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.
2004 Mercedes Benz E320 brakes problems
50 complaints (25% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000. 5 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 50
- of this car's complaints
- 25%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 5
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip2
- Power assist1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Mercedes Benz E320 brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
October 26, 2022 my 2004 Mercedes model E320 W211 VIN # [XXX] dash pop out warning " Brake Wearing visit workshop" October 27, 2022 I had the brake pads and wear sensors both replaced and test drive verified car running normal for 30 minutes then dash pop out RED warning "Brake malfunction stop vehicle" plus transmission shifter stick to parking port can not be shift to other position, so can not drive and car being forced to stop on the road, I managed to press the lock off so can shift out of parking but there has no brake function when driving, I called MB USA and being advised that my car qualified to 25 years extended warranty for SBC hydraulic pump repair, 2005070007 2005110001 but when I tow my car to Mercedes dealer they said it only repair the Recall: 2020040011 - Sliding Roof Bonding - Phase 2, but the SBC Hydraulic pump may be at additional service charges, Please help investigate why Mercedes USA said it is under 25 years extended warranty while dealer said it might not qualify? car can not drive because of the SBC hydraulic pump problem and defected the driving safety? Best Regards/[XXX] email: [XXX] tel: [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Total brake failure Had to cross the over to the other side of the road to turn around. Was almost hit by an oncoming big rig truck . I've looked it up and this is a common occurrence on these vehicles,! They have a SBC unit that has caused numerous incidents exactly like mine . Someone could easily be killed because of this defect. I've read that they extended the warranty for 25 years . But I haven't been notified. They notified me about a recall of the sun roof but not this!!
The vehicle will flood after being exposed to rain which has caused all sorts of electrical issues. I have read online where several others have filed lawsuits regarding E class Mercedes for similar issues. The car’s interior will take on water and since there’s several electrical components running along the floor board of the car they will become damaged and cause the car’s computers and electrical system to go crazy. I picked up my car from having the oil changed at a local service shop a few days after it was repaired and I was driving back home after the service pick up and the car completely lost power. I got out of the car and opened the trunk in which I had to do so by using the key inside of the key fob. When I opened the trunk, I noticed that there was a little bit of water in the trunk which led me to open the back door and to my surprise there was standing water behind the driver seat. I checked the driver floor and it was soaked as well. I had the car towed back to the shop where I had the oil changed and the owner did not have the available equipment to test the car. I dried the car out over the next several days and drove to a local Mercedes dealership where they told me to do a full diagnostic on the car it would cost upwards of $19k. Are you kidding me? Now I know from reading others stories that this isn’t an unknown issue. So, what do I do now…file an insurance claim? I guess that would be the next step but they’ll turn around and get the money right back out of me by raising my policy rates. This is terrible. My car is a 2004 E320 with just under 65k miles on it.
On 12/16/2020 while driving the brakes on my vehicle failed. A red warning triangle appeared on the vehicle message board stating the cars braking ability was severely reduced and to stop driving immediately. I was able to drift to the side of the road without incident and had the vehicle towed to my mechanic. The mechanic could find no mechanical reason for the brake failure. The red warning light was gone and the brakes were functioning normally. Online research revealed an extended warranty/recall for the year, make and model of the car related to brake failure. Mercedes will replace the sensortronic brake control module (sbc) free provided the correct codes are evident when they diagnose the car.(safety recall #2005110001 I believe) my mechanic said that there are no codes showing for the brakes and the brakes are now functioning. My online research has shown that this can be an intermittent problem and the dealerships are reluctant or will not replace the sbc if there are no codes. After contacting mercedes the car is being towed to the dealership as I type this. I am hopeful that mercedes will do the correct thing and replace their admittedly flawed brake module but it isn't looking good as they said if the correct codes do not appear they will not replace. The insane idea that I am expected to continue to drive the vehicle until the brakes fail again in order to get them replaced is unacceptable. I'm in a no win situation.
Sensor tonic brake system light in intermittently
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes-benz e 320. The contact called on behalf of his wife. The contact stated while the vehicle was at stand still, the driver was unable to start the vehicle. A message on the instrument panel showed brake malfunction stop vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the battery was drained. The vehicle was jump started and driven to the residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who provided a diagnosis over the phone. The contact was informed that the sensotronic brake control (sbc) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v133000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes-benz e320. The contact stated that a blue light illuminated, which meant that the brakes needed to be serviced. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the brakes were serviced. A few months later, while traveling 30 MPH, the brakes failed without warning. The contact continuously pumped the brake pedal until the vehicle stopped. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a sbc hydraulic pump failure. The contact took the vehicle to mercedes-benz of beverly hills (9250 beverly blvd, beverly hills, ca 90210, (310) 659-2980) where the vehicle was ultimately diagnosed and repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes-benz e320. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to skyland automotive mercedes-benz (255 smokey park highway, asheville, nc 28806, (828)667-5213) to be repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v133000 (service brakes, hydraulic). After the repair, while driving 35 MPH, the brake indicator illuminated and the brake pedal became stuck to the floorboard. The contact was able to coast the vehicle onto the road shoulder. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 144,015.
Sbc brake light came on car would not engage got it towed the repair cost $1600.00 to repair. I call mbz they said no help for me.
Questions about the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 brakes
Does the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 50 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320, 25% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Mercedes Benz E320 have bad brakes?
The Mercedes Benz E320 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2003 (77 complaints), 2005 (54 complaints) and 2004 (50 complaints).
Other 2004 Mercedes Benz E320 problems
Fuel system 117Electrical 13Airbags 6Body 6Engine 6Lights 5Visibility 5Suspension 4Acceleration 3Driver assistance 3Locks 3Seats 3Transmission 3Seat belts 2Steering 2Tires 2
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Mercedes Benz E320?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history