The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility); however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the sunroof glass was manufactured in a year outside of the year stated in the recall. 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 and informed the contact that the sunroof glass was not covered under the recall. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The worst 2004 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.
- Fuel system117
- Brakes50
- Electrical13
- Airbags6
- Body6
- Engine6
- Lights5
- Visibility5
- Suspension4
- Acceleration3
- Driver assistance3
- Locks3
- Seats3
- Transmission3
- Seat belts2
- Steering2
- Tires2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320
Fuel smell 72Fuel leak 31Fuel pump 18Fuel gauge 16Brake failure 14Check engine light 5
Recalls 2
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.
- Risk
- A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. This recall is an expansion of previous the federal safety agency recall number 22V‑954. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024120001/2/3.
Recall number 24V874000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit:
- Risk
- A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020040011.
Recall number 19V918000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320
Defect investigations
Fuel Leakage From The Fuel Tank
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation on January 23, 2012 as PE12-001 based on 20 consumer reports in model year (MY) 2003-2006 E55 AMG vehicles.Based on new reports in other E-Class vehicles, ODI upgraded the investigation to Engineering Analysis (EA) 13-003 on March 15, 2013, and expanded the scope to all E-Class vehicles through MY 2008.The complainants alleged a strong odor of gasoline fuel both inside and outside of their vehicle, particularly after refilling the fuel tank.Many of the complainants noted that the odor subsided or went away after driving some distance thereby lowering the fuel level in the tank.Other owners reported they would only fill the tank to about three quarters full to avoid the odor altogether.Some complainants alleged fuel leaked from the fuel filter/sender, located on the top of the fuel tank on the driver's side, and collected on top of the tank.There were also allegations that the fuel leaks were associated with an Emissions Recall Campaign (No. 2008020001) conducted by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes) in 2008 on MY 2003-2006 E-Class and CLS-Class AMG models.The issue in the recall involved small cracks in the pressurized outlet fitting of the fuel filter/sender.AMG vehicles are high performance models that operate at higher fuel pressure and use a different fuel filter/sender and fuel pump than non-AMG models.Information on Recall No. 2008020001 is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website at www.EPA.gov.ODI's investigation found various leak sources that are unrelated to the outlet fitting cited in the EPA recall campaign.Through interviews with complainants, field inspections of complaint vehicles, and the collection and laboratory analysis of failed parts, three identifiable leak sources were found.The component parts and areas of the leaks involve the On-Board Diagnostic fuel tank pressure sensor (located on top of the fuel filter/sender), the outlet of the centrally mounted fuel tank fuel filling limiter valve, and the top of the fuel pump. These areas of leakage are located at the top of the fuel tank in unpressurized parts of the fuel system. When the tank is full, fuel can slowly weep/seep from micro-cracks in these components and may collect in cavities on top of the filter/sender, pump, or tank.Contrary to complainant's allegations that fuel entered the inside of their vehicle under the rear seat bench, neither ODI nor Mercedes found a plausible way for this to occur.The fuel tank is located outside of the passenger compartment, attached to the underside of the vehicle.The service access ports for the fuel filter/sender (driver's side) and fuel pump (passenger's side) are located under the rear seat bench, covered by a steel plate, sealed and bolted to the vehicle floor.When technicians service the fuel filter/sender, which has a regularly scheduled 60,000 mile service interval, and/or the fuel pump, the work is performed from inside the vehicle by working through the access ports.By letter dated September 4, 2014, Mercedes has notified the agency that it will extend the original warranty coverage to 15 years and unlimited mileage on Covered Fuel Tank Components in E-Class vehicles in MY 2003-2009 and CLS-Class vehicles in MY 2006-2011.The covered fuel tank components for the warranty extension include the fuel tank, fuel filter/sender, fuel pump, and all related gaskets/seals and retention rings.ODI is closing this investigation based on the manufacturer's extend warranty of the affected fuel system components and in consideration that the nature of the leaks does not appear to present an un
EA13003
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 84
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The warranty on the SBC Hydraulic Unit for MY 2003-2006 Model 211, MY 2006 Model 219, and Model Year...
- In our continuing efforts to enhance the satisfaction of our customers, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) has...
- Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is...
- Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper...
