1997 Mercedes Benz E Class Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E Class years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class. That ranks 2nd out of 13 E Class model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (20 complaints, 53%), typically at around 94,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 injury. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 38owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 20 | 53% | 94,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 16% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 8% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 8% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 5% | 201,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Mercedes Benz E Class recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles have experienced side air bag deployments in the absence of a crash.
Risk: Inadvertent side air bag deployment could cause personal injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger door mounted side air bag modules. At the same time, dealers will also inspect the condition of the side air bag module wiring within the doors and replace that wiring if there is any evidence of damage.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Front suspension coil spring ejection (PE07021) — opened Apr 19, 2007, closed Aug 9, 2007.
- Inadvertent side impact airbag deploymen (RQ00013) — opened Jun 2, 2000, closed Jul 20, 2001, led to recall 00V388000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I took my car into get the suspension fixed and was told that the spring perch that attached the spring to the car has rusted through and is about to break. Luckily i found it before i had a bad accident. I am in the process of checking with mercedes to see if they will stand by a poor design issue…
I was coming off west rt 46. I came to a stop sign,made a right and as i was driving heard a thump noise....then as i drove a squeaking noise and i pulled over,looked at the car ,around it and under it and didn't see anything. I drove it slowly abt a mile home. When i got home i opened the hood and…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz e420. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph in lightly drizzled weather conditions. There was a loss of steering control. The driver experienced difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Suddenly, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the…
While driving, heard a rattling sound from the front end of the car. Short while later, started to proceed from a stop and the front passenger side suspension coil spring came off the car and exited out the wheel well with a big bang and rolled down the street about 75 feet. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e300 diesel. While servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the spring perch on the front driver and passenger sides was rusting and separated from the suspension chassis. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was…
Other Mercedes Benz E Class years
← 1996 E Class · 1998 E Class →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 E Class | 5 | 0 |
| 2006 E Class | 10 | 1 |
| 2005 E Class | 9 | 3 |
| 2004 E Class | 15 | 4 |
| 2003 E Class | 45 | 4 |
| 2002 E Class | 8 | 0 |
| 2001 E Class | 15 | 0 |
| 2000 E Class | 34 | 0 |
| 1999 E Class | 13 | 1 |
| 1998 E Class | 24 | 0 |
| 1997 | 38 | 1 |
| 1996 E Class | 16 | 1 |
| 1995 E Class | 21 | 1 |
See all Mercedes Benz E Class problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.
Similar Mercedes Benz models
Embed this 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class?
Owners most often report suspension, structure, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Mercedes Benz E Class a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E Class model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.