2005 Mercedes Benz E320 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E320 years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 231 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes Benz E320. That is the most of any E320 model year in the database (15 years). The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (81 complaints, 35%), typically at around 98,000 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 4 fires, 15 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 231owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Mercedes Benz E320 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 81 | 35% | 98,000 | “fuel tank” (20%) | $2,950 |
| Service Brakes | 43 | 19% | 112,054 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 41 | 18% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 22 | 10% | 47,743 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 7% | 94,350 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 4% | 75,113 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 4% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 3% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 3% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 3% | 122,924 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 2% | 95,410 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 101,427 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 1% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 84,650 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 820 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 118,120 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 1% | 17,160 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 63,400 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 0% | 75 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Mercedes Benz E320 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
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.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
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.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
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.
Fix: 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.
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
- Fuel Leakage From The Fuel Tank (EA13003) — opened Mar 15, 2013, closed Dec 19, 2014.
- Driver Air Bag Circuit High Resistance (PE10017) — opened May 14, 2010, closed Nov 24, 2010.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
There has not been an incident report, however, my brakes failed while driving and I pulled over. This is the fault the SBC System which has an Extended 25 year warranty. I brought it into Mercedes prior to complete failure, but they only replace the Pressure Reservoir. It must be returned to…
The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V954000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…
A warning in Red came up on the dashboard which said something like "catastrophic break failure" ..I was going slow about to stop at the Red light and the brakes did not work and I hit a mini van
car break looses 70% of its pressure and only left with 30% break. It happened 3-4 times already. break booster malfunction sign comes up. When i restart the car, malfunction sign goes away and it run ok for few days till it happen again. I am not driving it right now. it can cause serious accident…
Break booster malfunction sign popped up 3-4 time while driving and I lost 70% of the break. Luckily it happened on local road at speed under 30mph. It is very dangerous and can result in an accident
Other Mercedes Benz E320 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 E320 | 8 | 3 |
| 2008 E320 | 10 | 3 |
| 2007 E320 | 17 | 4 |
| 2006 E320 | 41 | 4 |
| 2005 | 231 | 3 |
| 2004 E320 | 203 | 2 |
| 2003 E320 | 214 | 2 |
| 2002 E320 | 23 | 0 |
| 2001 E320 | 38 | 0 |
| 2000 E320 | 44 | 0 |
| 1999 E320 | 83 | 0 |
| 1998 E320 | 37 | 0 |
| 1997 E320 | 63 | 0 |
| 1996 E320 | 45 | 0 |
| 1995 E320 | 96 | 0 |
See all Mercedes Benz E320 problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.
Similar Mercedes Benz models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Mercedes Benz E320?
Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, service brakes, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 81 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Mercedes Benz E320?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Mercedes Benz E320 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E320 model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.