My vehicle has about 68k miles, while driving on freeway all of sudden the car engine started to shake and check engine light came on dashboard. This engine shaking would stop when vehicle was being driven at high speed. Upon returning home I checked the DTC codes and had P300, P301 engine misfire codes. My mechanic suggested to have spark plugs and Ignition coil#1 to be changed. I bought new plugs from dealer for the replacement. When my mechanic completed this repair bit noticed vehicle still had misfire. He conducted compression test and found only 20PSI pressure is cylinder 1 and suggested a tear-down or engine replacement. I talked to another shop and described the issue and was informed that this is a common issue in Mercedes E300 to develop misfire in either cylinder 1 or 2. I found similar issues described by many owners on various forums online as well. Currently Mercedes has no recall for this issue.
Mercedes-Benz E300 engine failure problems
11 of the 195 owner complaints about the Mercedes-Benz E300 describe engine failure, most of them for the 2017 model year.
- owner complaints
- 11
- worst model year
- 2017
- typical mileage
- 74,000
By model year
- 20191
- 20182
- 20178
Often reported together
What owners say
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while at a complete stop and releasing the brake pedal, the Eco Mode system failed to engage, and the engine failed to restart. The contact stated that upon depressing the Push to Start button, the vehicle restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with Eco Mode activated, the vehicle would only restart after pressing the Push to Start button several times. The contact used a vehicle scanner and was able to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes related to the Starting Current Limiter. The contact referenced TSB Number: 2017020021 and the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V114000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling). Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel had seized in an incorrect position and could not be readjusted. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 2017020018. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn to the left or the right. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with an internal failure of the power steering rack, Part Number: 213460480280. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the local dealer for further repairs. The contact was informed that the parts to the repair were not covered, and the failure might be related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V574000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
Check engine light came on and then complete engine failure. Cracked #1 piston, and engine destroyed.
Variable timing Valve Malfunction , causing metal shaving to get in to the engine Causing a engine failure
Engine failure due to piston crack. Seems like it is a common issue for mercedes models with this specific engine. A lot of people have their engine needing to be replaced at very low miles such as 10k miles 15k miles. Vehicle was always been serviced on time. Now I need a new engine. Manufacturer needs to take responsibility of this engine defect
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.
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.
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 the federal safety agency 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.
Mb 2018 e300 would stop with me in the middle of traffic the stop and start system malfunctions and dealership refused to fixed the problem until I almost got killed. Car stop in the middle of traffic around (nov 2020 off commercial blvd fort lauderdale fl between 4 to 6pm rainy day rush hour about to make a right turn to get on i95 and care died on me and I had to wait 3 yours because onstar button wasn't working and had to call tow using my phone ) I been having issues starting back up and other problems with the pistines in the engine and car finally breaks down and needs new engine feb 2 mercedes never honors their warranty and fixed my issue . One driver with 2018 e300 mercedes benz like mine after 23k miles needs a new engine also . Below I past the link to the forum with other mb customers complaining about the safety issues of their e-class mb all of which experience familiar engine and car start up failure. Https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w213/798120-2018-mercedes-w213-e300-needs-new-engine-23k-miles-2.html confirmation code: [xxx] date and time: jan 6, 2021 9:00:00 am vehicle: 2018 mercedes-benz e300 VIN: [xxx] advisor: [xxx] arrangement: loaner vehicle repair services: engine performance concern (hesitation, lack of power, poor mileage, etc.) ' customer states that the vehicle stalls at regular period confirmation code: [xxx] date and time: nov 25, 2020 10:00:00 am vehicle: 2018 mercedes-benz e300 VIN: [xxx] advisor: [xxx] arrangement: loaner vehicle repair services: tell us more ' client states the vehicle is having issues when she turn the car on, there are some weird noises coming fron engine information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Mercedes-Benz E300 engine failure
Which Mercedes-Benz E300 years have engine failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2017 (8 complaints), 2018 (2 complaints) and 2019 (1 complaints).
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