The rear brake line corroded and developed an actual brake-fluid leak. The failure triggered a brake-system warning and created a risk of reduced braking capability or loss of braking if the leak worsened. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership, which diagnosed corrosion of the brake line and recommended replacement. The dealer provided a repair estimate and later reduced the repair cost through a goodwill review coordinated with Mercedes-Benz USA. This was not simply surface rust discovered during routine maintenance. The corrosion progressed to the point of an active hydraulic brake-fluid leak. The vehicle had approximately 79,349 miles at the time of the failure. Mercedes-Benz had also recently replaced the rear subframe on this vehicle under an extended warranty related to corrosion. Because the brake lines are located in the same general rear-underbody area, I am concerned that the corrosion may have been present or visible during that earlier repair. I am also aware that the federal safety agency previously reviewed rear brake-line corrosion involving 2010-2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class vehicles under Defect Petition DP20-004. I am submitting this complaint because, in my case, the corrosion progressed beyond surface deterioration to an actual brake-fluid leak. This happened all of a sudden while my wife was driving to work and could have resulted in serious injury or death. The vehicle and failed components are available for inspection upon request, to the extent they remain available at the repair facility.
2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes problems
32 complaints (20% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 37,300. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 32
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- typical mileage
- 37,300
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 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.
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 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. While the contact’s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal became inoperable. The contact stated that the steel brake lines were rusted. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
1: The accelerator was sticking and i could not get the car to stop even when i was pressing on the brakes . Unfortunately, due to this scary event i hit the car in front of me injuring the the gentleman. the vehicle has not been inspected by the insurance as it was a total loss withn damages more than 14k
The rear subframe needs fixing. And they are putting my car on hold for 3 weeks, denied a loaner car, and I have to get back to work.
I took car to dealer to have subframe repaired due to rust and the brake lines are rusted as well due to this issue and i am being charged for the brake lines.
rear brake lines corroded and leaking, making the car disabled
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken for a routine inspection, the dealer diagnosed that the rear brake lines were rusted through. The contact was informed that the rear brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Excessive corrosion on rear brake lines. I've never had to replace brake lines on car before. The cost is almost $5,000 out of pocket and I believe this due to low quality products used to manufacture the original brake lines. I believe there should be an investigation into the brake lines as there could be serious injury if they fail.
Rear subframe recall and brake lines. I am very disappointed and frustrated right now. 2013 e350 has completely corroded brake lines on an otherwise relatively rust free car. The vehicle is due to get the rear subframe replaced as part of the warranty extension. The brake lines are not covered and are 4,000 dollar additional fee to replace. I can’t get the work done anywhere else for cheaper because the rear subframe needs to be dropped in order to do the brake lines, making it cost prohibitive to have the subframe and brake lines done at different shops. Something is wrong with the brake lines they used when building this car. I’ve owned cars with 10x more rust and perfectly in tact brake lines. Frames rot away before I see brake lines this bad. They should have extended the warranty to the brake lines and I hope they do so I can get reimbursed in the future.
There was already a recall for my rear subframe that I am now getting done due to rust corroding the metal structure. However, upon the dealers inspection the corrosion is also present on the rear brake lines which cause a safety concern and are charging $4000 to replace the brake lines aside from the warranty repair. It poses a safety hazard if the lines were to fail and have heard of others having the same issue along with rotted rear subframes.
Questions about the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes
Does the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 32 complaints about the brakes of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350, 20% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 37,300 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2013 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 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 problems
Airbags 47Body 18Engine 15Suspension 13Electrical 12Fuel system 11Steering 10Acceleration 9Wheels 8Transmission 7Visibility 7Driver assistance 4Tires 3Seat belts 2Lights 1Seats 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history