2004 Mercedes-benz E-class

Approximately in March 2026, I started noticing a very strong gasoline odor coming from my 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 500 4-matic with original miles approximately 56,300. The fuel odor always got stronger whenever I would fill up the gas tank. The history on my car is such that it has always been garage kept. The gasoline odor coming from my car started getting stronger and stronger while in my garage. On Memorial Day 2026 I called HQ, Mercedes Benz and told them about the gas odor coming from my car. After the call ended I decided that the car needed to be towed to the nearest Mercedes Benz service center. I considered that the gas order to be very dangerous so I parked my car in the driveway. Once parked in my driveway, there was no longer a gasoline order in my garage. Now even while parked in my driveway, I could smell gasoline around the rear of my car when I opened the doors the gasoline smell was very strong. All of this happens suddenly and only grew worse within the last four days. The gasoline smell was probably there for a long time but I didn’t notice it since I do not drive the car very often. That should be obvious because there is only approximately 56,300 miles on the car and those are original miles. I called Mercedes-Benz headquarters and requested a tow to the nearest Mercedes-Benz repair shop which is in Tampa Florida. As my car was being placed on the flatbed tow truck gasoline started spilling out onto the bed of the tow truck. That is a very dangerous situation. My car could’ve caught fire if it hit something hard or if I had been in an accident. I read where there is a 15 year extended warranty from year the analysis was actually completed in 2012 by the ODI NHTSA. I believe my car falls under the purview of the extended warranty. I’m reporting this problem because it is very dangerous and there could be other vehicles out there.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a suspected safety-related defect involving the fuel system of my Mercedes-Benz vehicle. I have experienced a persistent gasoline odor originating from the vehicle. The presence of fuel odor is not a normal operating condition and reasonably indicates a potential failure involving the fuel tank, fuel lines, or related fuel system components. Fuel vapors present a known fire and explosion hazard and constitute a safety risk to vehicle occupants, surrounding vehicles, and property. This condition was not present prior to the issue and has persisted despite inspection. I reported this concern to Mercedes-Benz USA and referenced that fuel odor and fuel tank-related defects have been documented in other Mercedes-Benz vehicles. During my communication with Mercedes-Benz USA, I was informed that an extended or long-term warranty related to the fuel tank or fuel system had existed but was no longer applicable because the coverage period had expired. I was not made aware of this extended warranty at the time it was active and therefore had no opportunity to seek inspection or repair while coverage was in effect. Mercedes-Benz USA has acknowledged my complaint but has declined to provide corrective action beyond internal review. Given the safety implications of fuel system defects and the potential impact of inadequate disclosure of extended safety-related warranty coverage, I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and evaluate whether this condition represents a broader defect trend and whether recall or further investigation is warranted. This complaint is submitted to ensure the issue is formally recorded as a potential fuel system safety defect.

The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact received notification of NHTSA 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.

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.safercar.gov/vin/) 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.

Vehicle started smoking and caught fire while I was driving. Pulled over and vehicle erupted in flames. It took firefighters 2 hours to put out that fire.

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 NHTSA 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.

The rear passenger side inside door handle will not open the door. This is an unacceptable safety hazard.

The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz AMG E55. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the suspension of the vehicle lowered intermittently. A message advising to stop the vehicle due to low air ride suspension was displayed. The contact stated that the air ride suspension would no longer rise upon starting the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt was loosened. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle for State Inspection, she was informed that the air ride suspension system had failed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

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).

The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that upon making a stop, he noticed fuel leaking onto the driver's side rear wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with an unknown recall for the fuel tank. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

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!!

My car seat belts not fastened and car door warning devices stop working. I took it to the Mercedes service department and told and showed them the safety system was not warning me when my door was not properly closed or when I removed the seat belt while driving. They told me that they needed to replace my instrument cluster in order to fix the issue. They charged me almost $2300.00 to change the panel. When I went to pick the vehicle up. And I drove off and took my seat belt off to see if the repair was done and no warning light came on. I than while driving through a parking lot open my door and no warning happened. Now the dealership is telling me that their is nothing they can do to address this dangerous safety issue and that I have no recourse to get what I paid for. Because Mercedes Benz Corp will not allow them to code the new instrument cluster. I was driving one day and did not realize the door was ajar until I hit a bump and heard the rattling. I have spoken with other Mercedes Benz owners of my model and found they've had this problem, but it is just too expensive to repair. I have been dealing with this now since December of 2021 and now no one from the dealership is returning any calls or offered a answer to this issue. I have spoken with the Service Director last on February 7 2022. And he has not reached out to me since.

Extreme Gas Odor after filling gas tank and during time of driving.