2008 Mercedes-benz E-class
The Verdict
The 2008 Mercedes-benz E-class has 226 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (130 complaints) and body (62 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 50/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Mercedes-benz E-class, consider the 2021 model year which has 91% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2021 has 91% fewer complaints
View the 2021 Mercedes-benz E-class dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
| Year | Body | Brakes | Electrical | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 3 |
| 2003 | 59 | 122 | 45 | 222 | 18 |
| 2004 | 48 | 71 | 18 | 334 | 12 |
| 2005 | 30 | 94 | 38 | 362 | 8 |
| 2006 | 48 | 64 | 36 | 357 | 31 |
| 2007 | 46 | 4 | 20 | 346 | 19 |
| 2008 | 62 | 5 | 21 | 130 | 8 |
| 2009 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 51 | 2 |
| 2010 | 72 | 15 | 112 | 39 | 16 |
| 2011 | 83 | 14 | 140 | 48 | 9 |
| 2012 | 46 | 21 | 105 | 54 | 7 |
| 2013 | 49 | 34 | 66 | 28 | 7 |
| 2014 | 94 | 50 | 88 | 58 | 10 |
| 2015 | 25 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 1 |
| 2016 | 30 | 5 | 35 | 12 | 6 |
| 2017 | 43 | 7 | 37 | 65 | 13 |
| 2018 | 33 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 4 |
| 2019 | 28 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| 2020 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 2021 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 2022 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
The vehicle previously underwent a sunroof recall repair; however, the repair appears to have been performed improperly. The sunroof seal was never replaced as required, which has resulted in ongoing water intrusion. The vehicle now shows two visible areas on the body with paint bubbling and surface rust consistent with water penetration and moisture retention caused by a failed or defective sunroof seal. The condition indicates long term exposure to water due to inadequate sealing following the recall service.
Driving down Interstate 65 just south of Bay Minette Alabama and doing approximately 70MPH, there was a total failure of the sunroof. This happened where crazing started and then a catastrophic failure of the glass, blowing out the sunroof. This happened in the space of about 30 seconds. It appears to be the exact circumstance outlined in NHTSA Recall #24V874000. Shards of glass entered the cabin, and while there were no injuries, the passenger was hit in the face with debris. The car behind, although hit with some glass, swerved to avoid it and moved on without stopping. No police report was filed. The car was previously inspected by Mercedes under the recall and we were told that the glass was fine and MB closed the recall on this particular VIN. This is a post inspection failure. Mercedes have so far, refused to honor any type of recall work to replace the roof. At this time, I have opened a case with MB USA and await an outcome.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility). The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact informed the dealer that the sunroof had not been used in 10 years. In addition, the contact informed the dealer of an issue while attempting to close the sunroof ten years ago. The vehicle was not inspected, and the dealer declined the recall repair. The contact was informed that if the recall repair was performed and the sunroof fractured, the vehicle owner would be responsible for the repair. The contact was unsure if the previous sunroof issue was with the vehicle or a previous vehicle that the contact had owned. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to an alternate dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unavailable.
My car displayed all of the issues listed below for the Electrical system recall. The fuel gague went "blank", other gagues acting irradical, the check engine light stay on, etc. My car make and model fall under this recall but have been excluded. I had to pay out of pocket $4678.50 to replace the entire fuel tank due to this and the Manufacture (Mercedes Benz) is refusing to reimburse me. (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP MAY NOT RECEIVE A CRASH SIGNAL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO DISCONNECT AND PREVENT FUTURE FUEL DELIVERY AS DESIGNED.
2008 MercedesE350 (W211) Driver’s seat heater, ~11:48am Location: Lidl Parking Lot, 2017 St. Joseph’s Dr., Bowie/Upper Marlboro, MD While I was sitting in the driver’s seat with my back fully against it, the seat heater burned through the leather on the left side of the seat. The cabin immediately filled with smoke. The burning stopped only after I turned off the seat‑heater button. I was inside the vehicle during the failure, and the situation created a direct fire hazard; the seat could have ignited, and I could have caught fire. I don’t know if the passenger seat heater is also affected, so passengers cannot safely use their seat warmer. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms pre failure. Evidence Available: Video/photo of the aftermath (burned seat left‑side damage), the vehicle and damaged seat are available for inspection. Smoke in video/photo. Has the Problem Been Reproduced or Confirmed?: I’ve not attempted to reproduce the problem for safety reasons, and it has not yet been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. However, publicly available information shows Mercedes previously settled a $54 million class action for the same seat‑heater defect in model years prior to 2008. My 2008 model was not included despite experiencing the same dangerous failure. Mercedes is aware this is a known issue.Has the Vehicle Been Inspected?: A dealership inspection at Mercedes‑Benz of Alexandria scheduled 12/23/23 at 11:00 a.m. Warning Lamps or Prior Symptoms: None. Safety Risk Summary: This defect created immediate danger to my safety. The heater burned through the seat while I was sitting in it, filling cabin with smoke and creating a risk of burn injury and the possibility that I could have caught fire. The defect may also endanger passengers if both seats are affected. Broader Concern: Prevent others from experiencing defect, causing serious injury/vehicle fire. Limits safe use of vehicle for self and passengers. Plus Mercedes is aware. Can’t upload video.
