2009 Mercedes-benz E-class
The Verdict
The 2009 Mercedes-benz E-class has 85 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (51 complaints) and body (22 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 77/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Mercedes-benz E-class, consider the 2021 model year which has 77% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2021 has 77% fewer complaints
View the 2021 Mercedes-benz E-class dashboard →
Klunk Score: Solid Pick
Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.
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
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350. The sale was a private sale. The contact's friend, a dealer, requested a Carfax report, which indicated that mileage was last reported at 200,000. In addition, the Carfax report indicated that the last reported repair service was performed in 2014 and the mileage then was 66,000. The contact stated that the advertisement reported the mileage at 88,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact felt heat coming from the rear of the front driver seat and noticed smoke coming from the rear of the seat, causing the back of the driver’s seat to catch on fire. The contact was to pull over and noticed that the back of his shirt had caught on fire as well, the contact was not injured. The contact was able to stop the fire by pouring water on the seat. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it was not diagnosed, but the front driver seat was replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and they agreed to replace the front seat. The failure mileage was 38,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E-350. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and coming to a complete stop, the vehicle started sputtering and stalled. The contact pushed the vehicle to the side of the roadway. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact towed the vehicle to her residence five days later. The contact used an OBD reader to determine that the failure was associated with the fuel system. The contact replaced the fuel relay and fuses, fuel pump and fuel filter herself; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a fuel leak. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall because the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
This vehicle has a very profound strong gas smell inside and out of the car. Upon further research, it has been notably stated that this particular vehicle model from years 2003-2009 had the same common issue that when refueling and topping off at full tank capacity, there is a fuel leakage seeping from the top of the gas tank which sits underneath of the back passenger seat. Apparently there is a health hazard recall listed upon this vehicle for this issue but when I called my local mercedes benz dealer they said that there was no recall with this issue and refused to acknowledge the problem. But in fact there are many videos of evidence online illustrating and showing other same vehicle owners addressing the fuel tank leakage from within underneath the back passenger seat, and there is also many written testimonials cases stating the existance of the same issue. I really do hope this issue gets addressed asap for which i do fear for my family's safety and mine. Thank you in advance for your time!
CRANK SHAFT BALANCER WHICH IS SO COMMON AND AN ALMOST $9000 REPAIR. CAR RUNS BUT CAN'T SMOG OR SELL BECAUSE IT THROWS CODES P0016 P0017. THERE IS NO WORD ON MANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS ABOUT THIS ONLINE. HOW DO WE FIX. THIS IS A ONE OWNER CAR WITH PROBLEM FOR LAST 50K MILES AND NO SOLUTION.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving immediately after refueling, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
I’m smelling gas fumes inside and outside of the car. I heard there was a 15 yr warranty on E Class with this issue.
(1) WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE TENDS TO DRIFT BACK AND FORTH IN THE LANE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF LOSING STEERING FLUID. WHAT CAUSES THIS TO HAPPEN? (2) THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO TREMBLE WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP POSITION AND ALSO WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDSUCH AS IN SLOW STREET TRAFIC.
SERIOUS SMELL OF GASOLINE DURING AND AFTER REFUELLING. OCCURS WHILE STATIONARY.
I JUST PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE PARTY AND WE KEPT COMMUNICATING FOR ABOUT 4-5 DAYS. DURING THAT TIME THE SELLER CLAIMED HE WAS THE 2ND OWNER AND THAT WAS GREAT. THEN HE POSTED PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF THE CAR IN A VIDEO AND IT LOOKED IN PERFECT CONDITION. THEN AFTER DRIVING 3 1/2 HOURS TO MEET THE SELLER AND HE LIED ABOUT THE YEAR OF VEHICLE. THE DAMAGES WERE FAR BEYOND SHOWN ON THE VIDEO AND PICTURES. THEN THE MAJOR ISSUE WAS THAT THERE WAS AN WARNING LIGHT STATING THE DRIVER SRS NEEDS TO BE SERVICED, I ASKED THE SELLER MOHUMMED. WHAT THIS IS AND HE SAID ITS THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AND IT SOMETHING I CAN FIND IN THE TRASH CAN. ALSO THERE WAS SEVERE OXIDATION ON THE ROOF AND HE WAS NOT WILLING TO CHANGE THE PRICE AT ALL. THEN WHEN I ASKED HIM HOW MANY OWNERS HAD THIS VEHICLE AND HE SAYS HE'S THE SECOND OWNER AND I WAS VERY SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE