2004 Mercedes-Benz E320 problems & reliability
203 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 79 | 39% |
| Service Brakes | 41 | 20% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 38 | 19% |
| Electrical System | 13 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 3% |
| Structure | 6 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 99,397 miles (middle 50% between 69,420 and 129,525 miles), based on 162 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility); however, the contact was informed by the dealer that the sunroof glass was manufactured in a year outside of the year stated in the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had…”
Visibility · filed Mar 11, 2025
“To Whom It May Concern, I took my 2004 Mercedes-Benz into the Stevens Creek location located in San Jose, CA 95129 to have the sliding roof bonding recall fixed on December 24, 2024. I have attached the repair invoice to this complaint. It has now been almost two full months and I am still being blocked from updating…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 18, 2025
“SBC braking system stated as covered under 25 year/unlimited miles warranty. SBC system failed on 2/1/25. Vehicle towed to local dealer service facility on 2/3/25. Tow was authorized at no charge by MB Roadside Assistance at no charge plus $100.00 credit toward diagnostic. Was told by phone on 2/3/25 that upon…”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 13, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Fuel Leakage From The Fuel Tank
Engineering Analysis EA13003 · opened Mar 15, 2013 · closed Dec 19, 2014
Technical service bulletins
81 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320. The 10 most recent:
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 attachment Cause…
LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2026
Complaint There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper blades squeaking, chattering, shuddering B: The windshield is not wiped completely (streaking) C: During…
LI82.30-P-059239 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
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…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2026
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 Feb 24, 2026
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 Nov 15, 2025
Complaint Noises/ squealing from the service brake in various driving situations and ambient conditions. Cause Frictional vibrations Remedy AMG brake systems are designed for high loads. This can result in noises under…
LI42.10-P-063502 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 2, 2025
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
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
The 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 2004 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 99,397 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.