I inherited my dad's 2003 Mercedes Benz E320 when he passed away last year. He kept the car in pristine condition. About a month ago while driving it, I noticed a strong smell of gasoline in the cabin of the vehicle. The odor is strong just after filling the tank, and then it disappears at appox. 3 quarters of a tank. This issue has been physically challenging for me, making me dizzy and giving me migraines. I'm also very concerned about the safety issues relating to gasoline fumes inside the car... My understanding is that this is a common issue for the said Mercedes Benz model and year. It is a dangerous parts defect that is unacceptable.
Mercedes Benz E320 fuel smell problems
213 of the 1,164 owner complaints about the Mercedes Benz E320 describe gas smell in the cabin, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 213
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 96,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Fuel leak 58Fuel gauge 33Fuel pump 24Check engine light 7Stalling 4Airbag light 3Won't start 1Hesitation 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor throughout the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a fuel leak coming from underneath the vehicle, above the fuel tank. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 202,800.
*1. The Fuel Tank and components and/or system failed or malfunctioned. *2. After filling the gas tank, the odor of strong pungent gasoline fumes fills the cabin of the and lingers for some time in the car and garage until the gasoline level goes down after being driven for a few miles. *3The car has been taken to a certified Mercedes Benz Dealership Service Center and was told that the problem was the gas tank and system/components. *4.The car was inspected by a certified Mercedes Benz Dealership Service Center Mechanic *5. There were NO warning lamps or messages on the dashboard or message center on car. The only symptoms of the problem was the strong odor of gasoline fumes after fuel fill ups.
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact removed the rear seat where the fuel tank was located and discovered that fuel was leaking into the vehicle underneath the rear seat instead of going into the fuel tank. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
Extreme Gas Odor after filling gas tank and during time of driving.
After fueling up, a smell of gas occurs. Slight gas puddle forms under the car after every fuel up. Drops gas gauge down and after that no more smell of fuel but still slight puddle of gas after leaving the car parked. Noticed it about a month ago and it seems to get worse. Doesn't seem safe knowing the car is leaking fuel.
The passenger compartment smells like gasoline. This is due to an issue that was already investigated by the federal safety agency however the warranty that was extended is expired by two years. I just purchased this vehicle used and it is unsafe to drive. It did not smell like gas a few weeks ago when it was purchased. The odor is very strong in the passenger compartment.
Driver is experiencing a heavy odor of gasoline after fill up. Vehicle is not overfilled/topped off. Vehicle was sitting inside garage when owner noticed a heavy fuel odor and notified fire department to investigate. Per recommendations of fire department, keep vehicle out of garage until issue could be inspected by a qualified mechanic. Mechanic inspected fuel system and found fuel leak under rear seats near fuel pump/sending unit. Mercedes benz refuses repair issue saying it is not a safety issue. Gasoline fumes/vapors are especially heavy inside a single car garage, and if a ignition source is introduced it could become fatal.
Filled up gas tank and had fuel odor inside car and fuel leaking outside the car until fuel level was around 3/4 of a tank. I believe that mine falls under all the other problems listed for fuel leaks for other w211 mercedes. The extended warranty for this was only allowed for original owners and not for anyone that purchased used.
I filled the gas tank full and on pulling in the garage could smell a strong smell of gasoline... Went to get my oil change the next day and the gentleman mentioned he could smell gas coming from my car at valvoline oil change.... Very strong smell in the interior of the car as well as when walking around the outside of the car you could smell a strong smell of gas... The gentleman from valvoline looked under the car and said there's some type of cover that goes underneath the gas tank itself and put his finger into it and could touch gasoline on his hand... I just went onto the internet and read many many complaints of the same thing with this type of car lawsuits have been filed... In those complaints the people that brought their car to dealership said that it was very expensive to remedy and that there should have been a recall... After driving a little bit and reducing the amount of gasoline in the tank the smell has subsided somewhat... Those complaints also mention that it can be very dangerous with this type of leak
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Mercedes Benz E320 fuel smell
Which Mercedes Benz E320 years have gas smell in the cabin problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (74 complaints), 2004 (72 complaints) and 2003 (59 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix gas smell in the cabin on the Mercedes Benz E320?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 28 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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