Dealer notes: Replace rear brake lines, found to be rusty recommend replacement with rear subframe replacement. This is a very well known issue and is not covered under recall from manufacturer. It will cost $3200 for brake line repair alone, not including the subframe. This is an extreme safety hazard and a common problem that has been acknowledged by the manufacturer.
2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes problems
14 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 14
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Rear brake line failure
On April 10, 2020, the federal safety agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Surjit Singh alleging premature corrosion of the rear brake lines in his 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan. The petitioner states that he was recently informed by a Mercedes dealer service department that his car had severely rusted brake lines that need[ed] to be replaced immediately at a cost of about $3300. He further stated that the dealer service advisor informed him that he had seen the issue on many cars like his. The petitioner requested ?that the federal safety agency launch an investigation into this serious issue of rusting brake lines on [his] 2013 Mercedes E350.? The brake line corrosion reported by the petitioner did not result in brake line leakage or any compromise in brake system performance before it was detected in a dealer vehicle inspection. The petitioner submitted a complaint to the federal safety agency documenting his experience (the federal safety agency ID 11319024).On April 24, 2020, ODI opened Defect Petition DP20-004 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. ODI conducted a search for all consumer complaints and Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data related to allegations of brake line corrosion or leakage in 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedans and similarly equipped vehicles. The 2013 E350 is a fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicle (W212 platform), which was first sold in the United States in 2009 as a 2010 model. Mercedes-Benz sold approximately 245 thousand model year 2010 through 2015 E-Class sedan and wagon vehicles in the United States with the same brake line design as the petitioner?s vehicle.ODI?s search for complaints and EWR data in 2013 Mercedes E350 vehicles found no additional records related to the alleged defect. Expanding the search to all W212 platform vehicles identified just one incident, a complaint alleging unspecified brake line corrosion and leakage in a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 (the federal safety agency ID 10902081). The complaint did not allege that the brake line leakage resulted in reduced brake performance, crash, or injury. The resulting failure rate of 0.4 failures per hundred thousand vehicles is extremely low for a population that includes vehicles that have been in service for over ten years. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence of a defect trend in the subject E-Class vehicles that would support opening a defect investigation into premature brake line corrosion failure. the federal safety agency is authorized to issue an order requiring notification and remedy of a defect if the Agency?s investigation shows a defect in design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle that presents an unreasonable risk to safety. 49 U.S.C. ?? 30102(a)(9), 30118. Since the information before the Agency is not indicative of a vehicle-based defect, it is unlikely that any investigation opened because of granting this petition would result in an order concerning the notification and remedy of a safety-related defect. Therefore, upon full consideration of the information presented in the petition and the potential risks to safety, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not foreclose the Agency from taking further action if warranted or the potential for a future finding that a safety-related defect exists based upon additional information the agency may receive.A Federal Register notice further detailing the federal safety agency?s reasons for denial of the petition will be forthcoming.
DP20004
What 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Subject: Safety Concern – Mercedes-Benz E350 4MATIC (2011) Subframe and Brake Line Rust Dear [Mercedes-Benz Customer Care / the federal safety agency], I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding my 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 4MATIC. Recently, I brought my vehicle in for recall service, and during the inspection, it was discovered that: The rear subframe is broken due to rust. The brake lines are extremely rusted, and I was advised that I could lose braking control if they are not replaced immediately. The estimated repair cost exceeds $4,000. I have been a long-time owner of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and part of the Mercedes-Benz family. However, I am now deeply concerned about the safety of myself, my family, and others on the road due to this severe corrosion issue, which I believe may be a widespread defect. I respectfully request that Mercedes-Benz investigate this issue and provide assistance, as the failure of these critical components poses a serious safety hazard. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [Phone: [XXX] ] [Email: [XXX] ] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Brake lines have completely rusted through. Car had additional rust issues on the subframe which Mercedes admitted and replaced as part of an extended warranty . When that was repaired they never mentioned the brakes. Now 3 months later the brake lines rusted completely through … seems both subframe and lines rust at the same rate. And I would presume both cause equal safety risk. Why have they not yet issued an extended warranty on the brake lines? Both of these appear to be common issues. Hopefully the federal safety agency can encourage a change.
