2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 problems & reliability
161 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350, alongside 6 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.
11 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 47 | 29% |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 18% |
| Structure | 18 | 11% |
| Engine | 15 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 15 | 9% |
| Suspension | 13 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 12 | 7% |
| Steering | 10 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% |
| Wheels | 8 | 5% |
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 45,000 miles (middle 50% between 24,000 and 81,000 miles), based on 63 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Last April, during our routine oil change our mechanic pointed out that our Cam sensors were wicking oil into the harness and making its way to the ECM. This is the first we had ever heard of this issue and the repair was $2400 or so. After researching the problem we wrote to MB USA and never got any response until we…”
Engine · filed Apr 8, 2026
“1: The accelerator was sticking and i could not get the car to stop even when i was pressing on the brakes . Unfortunately, due to this scary event i hit the car in front of me injuring the the gentleman. the vehicle has not been inspected by the insurance as it was a total loss withn damages more than 14k”
Electrical System · filed Feb 17, 2026
“The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle through a car wash, water started leaking into the vehicle from around the sunroof frame. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched…”
Visibility · filed Jan 30, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Rear brake line failure
Defect Petition DP20004 · opened Apr 24, 2020 · closed Oct 9, 2020
Technical service bulletins
150 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 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
Dear Mercedes-Benz USA Dealers, 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…
PSL-NCU Return Parts 6/12 · Other · issued Jun 13, 2026
Complaint The underfloor paneling is loose or sags (picture 1). Cause Mounting clips broken or not correctly engaged. Remedy Replace all mounting clips with collar nuts with shims (picture 2): Adapter set (203 589 02 31…
LI61.25-P-047933 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2026
Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the instrument cluster. In addition, the following two…
LI82.85-P-080507 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 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 Potential corrosion on the rear axle carrier Cause Due to market-specific conditions such as moisture, ingress of dirt and/or environmental influences, corrosion can occur on the rear axle carrier Remedy In…
LI35.10-P-078931 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 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
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
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 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 has 6 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 2013 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 45,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.