While driving a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 on 5/21/2025 around 1:50pm, the transmission suddenly failed while I was traveling at approximately 75 mph was on highway 76. As a result of the failure, the driver's side airbag deployed unexpectedly.
The trunk safety release inside the trunk will not open the trunk. It is an electrical switch and not a cable pull release. If you get in the trunk and the battery is low, you cannot get out. There is not a passage between the rear seat and the trunk. There is not a manual release for the trunk. The only way to get inside is cutting through the trunk lid or deck.
The panaramic sunroof had gotten stuck open and gears or something are not engaging at times, sounds like motor grinds and the sunroof slips off track and closed unevenly. Will not open back up.
The seal that connects the fuel level sensor to the fuel tank has failed, allowing fuel to leak onto the top of the tank when it’s filled. This creates a serious risk of fire or explosion. Unfortunately, Mercedes does not offer a remedy unless you pay a prohibitively high fee.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle overnight, the vehicle failed to start the following morning. The contact was able to jumpstart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Combels Customs - Collision Repair, Auto Body Shop, where the alternator and the battery were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the speedometer, the clock, and the infotainment system were inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds and turning, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the rear suspension, and the vehicle was swaying. The contact stated that after opening the sunroof, the sunroof failed to close as needed. The contact was able to close the sunroof manually with assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 08V303000 (Electrical System), 24V874000 (Visibility) and 12V264000 (Suspension). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact the VIN was not included in the recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
This is a PZEV vehicle. When the car is filled over 3/4th of the way, the driver's side near the back tire starts to leak the fuel. There was no warning lights, just the smell and the leaks. It's obvious why this is a safety hazard. This was not inspected by anyone other than myself as it was quite obvious after removing the back seat and accessing the sending unit location. This started after I resolved a fuel pump issue (back in March, resolved this month) Mercedes refused to handle ($3k) and noticed on or around 9/24/24.
panoramic sunroof stuck will not close. generally dealer purportedly recalled select vehicles acknowledging issue, however oem states this particular vin is not included in recall, not making any sense, if they acknowledge problem but decline to resolve for others
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility). The contact stated that the sunroof was working prior to the recall repair. After the recall repair, the contact opened the sunroof to check the operation of the sunroof; however, the sunroof failed to close as needed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the sunroof was manually closed and the contact was informed that the sunroof should not be opened. The sunroof was not repaired. The contact called the dealer several times but was unable to speak with the Service Manager. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,876.
On [XXX] I was driving and the vehicles stalled in the middle of the street, I couldn’t start it back. I managed to contact AAA and had the vehicle towed to my home because it around 6pm and auto repair shops were closed. Next morning I had AAA towed the vehicle to a local auto repair shop and they told me that fuel pump failed. It would have been very dangerous if we were driving on the freeway, not to mention I had my 85 year old mother in the passenger seat. Please help me as I am sure what I need to do now. It’s a Mercedes-Benz model E350 2008. I can be reached at [XXX] my name is [XXX] . My car has 87,200 miles. Thank you in advance for all your helps. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I filled the vehicle up with gas and it started smelling very strong of gas for the next two weeks and I discovered gas underneath the driver's rear seat... I cleaned up the gas but continued to smell strong fuel Vapors and I'm just below three quarters of a tank the 15-year warranty is over. The Mercedes dealer says that they can't do anything for free and I feel this is a safety issue that needs to be rectified before someone dies in an explosion... no warning lights showed up but it is a common problem on the E-Class due to a cracked fuel filter housing module.
Smell of gasoline in the cabin and real bad outside of car
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. In addition, the engine began to sputter while idling. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the fuel tank sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of an intersection. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed; and the mechanic discovered that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment and white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a failed turbo valve and a failed exhaust system. The contact was informed that the turbo valve and the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350W. The contact that she noticed a fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the fuel tank components and fuel compressor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel gauge failed to read properly and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V303000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
Gasoline smell all times inside of the car.
226 total