injuries to his back, both knees and his head from hitting the steering wheel, but did not seek medical attention until later. The airbags did not deploy. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
Vehicle instrument cluster has gone completely off while driving, will not display. Everything else in car works fine. Fuses are not blown. Shows recall in 2017 for this make and model but VIN does not show as any active recalls related to this for this vehicle.
I was driving down the interstate when the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered. Luckily my shade was closed but it is leaving me with a costly repair bill. I was not driving near any other vehicles, had not gone under an overpass, nor did a rock hit my roof. How could this happen and how can this be resolved? Who do I contact?
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle independently came to an abrupt stop with a beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact also stated that an unknown red light began to flash when the failure occurred. The contact stated that there were no vehicles or objects around the vehicle at the time of the failure. After experiencing the failure, the vehicle quickly resumed normal operation. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while starting and driving the vehicle, the instrument cluster was blank. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V245000 (Electrical System). The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Vehicle emits a strong odor of gasoline when cold. It was mainly noticeable on the outside of the car at first, but now when I turn on the air inside the car (not on AC mode), I started smelling the odor of gas in the cabin. I have taken the car for possible repairs, but am told on two separate occasions by an independent service center that the odor can not be duplicated. There are recalls for the same issue on different models, but as of yet, not on this particular year model. I have notice that when the car sit overnight and when I open any door, trunk or push the lock button on the car's remote, a few seconds later, it starts emitting the smell of gasoline. The car is always parked overnight inside my garage, hence the smell is very strong.
Seat pressure sensor for supplemental restraint system (SRS) routinely fails. The system generates and error and disables the front passenger airbag. The condition clears when the vehicle is turned off. Sensors have been recalibrated multiple times. System still routinely fails.
There was a fuel smell in the cabin of the car. Gar is parked in an enclosed garage. There was a major risk of fire to the car and the house. There were no warning signs! Problem has been confirmed and repaired at owners expense.
It appears according to the technician that the entire fuel system has shorted out at once while I was driving down the road and my car died at once while nearly causing a wreck while losing all power steering and control.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E550. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number 21V058000 (Communication, Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while attempting to move the gear shifter from neutral to reverse or to drive, the gear shifter failed to move. The gear shifter returned to the neutral position. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the power train control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V078000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E400. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V010000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF LONG BEACH (2300 E SPRING ST, SIGNAL HILL, CA 90755) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
STRONG PERSISTENT ODOR OF GASOLINE IN THE CABIN ON COLD START
Fuel leak make gas smell goes inside cabin
STRONG SMELL OF PETROL IN THE MORNINGS, SEEMS TO BE UNDER THE HOOD. I INSPECTED THE FUEL LINES FROM THE FUEL TANK TO THE ENGINE UNDERNEATH AND COULD NOT FIND ANY DRIPS OR WETNESS. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS FOR THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED MERCEDES CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS ON THE 2017 MERCEDES E300
LOW PRESSURE FUEL LINE NEEDED REPLACING. THIS WAS DUE TO A FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN WHEN COLD. MERCEDES INDICATED FUEL LINES ARE CONSIDERED WEAR AND TEAR AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LEAKING , WAS NOT COVERED UNDER PRE OWNED WARRANTY OR RECALL. THE FUEL LINE APPEARS CRACKED DUE TO MISINSTALLATION VS RUBBER CRACKING DUE TO AGE AS ONE SIDE WAS PRISTINE AND THE OTHER HAD A CRACK IN IT. THIS IS NOTICEABLE AT IDLE , WHEN THE CAR IS COLD AND THE HEAT IS BLOWING.
Very strong gas smell coming from car especially in cool weather temperatures. The smell disappears when the car runs for a while but it’s terrible on cold starts. High or low pressure fuel line is the cause of it. Smell would disappear before reaching shops for diagnosis. Many other owners of same exact model experiences this as well.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E400. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V010000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. MERCEDES-BENZ OF SARASOTA (LOCATED AT 4754 CLARK RD, SARASOTA, FL 34233, (941) 275-1293) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB
WHILE IN MOTION, ENGINE STARTS VIBRATING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES UP. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND ITS A BROKEN PISTON. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS IS HAPPENING ON THE SAME ENGINE
STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE CABIN WHEN I START THE CAR IN THE MORNING. I'M SEEING THIS AS A COMMON ISSUE IN THREADS ONLINE. CAR OUT OF WARRANTY SO NEED HELP MAKING THIS A RECALL ITEM GIVEN THE DANGER OF FUEL LEAKS. SOLUTIONS POSTED ARE BELOW: 1) QUOTE FROM MY INVOICE: CONFIRMED FUEL LEAK WAS COMING FROM LINE TO HIGH PRESSURE PUMP. REMOVED LOWER PANEL OF TRANSMISSION TO GAIN ACCESS TO LINES. REMOVED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP COVERS, REMOVED AND INSTALLED FUEL LINES, AND INSTALLED IN REVERSE ORDER TO CORRECT. RAN ENGINE TO VERIFY NO LARGE FUEL LEAKS. FOUND GOOD AT THIS TIME. 2) HAVE YOUR DEALER REPLACE THE TWO FLEXIBLE FUEL LINES FROM THE FUEL FEED LINE TO THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP.THERE IS NO OFFICIAL BULLETIN ON THIS BUT THIS IS THE FIX.