2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 problems & reliability
61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 8, 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 32 | 52% |
| Suspension → | 20 | 33% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 5% |
| Engine | 2 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 3% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 2% |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 2% |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% |
| Structure | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 11 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 22 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 70,500 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 90,128 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Wood trim throughout the car is cracking and falling off the car on the dash board as well as the doors and the rear side panels. The trim pieces that remain on the car are very sharp and jagged and are a significant risk for cuts in day to day use. In the event of an accident a passenger could be seriously injured…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 30, 2024
“The vehicle felt like it was all over the road at highway speeds. Took it to a mechanic and the rear subframe had become weakened with premature rust. The mounting point for one of the rear suspension arms had broken off of the subframe and was making contact with my gas tank. I called the dealer to see if there were…”
Suspension · filed Jan 4, 2023
“The issue with the vehicle's electrical causing power to the starter to stay on even after the vehicle is in the park and turned off, the starter's Solenoid and other electrical parts burn, its a serious fire hazard and needs to be addressed immediately.”
Engine · filed Nov 15, 2022
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
119 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550. 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 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
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
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 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 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 2011 Mercedes-Benz E550?
- · 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 70,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.