NHTSA (USA)Medium Risk
This page covers 16 recalls, 130 owner complaints and EPA fuel economy for the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300.
25 mpg combined
9.4 L/100km
Midsize Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted.
Complaints about the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 cluster most heavily around the engine and fuel/propulsion system, with the powertrain rounding out the top three. On the engine side, owners frequently report a fault code tied to cold-start oil pressure performance, a pattern that appears to surface after oil changes and has drawn enough attention that owners note it showing up repeatedly among E300 drivers. The fuel and propulsion complaints often describe the car refusing to accelerate or respond to shift commands, with some owners reporting the vehicle getting stuck in park or displaying service messages like "reversing not possible." Powertrain reports overlap with this, describing delayed or refused gear engagement that leaves the car temporarily undriveable. A handful of owners also mention sudden sunroof glass failure, though that shows up far less often than the drivetrain and engine concerns.
130
Total Complaints
2
Crash-Related
2
Fire-Related
5
With Injuries
By System
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300 has 16 recalls, the most serious being a damaged shift lever module that can prevent the transmission from engaging a selected gear, leaving the vehicle unable to move forward or backward as intended.
Three separate recalls affect the electric power steering system: a transistor in the steering control unit can overheat, contact pins in the unit can lose connection, or water can intrude into the unit. Any of these can cut power steering assist without warning, making the steering wheel significantly heavier and harder to control. On the airbag side, the front passenger seat's occupant detection sensor can misclassify an adult as a child seat and suppress the airbag, a separate inflator initiator may fail to fire in a crash, and the front passenger airbag may not deploy correctly if the occupant is sitting on the edge of or reclined in the seat. There is also a fire risk: a starting current limiter in the electrical system can overheat and melt surrounding components. The rear bench seat frame on certain vehicles can wear through the fuel pump wiring, which can cause the engine to stall.
A roof-mounted spoiler can detach at speed and become a road hazard. The instrument cluster software can go blank at startup or reset while driving, removing speed and warning displays. LED headlights on some vehicles are misaimed, and a separate recall covers headlight adjustment screws that lack proper sealing. Two recalls affect the automatic emergency call system, which can fail to reach emergency services or send responders to the wrong location after a crash. Vehicles that have had the instrument cluster replaced may
We may earn a commission for purchases made through these links.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
At a glance
What can fail
The communication module may have been turned off during service, disabling the Emergency Call function that connects your vehicle to emergency services.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the communication module and reactivate it if needed, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The communication module software may fail to send your vehicle's correct location to emergency services when the eCall system activates during a crash.
What the fix does
A dealer will update the communication module software, or the update will be sent over-the-air, at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The replacement instrument cluster software may fail to activate the seat belt warning system correctly, showing only a steady light instead of a blinking light with sound when a seat belt is unfastened.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the instrument cluster software at no cost to restore proper seat belt warning operation.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The headlight adjustment screws lack proper sealing, allowing them to be readjusted unintentionally and causing the headlights to misalign.
What the fix does
Dealers will install properly sealed caps on the headlight adjustment screws to prevent unintended readjustment.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The LED headlights may be misadjusted, causing the low beams to not illuminate the road adequately.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and adjust the headlamp alignment as needed at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A transistor in the power steering control unit may overheat and disable the power steering system.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the steering rack as needed at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The electrical power steering control unit has improperly welded contact pins that can cause the steering system to malfunction.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The electric power steering connector may not be properly sealed, allowing water to enter the control unit.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the connector and inspect the electric power steering rack, replacing it if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The instrument cluster display software may fail to show information when starting the vehicle or may reset unexpectedly while driving, leaving the driver without critical dashboard information.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the instrument cluster display software at no cost to correct the display issue.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The roof-mounted spoiler may not be properly attached and could detach while the vehicle is being driven.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the roof spoiler and replace it if necessary at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag may not deploy properly if the passenger is sitting on the seat edge or lying back in a reclined seat.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the air bag control module software at no cost to reprogram how the air bag responds.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
When the engine or transmission won't start, the starter motor keeps trying to turn over. This repeated effort can cause the starting current limiter to overheat.
What the fix does
A dealer will install an additional fuse in the electrical line to the starter motor to protect against overheating.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The pelvis air bag or front passenger air bag inflator may fail to ignite during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the affected air bag modules at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The steering column shift lever module may have a damaged internal circuit board, preventing the shift lever from selecting transmission gears when moved.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the steering column-mounted shift lever module at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seat occupant detection control unit may be incorrectly installed, causing the system to misidentify an adult passenger as a child, which would disable the front passenger airbag during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and correct the pressure hose routing of the occupant detection system, and replace the pressure hose and detection mat if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The rear bench seat frame may contact and damage the wiring harness for the fuel pump, fuel tank pressure sensor, or fuel level gauge.
What the fix does
Dealers will reroute the wiring harness and repair it as needed at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