THIS CAR WILL OF HAD 7 OWNER AFTER ME, I DID CALL HIM AND HE CLAIMED HE TOLD ME THAT THE AIRBAGS DON'T WORK!!! I WAS VERY UPSET DUE TO THE FACT WE HAVE A CHILD AND THE CARE HAS 2 STAGE AIRBAGS AND HE DIDN'T SERVICE ANYTHING HIMSELF EVERYTHING ELSE'S WAS FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNERS. HE SIMPLY BEAT IT UP AND THEN SOLD IT. THE BIGGEST ISSUES BESIDES SCRATCHES AND DENTS, IT'S CLEAN IN THE INTERIOR HOWEVER HE DIDN'T MENTION A AIRBAG NOT WORKING AND I SPECIFICALLY ASKED HIM WHAT GOING ON WITH THIS AIRBAG WARNING AND HE SIMPLY SAID IT GOES AWAY AND YOU DON'T HAVE WORRY ABOUT IT ITS NOTHING SERIOUS.... WHEN I FIGURED IT ALL OUT AND SPOKE VIA BY PHONE 2 DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CONTRACT OR BILL OF SALE. I WANT THE AIRBAGE REPLACED OR HE CAN GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK AND WE CAN END IT AT THAT POINT. MY PHONE: [XXX] SELLER:([XXX]) :[XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHEN I WAS FILLING UP THE FUEL COMPLETELY, I HAD A SMELL OF FUEL FROM THE BACK WHEN I PARKED THE CAR, SO I TRACKED THE CAR AND FOUND THE FUEL DROPS COMING DOWN FROM THE LEFT SIDE IN THE BACK, SO I STOPPED THE CAR AND TOOK IT HOME AND I CHECKED THE TRANSMITTER UNIT IN THE BACK SEAT AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, AND I FOUND FUEL LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE TRANSMITTER UNIT, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THERE IS A 15-YEAR GUARANTEE ON THIS SUBJECT AND I ADDED SOME EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE PROBLEM, INCLUDING SOME CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, AND A RESPONSE TO THEM BY THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT IM LIVING IN SAUDI ARABIA AND FOR CONTACT ME +[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHEN I WAS FILLING UP THE FUEL COMPLETELY, I HAD A SMELL OF FUEL FROM THE BACK WHEN I PARKED THE CAR, SO I TRACKED THE CAR AND FOUND THE FUEL DROPS COMING DOWN FROM THE LEFT SIDE IN THE BACK, SO I STOPPED THE CAR AND TOOK IT HOME AND I CHECKED THE TRANSMITTER UNIT IN THE BACK SEAT AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, AND I FOUND FUEL LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE TRANSMITTER UNIT, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THERE IS A 15-YEAR GUARANTEE ON THIS SUBJECT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DESPITE THE SEAT BELT BEING IN OPERATION AND SECURELY FASTENED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CARLTON MOTORCARS INC (2446 LAURENS RD, GREENVILLE, SC 29607) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT DECLINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
GASOLINE ODOR IS NOTICED WHEN FUEL IS ADDED TO THE FUEL TANK. IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN CAR IS PARKED IN THE GARAGE FOR OVER 5 MINUTES AFTER A RECENT FUEL FILL. THE ODOR IS VERY STRONG AND HAS CAUSED HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS TO HAVE HEADACHES. I AM FORCED TO PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE DUE TO THIS ODOR. I ALSO NOTICED GASOLINE SPILLING ON THE FLOOR NEAR THE FUEL TANK AREA.
I RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL # 2020040011. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT BEVERLY HILLS MERCEDES FOR 9/23/20 AT 10:00AM.(PER LETTER SENT TO ME BY MERCEDEZ BENZ. (NHTSA RECALL #19V918). THE SERVICE MAN (I BELIEVE HIS NAME WAS TAMIR) TOLD ME THEY HAD NO LOANER FOR ME AND THAT 95% OF THE TIME THEY WILL DO NOTHING REGARDING THEIR RECALLS. I WAS STUNNED AT SUCH UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR FROM A MERCEDEZ DEALER. I TOLD HIM TO GIVE ME MY CAR BACK AND WHY DID THEY MAKE MY APPOINTMENT IF THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HONOR THE SAFETY COMMITTMENTS IN GOOD FAITH.
I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY E350 (09), EVERY TIME I FILL UP MY TANK I CAN SMELL THE GAS. I DON'T SMELL IT INSIDE THE CAR BUT OUTSIDE THE CAR AND IT IS STRONG. IT IS REALLY STRONG THAT YOU THOUGHT THE GAS SPILLED. ONCE THE GAS GOES DOWN TO LIKE 3/4 OF A TANK THE ODOR WILL BE GONE. I TRIED TRACING WHERE THE GAS ODOR IS COMING FROM AND I THINK IT IS UNDER THE FENDER ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE.
I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET MY CAR JUST STOPPED I TRIED TO PUT IT IN GEAR WOULD NOT MOVE..MY EPS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DASH SAID INOPERATIVE PLEASE SEE MANUAL. I HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO MERCEDES. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SENSOR WENT BACK...I GOOGLED WHAT I EXPERIENCED A LOT OF MERCERDES WITH THE SAME YEAR AS MY CAR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM
JOYSTICK AND CENTER CONSULT IS ALWAYS EXTREMELY HOT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V918000 (VISIBILITY) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. FIELDS MOTORCARS (4141 N FLORIDA AVE, LAKELAND, FL 33805, (863) 688-8111) WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO INFORM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, THE ANSWERING SERVICE STATED THAT DUE TO EMERGENCY TESTING THEY WERE UNABLE TO ANSWER INBOUND CALLS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE SUNROOF AND THAT THE SUNROOF SEAL ALLOWED AIR TO ENTER THE VEHICLE WITH THE SUNROOF CLOSED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB
85 total