1997 Mercedes Benz E320
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Mercedes Benz › E320 › 1997
These records cover every 1997 Mercedes Benz E320. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
63 complaints4 involved a crash3 involved a fire8 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Steering · Structure › Body · Suspension
* Left front substrate to which the Coil Spring Perch mounts is badly rusted and the spring is about to come off under pressure of the cars weight, thereby endangering myself and the general public. The car was towed to Feldmann Imports, a Mercedes-Benz dealer at 4901 American Blvd west…
* Left front substrate to which the Coil Spring Perch mounts is badly rusted and the spring is about to come off under pressure of the cars weight, thereby endangering myself and the general public. The car was towed to Feldmann Imports, a Mercedes-Benz dealer at 4901 American Blvd west, Bloomington , MN 55437 (952) -641-7908 and can be inspected there. * If the spring perch loosens any further, the coil spring would shoot off and likely interfere with the steering system, fuel lines and any number of other components on the vehicle, also there have been reports of the spring going out of the car under pressure and hitting other objects. * Yes, My car was in for another matter at LaMettry's Collision Center, of Eden Prairie, MN for a (minor dent) and (Braden) of LaMettry's said upon inspection of the spring perch that the car was undrivable and could not be fixed. * Feldmann Imports is currently looking at my car and Feldmann said that I should call Mercedes-Benz USA which my Brother-in-Law [XXX] did for me and is waiting for a call back. * There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the discovery by LeMettry's, in fact, Feldmann Import's inspected my car 12 times over the years with no mention of this serious condition. Upon searching the internet and other sources I believe that it is incumbent upon the NHTSA to issue a recall on all these cars, there are several different models that use this thin wall substrate Mercedes-Benz has out on the road that must be endangering the lives and property of the owners and the public at large. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Electrical system · Seat belts
Driver seatbelt exploded while buckled up as the car was going about 30 mph on a 4 lane street. No warning and was very traumatic. I had to pull over when I smelled something burning. When I released seatbelt to get out of the car it would not buckle up when I tried to get back in the seat. Had to…
Driver seatbelt exploded while buckled up as the car was going about 30 mph on a 4 lane street. No warning and was very traumatic. I had to pull over when I smelled something burning. When I released seatbelt to get out of the car it would not buckle up when I tried to get back in the seat. Had to drive home without seatbelt on Christmas Eve. The same thing happened a month later to the passenger seatbelt when I was a passenger in my car. This was very traumatic while driving down a 4 lane Avenue.
- Air bags
1997 mercedes benz E-320. consumer writes in regards to airbags malfunction. *smd consumer stated that passenger side airbag deployed defectively for no reason while driving at a speed of 5MPH. Consumer stated that contents from the airbag inflator did not go into airbag but instead hit himself and a passenger in the torso area. *cn
- Seat belts
Was driving slow like 10 mph and preparing to make a right turn and there was a loud explosion as the passenger seat belt retracted with such force that it slammed into the sternum of my 73 year old mother, who almost had an episode of cardiac arrest, both from the impact of the belt pushing on…
Was driving slow like 10 mph and preparing to make a right turn and there was a loud explosion as the passenger seat belt retracted with such force that it slammed into the sternum of my 73 year old mother, who almost had an episode of cardiac arrest, both from the impact of the belt pushing on her heart and the explosion. one week later the drivers side seatbelt did the same thing . I had not used the drivers side belt on the day of the first incident, or any day since. but they are exploding about the same time as the second incident happened the very first time that the drivers belt was put in use after the passenger belt incident. the same slow right turn, while braking into a the turn, was being performed. the srs light has been on ever since.
- Seat belts
While proceeding straight on a city street, at about 30 mph, during the day, with no other vehicles on the road, I heard a metallic explosion inside our 1997 mercedes benz E320 sedan. the seat belt immediately and painfully pinned me back into the drivers seat, rendering me breathless and…
While proceeding straight on a city street, at about 30 mph, during the day, with no other vehicles on the road, I heard a metallic explosion inside our 1997 mercedes benz E320 sedan. the seat belt immediately and painfully pinned me back into the drivers seat, rendering me breathless and disorientated. I felt like I had been shot, and I looked around outside the car for the source. I turned off the street and parked. I was able to release the seatbelt, but it did not retract. the srs warning light was on. I got out of the car and inspected its exterior. there was nothing to note. I subsequently took the car in for an authorized inspection and evaluation. I learned that the seatbelt retraction system had activated, even though there was no input to the activation sensor. there IS no recall for this issue, so the repair bill IS on me.
