2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 problems & reliability
142 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500, alongside 3 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 56 | 39% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 30 | 21% |
| Suspension | 23 | 16% |
| Service Brakes | 19 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 5% |
| Engine | 7 | 5% |
| Power Train | 7 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 2% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 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 92,042 miles (middle 50% between 69,625 and 125,750 miles), based on 122 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Approximately in March 2026, I started noticing a very strong gasoline odor coming from my 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 500 4-matic with original miles approximately 56,300. The fuel odor always got stronger whenever I would fill up the gas tank. The history on my car is such that it has always been garage kept. The gasoline…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 26, 2026
“I am submitting this complaint regarding a suspected safety-related defect involving the fuel system of my Mercedes-Benz vehicle. I have experienced a persistent gasoline odor originating from the vehicle. The presence of fuel odor is not a normal operating condition and reasonably indicates a potential failure…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 20, 2026
“Vehicle started smoking and caught fire while I was driving. Pulled over and vehicle erupted in flames. It took firefighters 2 hours to put out that fire.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 5, 2024
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
78 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500. 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 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 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 Customer states the AC either does not cool/has poor performance or heat is insufficient. Cause Many possible root causes Remedy AC Diagnosis (General) Initial Steps Verify Customer Concern • Confirm the issue…
LI83.30-P-079850 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 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 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
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 E500 has 3 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 E500?
- · 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 92,042 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.