2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Typical pattern

4.5% of complaints about the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2013 vehicle — around the middle of the 210 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (56 complaints), typically at 5.5 yr or about 49,500 miles.

Covers 2 variants: E350 (215), E550 (22)

Complaints: 245
Median age at failure: 7.8 yr
Median mileage: 46,788 n=109
Crash / fire / tow: 15.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 6

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Air bags

56 reports · 49,500 mi

5.5 yr

3.6%

Service brakes

33 reports · 35,000 mi

11.5 yr

Structure

21 reports · 92,000 mi

10.2 yr

19%

Engine

17 reports · 28,560 mi

7.6 yr

17.6%

Suspension

16 reports · 100,000 mi

10.3 yr

18.8%

Electrical system

15 reports · 40,000 mi

7.3 yr

20%

Other

15 reports · 46,788 mi

8.7 yr

20%

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.

19V787000 2019-11-01

Communication

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf

An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.

18V043000 2018-01-10

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013 C250, C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C350, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG, C63 Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, E550 Cabrio, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E550 Coupe, GLK350 4Matic, GLK250 Bluetec 4Matic, GLK350, SLS Coupe, SLS AMG GT Coupe, and SLS Roadster vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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, MBUSA is recalli

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver 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.

15V088000 2015-02-13

Structure:body:hood

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 E350 Sedan, E350 4Matic Sedan, E350 4Matic Station Wagon, E400 Hybrid Sedan, CLS 550 CGI, and CLS550 4Matic, 2013-2014 E550 4Matic Sedan, 2013 E63 Sedan, E63 Station Wagon and CLS63, 2014-2015 CLS63 4Matic, E63 4Matic Sedan, E63 4Matic Sedan "S", and E63 4Matic Station Wagon, 2015 CLS400, 2015 E400 Sedan, E400 4Matic Sedan and CLS400 4Matic and 2014 CLS63 "S". The affected vehicles have a rubber seal at the back of the engine bay that may temporarily stick to the hood when it is opened and then may fall into the engine

If the rubber seal falls into the engine compartment, it may contact parts of the exhaust system, increasing the risk of a fire.

In owners’ own words

Air bags mileage not reported 3.4 yr in service

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E350C. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF WILSONVILLE AT (503) 454-5000 (25035 SW PARKWAY AVE, WILSONVILLE, OR 97070) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Air bags mileage not reported 5.5 yr in service

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A RECALL NOTICE THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND COULD EXPLODE KILLING A PASSENGER, BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MERCEDES THAT THE PART TO FIX WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST MARCH OF 2019. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT I AM UNABLE TO SAFELY TAKE A PASSENGER IN MY CAR FOR A YEAR AND ALSO HAVE NO WAY OF SELLING THE CAR SINCE IT IS UNDER SUCH A SERIOUS RECALL. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS?

Air bags mileage not reported 5.3 yr in service

TAKATA RECALL MERCEDES NOT REPAIRING, DEALER HAS NO PARTS AND WON'T DISABLE AIR BAG.

Electrical system 85,000 mi 7.3 yr in service

ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTION, CAR DEAD NOT ABLE TO START OR MOVE. STATIONARY, ONCE PARKED THE ELECTRONIC LOCK MECHANISM FAILED AND THE CAR WILL NOT TURN ON SINCE LOCK WILL NOT DISENGAGE

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.