- Suspension
Left front spring cup assembly rusted and broke away from body. Resulted in dropped front end. part replaced and area repaired.
- Electrical system
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes-benz E320. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire in the driveway due to a faulty wiring harnesss. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. There were no injuries. The vin was invalid. The failure mileage was 170,000.
- Suspension
While making a left turn on a major street I heard a loud pop and pulled over to see if I ran over something, but nothing was in the road. when I started the car and began driving I noticed the suspension was making noises. I took it to a mechanic shop and was told the passenger side rear coil spring perch separated from the body and the car should not be driven. they quoted me $1500.00 to repair.
- Air bags · Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. While driving at 60 mph, the air bags deployed inadvertently emitted a yellow substance and the vehicle shook violently. Shortly after, the shift lever exploded and smoke started to emit from the console. The contact noticed that the cam shaft…
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. While driving at 60 mph, the air bags deployed inadvertently emitted a yellow substance and the vehicle shook violently. Shortly after, the shift lever exploded and smoke started to emit from the console. The contact noticed that the cam shaft fractured, which caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained unknown injuries due to the substance from the air bag that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
- Seat belts
I was driving in a parking lot outside a drugstore very slow. I did not hit anything at all. all of a sudden the seatbelt made a loud explosion sound and smelled like burning. my entire body was restrained very tight against the seat and a hard impact on my chest. it was scary and I thought I…
I was driving in a parking lot outside a drugstore very slow. I did not hit anything at all. all of a sudden the seatbelt made a loud explosion sound and smelled like burning. my entire body was restrained very tight against the seat and a hard impact on my chest. it was scary and I thought I was shot. I was lucky that I was not driving on the freeway at the time seat belt exploded. this could have caused a serious accident if I were driving on the highway with heavy traffic. *tr
- Air bags · Seat belts
On november 19TH, 2014, while stopped on habana at mlk, jr. Blvd. In tampa, florida, without any warning whatsoever, a very loud "explosion" occurred inside my car and there was instant pressure on my chest. From the noise and the pressure, I thought I'D been shot, but then realized neither I nor…
On november 19TH, 2014, while stopped on habana at mlk, jr. Blvd. In tampa, florida, without any warning whatsoever, a very loud "explosion" occurred inside my car and there was instant pressure on my chest. From the noise and the pressure, I thought I'D been shot, but then realized neither I nor the car was struck by anything! I looked at the drivers on either side of me (nobody behind me) to see if they had heard or seen anything, but nobody was looking my way, so it was obvious they had not heard or smelled anything (burning odor" emanating from somewhere in the car). I felt pain in my chest & back/shoulder, and was shaking, but since I was on my way to the doctor anyway, I proceeded to her office for my appointment. immediately after, I went to the mercedes dealership (no seat belt), where I left the vehicle to be repaired. They acted as though this kind of thing happens every day - nobody even asked if I was ok; nor did anyone discuss the obvious "malfunction" that had just occurred. I was later advised this happened because the "computer" thought I was about to crash! Now, the car needs a new seat belt assembly and an srs control unit/total price ~$3,000! I told my service guy (dr) that they need to pay for these repairs, that this was obviously a malfunction/defect in the car. I was told this IS not the dealership's concern, that I need to contact mercedes benz, which I did. I am writing this on december 6TH, 17 days after leaving my car at the dealership. I am shocked by the lack of customer service from mbusa - the customer service girl at mb would not even give me her supervisor's full name or contact info.! *****note: there was a recall for this exact issue on my exact model, which neither the dealer nor mbusa has mentioned yet!!***** unfortunately, I am forced to retain counsel. *tr
- Suspension
One day I noticed that the front left tire seemed to be low. After several attempts of filling the tire, one day I decided to further investigate what IS the cause of this issue (tire was fine). I quickly came to realize that my lower control arm was not only cracked but also bent out of shape.…
One day I noticed that the front left tire seemed to be low. After several attempts of filling the tire, one day I decided to further investigate what IS the cause of this issue (tire was fine). I quickly came to realize that my lower control arm was not only cracked but also bent out of shape. Additionally I found that the upper housing of the coil (spring) was literally peeling off the body of the vehicle thus causing the added pressure to the lower control arm where the spring sits. I went to a local body shop and got a quote from the tech there. It cost me just over $1,100 to fix it with a welded plate onto the side of the wheel well (to reinforce the housing of the coil (spring) plus changing the lower control arm. I did not dare take this vehicle to a mb dealer for repairs. They were quoting me $5100 to fix the issue (well more then what the car IS worth). it's a shame to know this many people have made complaints but yet this issue has not been turned into a recall. Based on what I've read, I'm stunned at how many incidents have occurred and not 1 person has been injured or worse killed! Those coils(springs) are under a lot of pressure and having one this thing flying around IS not a joke! Sad to say but soon enough someone will get hurt and then maybe this will turn into a recall. *tr
- Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, she heard a loud banging sound. The contact assumed a tire had blown however, upon further investigation she noticed that the entire front suspension coil spring had been ejected from its intended position…
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, she heard a loud banging sound. The contact assumed a tire had blown however, upon further investigation she noticed that the entire front suspension coil spring had been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was advised to have the vehicle taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The vin was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 85,000.
