1998 Mercedes Benz E430

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Engine and engine cooling3
2. Electrical system3
3. Unknown or other3
4. Engine2
5. Suspension1
6. Seat belts1
7. Air bags1
8. Service brakes, hydraulic1
9. Structure1

Latest complaints

• Jan 3, 2024FL170,000 mi
  Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
  The contact owns a 1998 Mercedes-Benz E430. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the passenger’s side front coil spring collapsed. The contact referenced NHTSA Action Number: PE07021. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to a…

  The contact owns a 1998 Mercedes-Benz E430. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the passenger’s side front coil spring collapsed. The contact referenced NHTSA Action Number: PE07021. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed due to a possible safety risk. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 170,000.

• Dec 10, 2016CO135,000 mi
  Electrical system · Engine · Unknown or other
  Stalling, abrupt engine failure, fail to or delayed start: frequency - 6 times per year, no warning. 1/YR - fail to start and delayed starting for several minutes; 5/YR engine stopped/ stalled while operating at speeds from 35 to 65 mph. 1. During the delayed started there was no engine…

  Stalling, abrupt engine failure, fail to or delayed start: frequency - 6 times per year, no warning. 1/YR - fail to start and delayed starting for several minutes; 5/YR engine stopped/ stalled while operating at speeds from 35 to 65 mph. 1. During the delayed started there was no engine noise, i.e. No generator/turnover occurred, even dash lights failed to light; then started - no error message nor check engine appeared. 2. During the stalls at speed in gear, the engine died with no warning and eventually started again with repeated key-turns. Multiple incidents of engine failure since 2008. without warning or any sign of a problem, the engine completely shuts off. this occurs: while starting - no response , while stopped, driving at surface street and highway speeds, turning at low speeds and even backing up. have replaced/repaired or inspected plugs&wires, wiring harness, K40 relay, fuses, battery, mass air flow sensor, crankshaft position sensor, egr valve, fuel filter, ecu chip, fuel pump/relay/lines, vacuum lines, air filter, tensioner, harmonic balancer, vibration damper, ignition control unit, solenoid, test of coil primary and secondary resistance, O2 sensors, ignition switch, idle air slide, harmonic damper ... And the search continues...this IS an accident waiting to happen (and according to several posts on this site, it already had) note that several diagnostic scans over the 7 years shows no error codes and the mechanic has been unable to replicate the problem. afterward, the car starts almost immediately or within a few minutes. History: bought the car used in 2005 with 92,000 miles in florida, no accidents, no hx of damage, florida (no water damage), regularly serviced and routine maintenance IS up to date. thank you for the means to report this serious problem.

• Apr 11, 2015CO120,000 mi
  Engine
  4.11.15//1233Hrs (mt) -- 1998 mercedes benz E430 stalling, engine failure problem: multiple incidents (more than 15 in 7 years) of engine failure since 2008. without warning or any sign of a problem, the engine completely shuts off. this occurs: while starting - no response , while stopped…

  4.11.15//1233Hrs (mt) -- 1998 mercedes benz E430 stalling, engine failure problem: multiple incidents (more than 15 in 7 years) of engine failure since 2008. without warning or any sign of a problem, the engine completely shuts off. this occurs: while starting - no response , while stopped, driving at surface street and highway speeds, turning at low speeds and even backing up. have replaced/repaired or inspected plugs&wires, wiring harness, K40 relay, fuses, battery, mass air flow sensor, crankshaft position sensor, egr valve, fuel filter, ecu chip, fuel pump/relay/lines, vacuum lines, air filter, tensioner, harmonic balancer, vibration damper, ignition control unit, solenoid, test of coil primary and secondary resistance...none of the repairs corrected the stalling problem. Current mileage = 135,000. plan to inspect/replace O2 sensors, ignition switch, idle air slide, harmonic damper ... And the search continues...this IS an accident waiting to happen (and according to several posts on this site, it already has) what IS daimler/chrysler doing about it ? note that several diagnostic scans over the 7 years shows no error codes and the mechanic has been unable to replicate the problem. afterward, the car starts almost immediately or within a few minutes. history: bought the car used in 2005 with 92,000 miles in florida, no accidents, no carfax hx of damage, (no water damage), regularly serviced and routine maintenance IS up to date. thank you for the forum to report this serious problem. *tr

• Jan 10, 2012MS150,045 mi
  Electrical system
  The vehicle has exhibited symptoms for 15 months resulting in $2,000 in attempted repairs: replaced ignition and key, k module, and air regulator. Any and all the following symptoms may and do occur without warning: engine light goes on, bas asr, bas, emergency break light, defective display light…

