2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Typical pattern

2.9% of complaints about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2012 vehicle — around the middle of the 201 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 8.5 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (80 complaints), typically at 5.5 yr or about 50,000 miles.

Covers 2 variants: E350 (264), E550 (22)

Complaints: 274
Median age at failure: 8.5 yr
Median mileage: 69,000 n=92
Crash / fire / tow: 5.1% of reports
Safety recalls: 7

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Air bags

80 reports · 50,000 mi

5.5 yr

2.5%

Fuel / propulsion

27 reports · 74,500 mi

10.4 yr

Electrical system

23 reports · 69,000 mi

9.5 yr

4.3%

Engine

20 reports · 61,781 mi

9.5 yr

15%

Service brakes

19 reports · 65,000 mi

12.7 yr

Other

17 reports · 50,000 mi

10.4 yr

Suspension

15 reports · 170,000 mi

11.4 yr

6.7%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

21V638000 2021-08-13

Air bags:frontal

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2016 E400 Coupe, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2011-2014 E350 Coupe, and 2012-2014 E350 Cabrio vehicles. An incorrect front passenger air bag may have been installed during a prior repair.

An incorrect air bag may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

19V010000 2019-01-09

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014 C250, C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2014-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, GLK 350, GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, 2015-2017 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2014-2017 E550 Cabrio, and 2014-2016 E550 Coupe vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally, MBUSA is recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabri

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

17V627000 2017-10-06

Air bags:frontal

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling these vehicles: 2014-2018 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, CLA45 AMG 4Matic, 2015-2018 GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, GLA45 AMG 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C63S AMG, 2012-2014 C250, C350, C300 4Matic, E550 4Matic, 2013-2014 C63 AMG, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2013-2015 C350 4Matic Coupe, GLK250 4Matic BlueTec, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, 2016-2017 C350e, C43 AMG, 2015 C400 4Matic, 2016-2018 C63 AMG, GLC300, GLC300 4Matic, 2017-2018 C300 Coupe, C300 4Matic Coupe, C43 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, C63S AMG Coupe, C300 Cabriolet, C300 4Matic Cabriolet, C43 AMG Cabriolet

If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.

17V177000 2017-03-14

Electrical system:software

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Wagon 4Matic, GLK350 and SL550 vehicles, 2012 CLS550 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2016 E350 vehicles, 2016-2017 GL450 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ML350 4Matic BlueTec vehicles, 2015 S550, S550 4Matic and C300 4Matic Sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 C300 Sedan vehicles, and 2017 SL63 AMG vehicles. Various control

If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

17V017000 2017-01-10

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012 C300 4Matic, C250, C250 Coupe, C350, C350 Coupe 4Matic, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, E550 Cabrio, E550 Coupe, GLK350 4Matic, GLK350, SLS AMG Cabrio, and SLS AMG Coupe vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above MBUSA is recal

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

12V557000 2012-12-03

Fuel system

Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 S400, S550, S550 4Matic, S63 AMG, C300, C300 4Matic, E350, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, CL550 4Matic, and CL63 AMG vehicles manufactured from April 18, 2011, through July 12, 2011. Due to an irregularity stemming from the molding process of the fuel filter flange, the fuel filter flange may crack when operated in high temperatures.

If the fuel filter flange cracks, it will leak fuel which may lead to a fire if an external ignition source is present.

12V492000 2012-10-09

Air bags:side/window

Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2012 E350 and E550 Coupe vehicles, manufactured April 2, 2012, through June 29, 2012. Improper stitching of the right side window curtain air bag may cause it to not deploy as intended in the affected vehicles.

In the event of an accident necessitating the deployment of the right window curtain air bag, the improper stitching may cause it to deflate more quickly than intended, reducing the protection it may provide, resulting in an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 550 mi 8 mo in service

I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT CRANK. I CALLED MERCEDES SERVICE AND THEY SENT SERVICE TO JUMPSTART THE CAR. THE CAR FINALLY STARTED. AS I BEGAN TO DRIVE, A WARNING LIGHT STATING "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION - CHECK OWNERS MANUAL" CAME ON. WITH CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULT, I AVOIDED THE CURB IN THE PARKING LOT AND MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO A PARKING SPACE. THE "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION" INDICATOR WOULD NOT COME OFF EVEN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN. THE CAR BECAME UNDRIVABLE. *JS

Electrical system 30,000 mi 3.3 yr in service

I STARTED MY CAR AND IT MADE A BIG LOUD NOISE FROM ENGINE THEN I START GETTING ALL MESSAGES ON SCREEN THAT EVERY THINGS NOT INOPERABLE. EVEN THE GEAR SHIFT WAS LOCKED AND THE MORE I KEPT THE CAR ON THE MORE NOISE WAS MAKING. ITS LIKE I AM PUSHING HARD ON GAS PANEL. *TR

Electrical system 72,000 mi 5.0 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ E-350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, A "PRE SAFE INOPERATIVE SEE OWNER MANUAL" WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED SPONTANEOUSLY. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO A COMPLETE STOP AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND IT RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE THE CONTACT ARRIVED HOME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

Engine 19,990 mi 3.2 yr in service

TICKING/ TAPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE BAY WHEN CAR IS EXCELERATING, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING UPHILL. *TR

Other E-Class model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.