- Air bags · Seat belts
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. The contact was driving 40 mph when the seat belt began to retract and lock accompanied by an abnormal noise. the air bag warning light also illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for…
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. The contact was driving 40 mph when the seat belt began to retract and lock accompanied by an abnormal noise. the air bag warning light also illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 130,000.
- Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, he heard a cracking noise underneath the front end. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop and the contact was informed that the front driver's spring perch fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
- Suspension
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. while driving 40 mph, the front end of the vehicle collapsed without warning. the dealer was contacted but did not offer any assistance. the manufacturer was made aware of the vehicle. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the current and failure mileages were 197,000.
- Suspension › Front
1997 E320 4 doors sedan was driving down the street on the hwy and a very loud noise scare me. Pull over , then drive slowly to the gas station and was told very bad news driver side front spring perch broke off and separate from the car. *Tr
- Seat belts
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E-320. The contact stated that the driver was driving approximately 25 mph when the front driver side seatbelt tightened and would not retract. The seatbelt was unlocked but still would not retract. The failure also occurred on the front passenger side…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E-320. The contact stated that the driver was driving approximately 25 mph when the front driver side seatbelt tightened and would not retract. The seatbelt was unlocked but still would not retract. The failure also occurred on the front passenger side seatbelt. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the seatbelt modules failed. The seatbelts were replaced but the failure continued intermittently. The vehicle had been repaired after each failure. The failure mileage was approximately 192,000 and the current mileage was approximately 201,000.
- Air bags › Side/window · Seat belts
When turning on the car, notice srs (seat belt restraint system) light on, upon moving forward in slow speed, a loud pop followed by the tightening of the seat beat and then burning smell of smoke filled the cabin. this I assume IS how the system should work during an accident but this happened…
When turning on the car, notice srs (seat belt restraint system) light on, upon moving forward in slow speed, a loud pop followed by the tightening of the seat beat and then burning smell of smoke filled the cabin. this I assume IS how the system should work during an accident but this happened while I was driving and if I had been driving on the freeway or public highways, I could have easily crashed due to the incident. *Tr
- Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes-benz 320E. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions and there was a loud clanking noise outside of the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle; however, the driver was able to resume operation.…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes-benz 320E. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions and there was a loud clanking noise outside of the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the road to inspect the vehicle; however, the driver was able to resume operation. The vehicle began pulling in one direction. The following day the front driver side was slightly in a collapsed position. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The failure was contributed to the coil spring. The technician recommended that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction at this time. The failure mileage was 120,000.
- Seat belts › Front › Retractor
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes E320. While driving 20 mph the driver-side front seat belt retractor separated. The next day the passenger front seat belt retractor failed identically. the seat belts no longer work properly. a technician from the dealer concluded that the seat belt control…
TL* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes E320. While driving 20 mph the driver-side front seat belt retractor separated. The next day the passenger front seat belt retractor failed identically. the seat belts no longer work properly. a technician from the dealer concluded that the seat belt control module was contaminated. The repair cost $3400.00. the dealer will not release the vehicle until the seat belts are repaired. No repairs were made. The failure and current mileage was 113000.
- Suspension › Front
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. While the contact was driving 65 mph he noticed that the front end of the vehicle suddenly dropped on the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the front brace spring needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 110800.
