1999 Mercedes Benz E300
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Mercedes Benz › E300 › 1999
These records cover every 1999 Mercedes Benz E300. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
13 complaints1 involved a crash
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Suspension
The front right coil spring perch failed due to rust which caused the suspension to drop to the ground on that side. The coil spring fell out and rolled down the street. I had the car towed to a welder and fixed the perch. This luckily happened on a low speed road, where I could safely pull over with a bottomed out suspension. The car was travelling strait during the incident.
- Suspension
My front left control arm sheared off just after pulling off the highway. luckily, I was parking the vehicle when it ripped off. I was travelling at 65 mph minutes before complete failure. The steering did feel strange on the highway before. This even resulted in the front wheel disconnecting from…
My front left control arm sheared off just after pulling off the highway. luckily, I was parking the vehicle when it ripped off. I was travelling at 65 mph minutes before complete failure. The steering did feel strange on the highway before. This even resulted in the front wheel disconnecting from the car completely. a quick examination of the suspension assembly revealed that the control arm sheared completely off at the weld of the lower ball joint. the control arm sheared while the car was in reverse, backing into a parking space. the vehicle had 129,273 miles on it when the incident occurred. 1999 mercedes-benz E300 turbodiesel.
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
The wiring insulation inside of the headlight has degraded and crumbled leaving only the bare copper wire showing. These wires have shorted going over bumps causing a loss of light to occur. *tr
- Suspension
1999 mercedes benz E-300. consumer writes in regards to vehicle suspension collapse. *smd the consumer stated the suspension collapsed after hitting a bump in the road. He and his wife heard a few loud thuds, a few seconds apart as some things struck the bottom of the vehicle. When the consumer…
1999 mercedes benz E-300. consumer writes in regards to vehicle suspension collapse. *smd the consumer stated the suspension collapsed after hitting a bump in the road. He and his wife heard a few loud thuds, a few seconds apart as some things struck the bottom of the vehicle. When the consumer removed the tire and examined the vehicle, he could see the left front spring perch was ripped loose where the spot welding was weakened by rust. He could also see that the spring, together with any related hardware, was missing. the consumer believed the sealing material was not capable of keeping water out of the spot weld area. Instead, moisture was retained in the spot weld area, allowing rust to form. The rust eventually broke the spot weld. When the spot weld failed, the spring no longer supported the vehicle and the suspension collapsed. Jb
- Suspension › Front
1999 mercedes benz e300td faulty upper coil spring support design. my vehicle was parked in a grocery store parking lot when the left upper spring mount simply collapsed. The car dropped down and the coil spring fell off.it had to be towed to a repair facility as it was rendered inoperable.…
1999 mercedes benz e300td faulty upper coil spring support design. my vehicle was parked in a grocery store parking lot when the left upper spring mount simply collapsed. The car dropped down and the coil spring fell off.it had to be towed to a repair facility as it was rendered inoperable. Moments earlier I had been at 70 mph down the highway.i feel extremely lucky to be alive! Had this happened while I was traveling an accident investigator would be filing this report. I did nothing unusual to cause this event.the vehicle has about 151,000 miles on it and these vehicles are claimed to be able to last for 400-500,000 miles. I have read on the internet that this a common problem with this vintage of mercedes vehicles. Looking at the design, the material has no corrosion allowance for a part that IS located in an area that IS subject to a damp environment. It IS extremely thin and the method of attachment encourages rusting, exacerbating the problem. For me, the consequences were inconvenience and financial loss. Others may not be so fortunate, and that IS why I bring it to your attention. Many others have also complained to you regarding this situation. I had the vehicle repaired and drove it home, as I was 900 miles away when this happened. I have the old part in my possession and am proceeding to replace the right side bracket as a precaution. please act on this complaint before someone IS killed. *Tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic
