2008 Mercedes-Benz R350 problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz R350, 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension → | 12 | 34% |
| Steering → | 10 | 29% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 14% |
| Engine | 5 | 14% |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 90,000 miles (middle 50% between 62,000 and 108,976 miles), based on 21 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The brake fluid lines are corroding much faster than in other models, and without actual corrosion under the car. It happened to my car, and I have been reading forums of MB owners of this same R model, as well as C, E, GLK, and ML models all reporting the same issues. The lines corroding earlier to due to the brake…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 9, 2025
“The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz R350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V315000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 6, 2022
“Hi I received a letter from Mercedes for a stop drive recall (NHTSA #22V315, MBUSA ID: 2022050014 & 2022050015), so I bought my Mercedes R350 to the shop for repair on July 15, 2022. Mercedes Benz of Pleasanton (925463-2525) claimed that brake booster parts were not available at that time and I couldn't drive the car…”
Service Brakes · filed Aug 20, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
65 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz R350. 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 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-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
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 2008 Mercedes-Benz R350 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 2008 Mercedes-Benz R350?
- · 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 90,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.