- Air bags › Frontal
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz E320. while driving at an unknown speed, the contact's vehicle was rear ended and pushed into oncoming traffic. the vehicle crashed into the front of another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. there was one injury and a police report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 90,000. updated 08/14/09. *Lj the vehicle was totaled. Updated 08/17/09.*jb
- Seat belts
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e 320. while driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud popping noise inside the vehicle. unexpectedly, the front and passenger side seat belt retractors instantly locked and secured the occupants. this caused extreme…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e 320. while driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud popping noise inside the vehicle. unexpectedly, the front and passenger side seat belt retractors instantly locked and secured the occupants. this caused extreme discomfort for the occupants. the contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the seat belts. the seat belt retract mechanism failed to disengage. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the emergency lock retractors (elr). the emergency locking retractor only activates during a crash or sudden stop, not normal driving. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 171,000.
- Suspension › Front
Driving my 1997 mercedes benz E320 at 30 mph along a semi-rough road when a loud clanking began for no apparent reason. After a mechanic looked at it, it was found that the spring perch had become detached from the chassis. *tr
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.
- 10235972Enclosed for your information and pursuant to part 579.5, please find our latest Service and Warranty Bulletins for March, 2016
- 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)
- 10186141NTG5.5: Incorrect time shown on instrument cluster, COMAND display, and analog clock
- 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
- 10167553Combination message: "Clean fuel filter" is displayed. The fault code 162500 (water level message - Bosch) or P226997 (water level message - Delphi) or 171600 (filter load - Bosch) is stored in the engine control unit.
- 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).
- 10151959Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- 10151948Display of suspension setting in head unit implausible
- 10151924Liftgate intermittently does not open fully
- 10136031Engine noises (rattling) after engine start
- 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"
- 10044222Mercedes benz: front or rear seat belt does not roll up correctly. Dirt deposits on the seat belt guide due to soiled seat belt. Also included models 169, f cell, 246, and 231. No model years given.
- 10044181Xentry: rattling/thumping noises from the area of the steering on rough roads or when driving over road undulations. No model years given. Also included models 168 and 172.
- 10044180Xentry: 'airmatic- service required' or 'elc- service required' in display- 'fc5151- B22/3 (rear axle sensor): signal implausible' stored.
- 10033070Xentry (mercedes): engine warning lamp IS currently on or was on and a delay fault of the camshaft adjust to current or stored in the engine control unit. Models 171, 203, 209, 211, 219, 221, 216, 230, 164, 251, and 403. No model years listed.
- 10033067Mercedes benz: tailgate does not open fully in cold weather. The tailgate not opening fully in cold weather, do not replace the struts.
- 10032709Mercedes: cracking/creaking noises from front axle when vehicle IS subject to torsion or when steering wheel IS turned. This IS mainly heard when the vehicle IS stationary or when the vehicle IS moving slowly. Relative movement between the frame type integral support and steering plate can cause the plate to make contact with the frame type integral support of the front axle, which in turn causes noises.
- 10029105Mercedes benz: fuel loss at pressure regulator valve and/or poor engine running characteristics (shakes, knocks, surges, changes to lip home mode, poor output, poor fuel economy, combustion noise, vehicle stalls). May be caused by malfunction at pressure regulator valve (prv) due to improper installation.
- 10028686Mercedes: air matic visit workshop displayed within instrument cluster. Models 164, 211, 219, 221 and 251. Included 4matic, AMG (compressor) AMG, bluetec and wagon. Model years unknown. Updated 9/18/09.
- 10028649Mercedes: srs indicator lamp on. The srs light IS illuminated and diagnostic fault code(s) b9223 and/or b9243 are stored in the srs ecu. The resistance of the ignition squib circuit for the sidebag may be too high. Model 211. All model years.
- 10025663Slow acceleration with gas pedal hesitation. Models 164.122/8ss (ML 320 and gl320); 211.022 (E320); 251.122 (4320). Years unknown.
- 10025649Water entry at a-pillar on model 211.026, 065, 070, 076, 082, 083, 265, 282, 283 (E320 cdi; E320; e500;e55amg; E320 4matic; E500 4matic; E320 wagon; 320 4matic). Unknown years.
- 10020460Play in the rack and pinion steering system. Models 203, 209, 210, 211, 215, 220, 230. Mercedes benz. Updated 5/13/09.
- 10010912Steering wheel heater not operating correctly or inoperative at cold temperatures. Mercedes benz model 211. Model year unknown. Model 211 (e series). Update 8/8/2008.
Every Mercedes Benz E320 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.