Brake lines rust and corrode at the plastic support clips. Brake lines are not made from quality materials. Suffrage also corroded. Suffrage was changed by dealer though when vehicle was returned the Brake lines were broken. Car entered Suffrage service with brake lines intact, rusted i wouldn't doubt but intact. When returned after changing Suffrage, brake line was broken and leaking brake fluid. Extremely dangerous to return vehicle with broken brake lines and expected Owner to drive away with no brakes. Changing brake lines was offered at a cost of $4000 but the lines were not broken upon dropping off for service. Brake lines should be warrantied and changed to a less corrosive material. Engine mounts fail and cause vibration.
Rear brake lines are known to corrode. Had to get my line replaced at 78xxx miles. This is a common problem for the w212 Mercedes, along with the rear sub-frame rusting away. If the brake lines bursted when I was driving, I could of lost my life.
The known Subframe rust recall issue has caused the brake lines to rust and mercedes in St Louis wont cover the expense to fix this known extra problem. They want $2200.00 to fix the brakes that other dealers would charge half for. They want to escape this problem and I just want this fixed at their cost.
I bought my vehicle to the Mercedes dealership to get the rear subframe replaced under extended warranty due to it being rusted and broken from the rear suspension attachment points. While the Mercedes technician had the subframe removed he noted that the rear brake lines which are routed under the body and between the subframe had significant rust/corrosion on them.
Bake line rusted through and drained brake fluid. Dashboard lit up bright red with a warning not to drive the car. Brake failure, spongy brake.
The rear subframe has prematurely rusted. It had a shear failure at speed on the highway when I applied the brakes. The rear end of the car swerved, almost causing me to crash. I did manage to decelerate the car in a controlled fashion. I did not know the rear subframe failed at the time. This was confirmed by an independent mechanic several days later. After research, it looks as though a recall has already been issued for this issue in Canada and potentially Germany. The mechanic tells me that until the issue is repaired the vehicle is unsafe to drive. My and others safety was put at risk due to the failure of vehicle control at 65 mph on a busy road. The problem was verified by an independent mechanic. No police, insurance provider, or Mercedes dealer has inspected the car/damage, only an independent mechanic. No prior indicators were given either directly or indirectly prior to failure. I did keep the part for inspection upon request.
I noticed fluid on the ground under my car in the driveway. Turns out it was brake fluid, the vehicle alerted me to low brake fluid. Here was a broken brake line which appears to have been caused by the subframe being rusted out. The issue is with the rear subframe on the Mercedes’ E and C class dating from 2008 on. Mine is a 2011 E class. The subframes on these vehicles rust and rot out causing issues to the brake lines and rear suspension parts rotting / rusting out due to the subframe being compromised. I’ve taken my vehicle to the dealer to look at the brake line and I was advised that the subframe was rusting out and should be replaced as well, it will only worsen, creating a safety hazard while driving because it can cause the car not to stop properly and difficult to control. I’ve taken the vehicle to repair shop and was told the same. Also was advised by both the dealer and private repair shops that this is a common issue with these vehicles, yet there is no recall by Mercedes in this country. Canada has a recall for this issue and other countries as well but not the USA. I was quoted $5000 to fix the issue by putting a new subframe, repairing is not possible. The part itself is on back order almost everywhere due to the commonality of this issue. This has caused the price to go up in cost due to the demand. A junkyard / car parts quoted me $2000 for a used subframe. As a service connected disabled Veteran I find this issue to be very concerning and ask why this is not a recall that Mercedes should replace without cost to the consumer. I hope that my complaint and hopefully others as well can get this issue resolved and hold Mercedes accountable. The subframe rust out yet other parts around it does not, this has to be a manufacturer issue with the sub frame. Reports of this issue are in warm weather southern states with no snow or salt issues as well as northern states
Questions about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes
Does the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350, 6% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Mercedes-Benz E350 have bad brakes?
The Mercedes-Benz E350 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2006 (54 complaints), 2014 (50 complaints) and 2013 (32 complaints).
Other 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 problems
Airbags 108Fuel system 32Suspension 17Body 15Engine 13Steering 11Seats 8Transmission 6Wheels 6Acceleration 4Electrical 4Seat belts 3Tires 3Driver assistance 1Visibility 1
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