  The vehicle has exhibited symptoms for 15 months resulting in $2,000 in attempted repairs: replaced ignition and key, k module, and air regulator. Any and all the following symptoms may and do occur without warning: engine light goes on, bas asr, bas, emergency break light, defective display light, defective bulb, all warning lights go on at once. All the lights will clear when restarting the car, and the engine light will turn off in a day or two. Mechanically the fuel gauge and rpm gauge will swing wildly while the speedometer swings or drops to zero while in operation (hazard 1), typically the smell of burning wire (hazard 2), the transmission fails to go from a stopped position past the first gear, down shifts abruptly to the point of almost being jerked into the windshield, nearly causing an accident in october 2010 on college road, olive branch ms (hazard 3). This IS a result of electrical issues because the transmission issues do not occur until a certain sequence of electrical events occur. The symptoms are always present in some form daily but hazards are intermittent. They are escalating again. There IS no doubt to the cause being a deteriorating wiring harness and the car IS unsafe. *Tr

• Mar 8, 2006FL54,878 miCrash
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
  My wife was driving the 1998 mercedes E430 at 65 mph on a two lane frontage road along I-4 in lakeland florida on august 7, 2005. The road had curves and stop signs. Without any warning or check engine lights, the vehicle lost power steering and anti-lock power brakes. My wife ran through a stop…

  My wife was driving the 1998 mercedes E430 at 65 mph on a two lane frontage road along I-4 in lakeland florida on august 7, 2005. The road had curves and stop signs. Without any warning or check engine lights, the vehicle lost power steering and anti-lock power brakes. My wife ran through a stop sign and into a field before regaining control, although limited, of the vehicle. The harmonic damper had disintegrated taking out the whole front of the engine. The failure caused an immediate seizing of the engine as the damper parts wedged between the remaining part of the damper and the engine oil pan. my wife was startled by the noise, then the quiet and the loss of the power steering and the power brakes. My wife, a woman of 125 lbs had all she could do to stop and steer the car. the car was towed at owner's expense ($75) to the nearest mercedes dealer for repair. The dealer replaced 47 parts/gaskets on the front of the engine under the recall. The owner had to replace the mass air sensor and the air conditioning compressor at a cost of $1500.00. The vehicle still has a rumbling vibration getting worse at 50-60 mph that it did not have before the recall. The engine IS consuming oil or leaking oil now also. *Nm

• Aug 28, 2005FL110,000 miCrash1 injury
  Engine and engine cooling · Unknown or other
  Yesterday I got rear ended by another vehicle. This accident happened because my engine stalled while I was approaching an intersection and I was slowing down to make a turn. The cause of the accident was related to a known mechanical problem with mercedes benz. Failure of the cps (crankshaft…

  Yesterday I got rear ended by another vehicle. This accident happened because my engine stalled while I was approaching an intersection and I was slowing down to make a turn. The cause of the accident was related to a known mechanical problem with mercedes benz. Failure of the cps (crankshaft positioning sensor) or also known as the reference sensor. I checked several mb forums and this problem IS not unique, it has happened to many people already. I have been driving mb vehicles for over 15 years, and I find it hard to believe that mb has not done something about this type of failure. I am driving a '98 E430. thanks. *jb

• Apr 8, 2003CA90,000 mi
  Unknown or other

  Our phone/radio IS not working properly. Mercedes says there IS no replacement (they no longer stock the part). I thought that manufacturers had to stock replacement parts for so many years. Our car IS a 1998 model. I consider this a safety problem because my wife can no longer get a hold of anyone by the phone in case on an emergency. *nlm

• Nov 15, 2001NYCrash1 injury
  Air bags › Frontal · Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery · Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline · Seat belts · Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc · Structure › Body

  While driving 10-15 mph another vehicle hit consumers vehicle on drivers side. seatbelt did not restrain consumer properly as he was tossed from side to side. *Ak consumer was injured in accident. vehicle stalled while driving. Acid damage from battery due to missing vent hose. brakes squeaked, dealer replaced front pads and rotors. glove compartment broke. *Slc

Defect investigations

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.

• Front suspension coil spring ejection

  PE07021Opened Apr 19, 2007Closed Aug 9, 2007
  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.

• Engine crankshaft pulley failure

  PE03058Opened Dec 17, 2003Closed Apr 22, 2004
  The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer…

  The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and 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 by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail.

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)
• 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"
• 10151959Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
• 10151948Display of suspension setting in head unit implausible
• 10151924Liftgate intermittently does not open fully
• 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"
• 10033067Mercedes benz: tailgate does not open fully in cold weather. The tailgate not opening fully in cold weather, do not replace the struts.
• 10020460Play in the rack and pinion steering system. Models 203, 209, 210, 211, 215, 220, 230. Mercedes benz. Updated 5/13/09.
• 10015377Revised repair procedure and additional applicable models. Model 170, 202, 208 and 210 models. Front fog lamp(s) inoperative. Mercedes-benz. Model years: 1994-2004. Updated 09/09/08.

Every Mercedes Benz E430 model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.