The brake light came on that said brake fluid IS below minimal check . I checked and added brake fluid. The next day while driving the light came on again. I contacted atlanta classic cars, had the vehicle towed. I was told that the abs/asr hydraulic unit was leaking. Upon researching I came upon…
The brake light came on that said brake fluid IS below minimal check . I checked and added brake fluid. The next day while driving the light came on again. I contacted atlanta classic cars, had the vehicle towed. I was told that the abs/asr hydraulic unit was leaking. Upon researching I came upon some information that IS related to my situation. The cost to replace the system was 2048.30, there was a recall of the e-class in foreign countries where the vehicle IS used as a taxi cab. The service advisor told me that this situation had never occurred. My vehicle IS a 1999 -e 300 dw with 167,755 miles I have had all services done by authorized mercedes-benz dealers. I am registering this complaint based on a letter dated april 30, 2004 from mercedes-benz USA. Part 579 foreign defect report . *tr
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz 300E. While attempting to put the vehicle into gear, she heard a grinding noise. She pulled over and tried to shift into reverse and was unsuccessful. After turning the vehicle off she was able to shift into reverse; however, the grinding noise continued and…
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz 300E. While attempting to put the vehicle into gear, she heard a grinding noise. She pulled over and tried to shift into reverse and was unsuccessful. After turning the vehicle off she was able to shift into reverse; however, the grinding noise continued and the vehicle was towed to an authorized service mechanic and then to dealer. The dealer stated that the transmission was full of shavings and to install a rebuilt transmission. The owner's manual indicated that fluid checks and changes for transmission were not required as the dipstick was omitted. In 2005 the dealer gave her document s100.20-p-0022a which indicated that fluid checks and changes were required. Her concern was that she was not updated with the new document which may have prevented the transmission failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 115,000.
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Other fuel types › Turbo/supercharger
Engine failure during normal driving in traffic in my 1999 mercedes E300 turbo diesel. both in independent repair shop and dealer in ft. Myers can not find and fix this problem. this IS a serious safety problem and traffic hazard. *tr
- Fuel system, other › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Fuel line leaks X4. 1999 mercedes 300 td. Starting in feb. 03 first fuel line leak. Car would not start towed to dealer. Fuel line replaced. Twice again in march of 03, fuel line leaks. Repaired by dealer. Nov.23 05, car came to a stop while driving. Car towed to dealer. Fuel line leak diagnosed. All fuel lines and cut off switch replaced. Parts not available. *jb
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
While driving with the cruise control set to 72 mph consumer attempted to disengage the cruise control and vehicle took off like a jet. as a result, vehicle jumped the median on the highway, damaging the under carriage of the vehicle. *Ak
- Air bags › Frontal
Passenger's side air bag deployed after consumer got out of vehicle and shut the door.*ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · Vehicle speed control
Exiting the freeway, vehicle would not decelerate with brakes applied, ABS system was locking & unlocking, and tires were spinning on wet pavement. cruise control had not been engaged. with collision imminent, driver moved gear selector to neutral, engine then raced to tachometer red-line, and…
Exiting the freeway, vehicle would not decelerate with brakes applied, ABS system was locking & unlocking, and tires were spinning on wet pavement. cruise control had not been engaged. with collision imminent, driver moved gear selector to neutral, engine then raced to tachometer red-line, and stayed there. driver turned engine off, waited several seconds and restarted engine. vehicle has performed normally since.*ak
- Power train › Automatic transmission
The car vibrates in decelaration at about 40mph, manufacturer IS aware but does not repair do to low number of complaints.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Front suspension coil spring ejection
Odi has focused this investigation on assessing the risks posed by a separated spring as (1) a road hazard and (2) the potential for vehicle control to be compromised after the front coil spring has been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle.both risks are associated with corrosion, flexing, and fracture…