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamps leaking or fogged
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- Noises/ squealing from the service brake in various driving situations and ambient conditions
2004 Mercedes Benz E320 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6‑cyl | RWD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
What 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
To Whom It May Concern, I took my 2004 Mercedes-Benz into the Stevens Creek location located in San Jose, CA 95129 to have the sliding roof bonding recall fixed on December 24, 2024. I have attached the repair invoice to this complaint. It has now been almost two full months and I am still being blocked from updating my vehicle registration because my vehicle needs to complete an Official Brake and Light Adjustment Certification. However, the recall vin lookup page (https://vinrcl. has been showing my recall as incomplete for almost two full months now. The mechanic that performs the Brake and Light inspection says the vehicle will fail the test until the recall vin lookup page displays a 0 for my vehicle. Once again, this issue is preventing me from updating my vehicle registration until the recall vin lookup page shows the successful completion of the vehicle recall performed on December 24, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz of Stevens Creek. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
SBC braking system stated as covered under 25 year/unlimited miles warranty. SBC system failed on 2/1/25. Vehicle towed to local dealer service facility on 2/3/25. Tow was authorized at no charge by MB Roadside Assistance at no charge plus $100.00 credit toward diagnostic. Was told by phone on 2/3/25 that upon confirmation that SBC did in fact fail, the SBC replacement would be performed at no charge due to warranty through 2028. As of 2/10/25 service facility did confirm that the SBC system had failed. Currently, MB USA has a HOLD pending for authorization of repairs, with no reason given as to why as of 2/13/25.
The sunroof has a recall due to the fact that it has a bad seal, which could fly off due to this issue. I know the seal is bad because the whole roof leaked a few years ago and fried all the electronic; e.g. lights, sunroof controls, trunk light controls, side door controls. I went to the dealership and they said they would not fix it because they could not open the sunroof to see the manufacturer date on it.
The driver's side mirror auto-dim function failed (as theorized by simple research where others have this issue) December 2023 and leaked a liquid behind the glass causing blurriness, double vision, and extremely dim reflection. This makes it difficult to safely judge other traffic using the mirror and seems very dangerous while driving. It also seems to present a risk of misjudging any other objects on the road which are reliant on this mirror. The equivalent replacement mirror glass alone is prohibitively expensive and Mercedes-Benz USA was contacted twice for help and refused to provide help or replacement. Neither the manufacturer nor another entity has inspected it yet. The mirror is available for inspection upon request. The passenger side view mirror is not auto-dimming so there is no issue.
The glue around front windshield has deteriorated and has caused major damage to my interior lights, electrical essemblys , interior damage to seats , dash board and flooring. Including the trunk seal is also deteriorated and causing the battery to stop working and has made my car non drivable.
Mercedes Benz has a KNOWN safety problem with this model and has not put it under recall yet and it needs to be. The wire casing in the wiring harness for the headlights crumbles and leaves exposed wires that touch, short, and draw causing dim headlights. Due to being cited for dim headlights the night before, I called MBUSA on December 27 2023 and they initially REFUSED to take a case from me.
The TRUNK will not open. It is supposed to open by pressing the button on the key fob or taking the thin key out of the key fob and manually open the truck with the keyed lock. Neither method works. There is absolutely no way to open the trunk otherwise (i.e. inside button or lever). When the key fob button and the thin key do not work there is absolutely no way to open the truck. There is no way to access the lock from the trunk lid rear and there is no way to access the trunk from behind the back seat cushions. It is a very bad situation and dangerous.
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that the headliner had detached from the sunroof causing rainwater to enter the interior of the vehicle. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V954000 (Visibility). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the recall repair was documented as completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the recall repair was not completed, and the failure persisted. The contact stated that the sunroof was manually closed by the dealer and advised the contact to never open the sunroof. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320 equipped with Arroyo Tires, Tire Line: Grand Sport ZR A/S, Tire Size: 225/55/R16, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an unusual sound coming from the rear tires. The contact parked the vehicle and became aware that the rear tires tread had separated, and the steel belts were visible. The tires were not replaced. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the tires were replacement tires purchased at Pep Boys. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 250,000. The tire failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Compare the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320
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Questions about the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320
Is the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 reliable?
Owners have filed 203 complaints about the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320, 5.3 times a typical E320 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 year score?
The 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 scores 15 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mercedes Benz E320: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 117 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles. Next is brakes (50).
How many recalls does the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 have?
2 recalls, covering visibility.
What year does the Mercedes Benz E320 have the most fuel system problems?
The Mercedes Benz E320 model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2005 (122 complaints), 2004 (117 complaints) and 2003 (88 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 get?
Official estimates for the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.2L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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