Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes-benz e320. While the contact was reversing the vehicle, the driver, passenger, ceiling, and both side air bags deployed without warning or an impact occurring. There were no injuries. The contact left a voice message with the manufacturer. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000.
The worst 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine18
- Airbags17
- Transmission11
- Suspension10
- Electrical8
- Fuel system6
- Visibility6
- Body5
- Brakes5
- Tires5
- Steering4
- Acceleration3
- Lights3
- Locks1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320
No deployment 5Loss of power 5Power steering loss 5Stalling 5
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Front suspension coil spring ejection
Odi has focused this investigation on assessing the risks posed by a separated spring as (1) a road hazard and (2) the potential for vehicle control to be compromised after the front coil spring has been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle.both risks are associated with corrosion, flexing, and fracture of the upper front suspension mounting bracket.time-in-service failure rates are notably higher in salt belt states since corrosion is a primary contributor to the failure mode.since a number of incidents have occurred while the vehicle was being operated, odi is skeptical that owners can always detect the subtle side to side difference in ride height and/or inspect or notice that the upper suspension bracket has been compromised by corrosion.(1) road hazard - although the (approx. 7 lb.) front suspension spring that may be ejected at highway speeds could pose a serious road hazard to pedestrians and other vehicles, the occurrence rate has been low (.03% based on 51 reported incidents occurring and an initial population of 172,781 vehicles after 9 - 12 years of use / exposure) and there are no known injuries, fatalities, or property damage reports due to an ejected spring.also, many of the 51 incidents occurred at low speed or while the vehicle was stopped or parked.(2) vehicle control - vehicle handling and control could be affected by the fracture of the upper suspension mount and/or the associated spring ejection.odi first identified its concern about corrosion in the upper suspension bracket of subject vehicles in 2002, at which time mercedes provided a video that showed that a vehicle could be steered, stopped, and controlled through various maneuvers at high speeds with a front coil spring completely missing from the vehicle. During pe07-021, in addition to reviewing the 2002 video-tape, odi engineers drove an exemplar vehicle with the spring removed and simulated various combinations of steering angles to assess whether there were any possible conditions / displacements in which the separated spring might interfere with the wheels. In a vehicle with the front spring removed, the top of the wheel can lightly contact the bottom area of the wheel fender during high angle turns typically associated with slower speed maneuvers such as city driving. The light tire contact generated an obvious grinding noise and would likely abrade or bend the edge of the fender with continued use.however, the extent of the interference was not sufficient to affect vehicle steering and does not occur at smaller turning angles associated with highway driving.odi has not identified a safety related defect trend at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that a safety related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if future circumstances warrant.
PE07021
Engine crankshaft pulley failure
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail.
PE03058
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 32
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- NTG5.5
- If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single...
- Unmotivated Reaction from Park Assist
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D
- Airmatic
- Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- Display of suspension setting in head unit implausible
- Liftgate intermittently does not open fully
- Enclosed for your information and pursuant to part 579.5, please find our latest Service and Warranty...
What 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes-benz e320. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact felt a vibration coming from the vehicle and the driver and passenger side curtain air bags and front driver side door air bag erroneously deployed. The driver sustained a concussion and injuries to the face, neck, and shoulders, which required hospitalization. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed from the scene. There was no crash. The vehicle was examined by the manufacturer who determined that the front universal joint and driveshaft fractured, which caused the air bag sensor to erroneously activate and deploy the air bags. The manufacturer and local dealer (mercedes-benz of greenwich, 261 west putnam ave, greenwich, ct) were notified. The failure mileage was 125,000. The VIN was invalid.
8/31/18 in motion on a city street, the cabin filled with smoke (from a fire but no flame was seen) I had to open all windows to breath and see. My home was within sight so I drove to the middle of my lawn away from any building, the key would not turn, the car would not shut down. I as quickly as posable disconnected the battery to shut down.
Takata recall SRS light on front passenger seat
My vehicle is leaking fuel and the smell of the gas is really bad from inside and outside of the car. Based on the analysis of fuel tank leaks on model year 2003-08 mercedes-benz e-class vehicles shows me that the e-calls has this issue but my car is a 1999. I would like to know was the year based solely on the 15 year extended warranty or other facts also.
1999 e320 right front upper coil spring mount almost completely rusted away from frame. This problem is frequent on this model and can cause a serious loss of vehicle control under a failure condition. The left coil spring cap is fine, as it is in most cases I've researched. - I found this problem just before it broke while replacing the front brakes, and this parts failure requires removal and replacement of the affected area and parts. The repair is ~$550.00 and is a must to use the car safely. - mercedes benz certainly knows about this safety issue and has failed to at least notify owners of this model that users expect to last for decades. This is not a "normal" problem.
I was pulling out of my driveway, going ~5 MPH, when I smelled something, there was an explosion by my head and the air curtains on the driver's side self-deployed. After that my husband, a mechanic, deactivated the SRS using the switch on the console of the car. However, approximately one year later, the air curtains and airbag on the passenger side self-deployed while he was driving the car. Then on or about july 31, 2014, a clear day, around 8:30 a.m. When my husband was driving the car at approximately 50 MPH, he heard an explosion, the seatbelt retracted with such force that it caused a painful blow to his chest and pinned him into the car. He was able to drive the car off the road. At first he thought he might have been shot because of the noise from the explosion, it was hard to breathe and painful. However, after a few minutes, he realized it was the seatbelt and struggled to release it. The seatbelt put a gash in his left shoulder through his clothes. (we have pictures of the gash.) in all of these incidents, we have not been in an accident, road conditions were good, we have not been speeding, and, therefore, did not call the police. Since then, we have taken the car off of the road because the seat belt no longer works, and driving the car without the seat belt would violate a new jersey statute. We're also concerned that there are more airbags that have the potential of spontaneously self-deploying while the car is being driven. We've contacted mercedes and were told to have the car towed to a dealer and pay for a diagnosis. We feel that the car should be recalled by mercedes because it is unsafe to drive and has the potential to cause an accident.
There was a fuel leak under the rear driver side seat near the rear tire. I had it fixed by an independent mechanic, but the problem has recurred. I currently have a fuel leak at the same place. The vehicle now has 141,000 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes e320. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, an abnormal noise was coming from the front driver's side of the vehicle. The contact indicated that after inspecting the vehicle, the front driver side appeared to be lowered. After taking the front driver side wheel off the contact discovered that the wheel well was corroded and the suspension was damaged. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
My car skidded of the road after I tried to brake in order to slow down because two right wheels of the car were in a puddle. I completely lost control of the car, and did not understand what was happening. I was on a ramp approaching highway 101, and I was not speeding. It was a really scary moment. I took the car to the mercedes dealership, and their conclusion was that there is nothing wrong with the car, which is hard to believe.
Compare the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320
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Questions about the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320
Is the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 reliable?
Owners have filed 83 complaints about the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320, 2.2 times a typical E320 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320?
Engine and cooling, with 18 complaints, typically around 62,000 miles. Next is airbags (17).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Mercedes Benz E320 have bad engine?
The Mercedes Benz E320 model years with the most engine complaints are 1999 (18 complaints), 2005 (17 complaints) and 1995 (10 complaints).
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