2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 recalls and problems

The 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 has 3 recalls and 125 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is fuel system.

Pictured: a 2004 model; the 2003 may differ in details. Photo: 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 by Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How the 2003 compares

High

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 7 E500 model years — 3rd most.

3recalls

125complaints

4crashes

0fires

6injuries

90,600median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

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3 recalls

Visibility

Nov 19, 2024 · NHTSA campaign 24V874000 · 33,456 vehicles

Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.

Risk: A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 22V-954. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024120001/2/3.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to nhtsa.gov.

Visibility

Dec 23, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V954000 · 131,653 vehicles

Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.

Risk: A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall expands NHTSA recall number 19V-918. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and 2023010006.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Visibility

Dec 20, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V918000 · 747,928 vehicles

Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V918-4126.pdf

Risk: A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy & notes

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020040011.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Unknown or other5

Electronic Stability Control4

Visibility3

Electrical System2

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Fuel Leakage From The Fuel Tank

EA13003 · opened Mar 15, 2013 · closed Dec 19, 2014

Summary

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation on January 23, 2012 as PE12-001 based on 20 consumer reports in model year (MY) 2003-2006 E55 AMG vehicles.Based on new reports in other E-Class vehicles, ODI upgraded the investigation to Engineering Analysis (EA) 13-003 on March 15, 2013, and expanded the scope to all E-Class vehicles through MY 2008.The complainants alleged a strong odor of gasoline fuel both inside and outside of their vehicle, particularly after refilling the fuel tank.Many of the complainants noted that the odor subsided or went away after driving some distance thereby lowering the fuel level in the tank.Other owners reported they would only fill the tank to about three quarters full to avoid the odor altogether.Some complainants alleged fuel leaked from the fuel filter/sender, located on the top of the fuel tank on the driver's side, and collected on top of the tank.There were also allegations that the fuel leaks were associated with an Emissions Recall Campaign (No. 2008020001) conducted by Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes) in 2008 on MY 2003-2006 E-Class and CLS-Class AMG models.The issue in the recall involved small cracks in the pressurized outlet fitting of the fuel filter/sender.AMG vehicles are high performance models that operate at higher fuel pressure and use a different fuel filter/sender and fuel pump than non-AMG models.Information on Recall No. 2008020001 is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) we…

2003 vs. other Mercedes-Benz E500 years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2003. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns covering the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500, the latest from Nov 19, 2024 (visibility). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention fuel system (41), service brakes (38), suspension (19). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.