2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 problems & reliability
173 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350, alongside 4 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.
7 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 65 | 38% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 | 13% |
| Seats | 20 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 18 | 10% |
| Engine | 13 | 8% |
| Wheels | 10 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 4% |
| Visibility | 7 | 4% |
| Structure | 6 | 3% |
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 86,688 miles (middle 50% between 60,000 and 118,639 miles), based on 134 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Driving down Interstate 65 just south of Bay Minette Alabama and doing approximately 70MPH, there was a total failure of the sunroof. This happened where crazing started and then a catastrophic failure of the glass, blowing out the sunroof. This happened in the space of about 30 seconds. It appears to be the exact…”
Structure · filed Apr 29, 2026
“The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility). The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact informed the dealer that the sunroof had not been used in 10 years. In addition, the contact informed the dealer of an issue while attempting…”
Visibility · filed Feb 20, 2026
“My car displayed all of the issues listed below for the Electrical system recall. The fuel gague went "blank", other gagues acting irradical, the check engine light stay on, etc. My car make and model fall under this recall but have been excluded. I had to pay out of pocket $4678.50 to replace the entire fuel tank due…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 31, 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
89 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350. 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
The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer returns is no later than Thursday, May 14, 2026. After…
PSL-NCU Return Parts 4/24 · Other · issued Apr 25, 2026
The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer returns is no later than Thursday, May 7, 2026. After May…
PSL-NCU Return Parts 4/17 · Other · issued Apr 17, 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 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 Mar 9, 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-078307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 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 headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 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
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 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350 has 4 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 2008 Mercedes-Benz E350?
- · 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 86,688 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.