2001 Mercedes-Benz E320 problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E320. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 13 | 34% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 18% |
| Power Train | 6 | 16% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 13% |
| Engine | 3 | 8% |
| Steering | 3 | 8% |
| Suspension | 3 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Visibility | 2 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 93,000 miles (middle 50% between 53,500 and 145,193 miles), based on 23 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz e320. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the passenger's side air bag and side curtain air bags inadvertently deployed without warning or impact. The contact pulled off to the shoulder to inspect the vehicle and saw that there was no damage to the vehicle. A…”
Air Bags · filed Jan 25, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 mercedes-benz e320. The contact stated that the sun roof seal disintegrated and caused water to leak into the vehicle. The contact stated that his 2008 model vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the 2001 vin was not included. The contact contacted…”
Visibility · filed Dec 2, 2020
“Srs light appears on dashboard. Car was checked in a repair shop. Diagnostics indicate a code which had recall issues. I called a mercedes dealer to discuss the problem but was told there was no recalls on this. What is to be done when an accident happens? This is a safety issue!!”
Air Bags · filed Feb 28, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
34 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E320. The 10 most recent:
Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The clunk is heard once when changing from forward to reverse (and vice versa). Note: Sound file in…
LI33.30-P-056665 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 21, 2025
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078896 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2025
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 28, 2025
Complaint Vehicle with atypical reduced heat output. Cause Silicate granulate may have escaped from a damaged bag in the expansion reservoir (not visible), reducing the coolant flow in the heater heat exchanger (see…
LI83.20-P-051802 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2025
Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party during a call. It becomes increasingly…
LI82.70-P-077433 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 5, 2025
Complaint Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file in…
LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 15, 2025
Complaint Washer fluid system leaks Cause Various possible causes: 1. Washer fluid reservoir itself. 2. Seal on washer fluid pump/washer fluid reservoir. 3. Washer fluid pump. 3.1. Distributor housing leaks. 3.2. Pump…
LI82.35-P-078467 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 23, 2024
Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party during a call. It becomes increasingly…
LI82.70-P-077433 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 28, 2024
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2024
Complaint Headlamp or front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 10, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2001 Mercedes-Benz E320 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Mercedes-Benz E320?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 93,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.