Odi has focused this investigation on assessing the risks posed by a separated spring as (1) a road hazard and (2) the potential for vehicle control to be compromised after the front coil spring has been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle.both risks are associated with corrosion, flexing, and fracture of the upper front suspension mounting bracket.time-in-service failure rates are notably higher in salt belt states since corrosion IS a primary contributor to the failure mode.since a number of incidents have occurred while the vehicle was being operated, odi IS skeptical that owners can always detect the subtle side to side difference in ride height and/or inspect or notice that the upper suspension bracket has been compromised by corrosion.(1) road hazard - although the (approx. 7 lb.) front suspension spring that may be ejected at highway speeds could pose a serious road hazard to pedestrians and other vehicles, the occurrence rate has been low (.03% based on 51 reported incidents occurring and an initial population of 172,781 vehicles after 9 - 12 years of use / exposure) and there are no known injuries, fatalities, or property damage reports due to an ejected spring.also, many of the 51 incidents occurred at low speed or while the vehicle was stopped or parked.(2) vehicle control - vehicle handling and control could be affected by the fracture of the upper suspension mount and/or the associated spring ejection.odi first identified its concern about corrosion in the upper suspension bracket of subject vehicles in 2002, at which time mercedes provided a video that showed that a vehicle could be steered, stopped, and controlled through various maneuvers at high speeds with a front coil spring completely missing from the vehicle. During pe07-021, in addition to reviewing the 2002 video-tape, odi engineers drove an exemplar vehicle with the spring removed and simulated various combinations of steering angles to assess whether there were any possible conditions / displacements in which the separated spring might interfere with the wheels. In a vehicle with the front spring removed, the top of the wheel can lightly contact the bottom area of the wheel fender during high angle turns typically associated with slower speed maneuvers such as city driving. The light tire contact generated an obvious grinding noise and would likely abrade or bend the edge of the fender with continued use.however, the extent of the interference was not sufficient to affect vehicle steering and does not occur at smaller turning angles associated with highway driving.odi has not identified a safety related defect trend at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that a safety related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if future circumstances warrant.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10186142Unmotivated Reaction from Park Assist - model series 213 facelift / 238 facelift with option code 235 (active par- king assist) and option code 501 (surround view system)
- 10186135If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single cracking noise from the area of the ESP hydraulic unit
- 10181124Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- 10181123Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D
- 10179951AIRMATIC Fault Message "Max 80 km/ h (50 mph) " In Instrument Cluster
- 10167525Apple products (iPhone or iPod) are not charged via the serial USB interface of the COMAND Online control unit (A40/3) in the stowage compartment of the center console.
- 10167000Surface damage on steering wheel trim
- 10166976Message in instrument cluster "DISTRONIC PLUSCurrently Unavailable - See Owner's Manual"
- 10166090Possible complaints: 1. Memory function of electric seat fore/aft adjustment not functioning. 2. Seat fore/aft adjustment with easy entry/exit feature not functioning. 3. Head restraint presetting not functioning. 4. Seat fore/aft adjustment can only be adjusted for 2 sec with the seat adjustment switch (seat can only be adjusted in longitudinal direction in fits and starts). 5. Function "Collision avoidance when folding down the rear seat backrest" not functioning (seat fails to move forward when the rear seat backrest is folded down).
- 10165849AIRCAP functions excessively
- 10164811Throttle lift-off clunking noises at drive shafts of rear axle
- 10164810Throttle lift-off clunking noises at drive shafts of front axle
- 10164807Assessment of actuating and operating noise from steering
- 10151959Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- 10151948Display of suspension setting in head unit implausible
- 10151924Liftgate intermittently does not open fully
- 10136035Complaints about poor wiping effect of winshield wiper
- 10135639Vehicle cannot be unlocked (CL), engine does not start - 12V starter battery discharged
- 10135628iPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8
- 10135598Engine diagnosis warning lamp lights up in instrument cluster, fault code U145400: "Implausible data were received from the ethanol sensor"
- 10134789Various fault codes logged in power electronics control unit
Every Mercedes Benz E300 model year
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