Mercedes Benz E320 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 195 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Mercedes Benz E320 across 14 model years. The 1995 model year has the most (89). The words owners use most often: “wiring harness” (38% of reports).
- 195electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 29%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Wiring harness: mentioned in 74 of 195 complaints (38%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Mercedes Benz E320 at $2,300, and half of them between $1,550 and $2,750.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 152 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 195 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 17 a fire, 5 an injury.
Mercedes Benz E320 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 E320 | 1 | 13% | 2,302 |
| 2007 E320 | 2 | 12% | 124,000 |
| 2006 E320 | 2 | 5% | 109,500 |
| 2005 E320 | 16 | 7% | 94,350 |
| 2004 E320 | 13 | 6% | 104,101 |
| 2003 E320 | 21 | 10% | 80,000 |
| 2002 E320 | 4 | 17% | 78,414 |
| 2001 E320 | 13 | 34% | 110,000 |
| 2000 E320 | 8 | 18% | 120,000 |
| 1999 E320 | 8 | 10% | 80,000 |
| 1998 E320 | 1 | 3% | 5,000 |
| 1997 E320 | 5 | 8% | 99,000 |
| 1996 E320 | 12 | 27% | 125,500 |
| 1995 E320 | 89 | 93% | 107,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the Mercedes Benz E320. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The sunroof has a recall due to the fact that it has a bad seal, which could fly off due to this issue. I know the seal is bad because the whole roof leaked a few years ago and fried all the electronic; e.g. lights, sunroof controls, trunk light controls, side door controls. I went to the…
The glue around front windshield has deteriorated and has caused major damage to my interior lights, electrical essemblys , interior damage to seats , dash board and flooring. Including the trunk seal is also deteriorated and causing the battery to stop working and has made my car non drivable.
The TRUNK will not open. It is supposed to open by pressing the button on the key fob or taking the thin key out of the key fob and manually open the truck with the keyed lock. Neither method works. There is absolutely no way to open the trunk otherwise (i.e. inside button or lever). When the key…
*1. The Fuel Tank and components and/or system failed or malfunctioned. *2. After filling the gas tank, the odor of strong pungent gasoline fumes fills the cabin of the and lingers for some time in the car and garage until the gasoline level goes down after being driven for a few miles. *3The car…
Driver seatbelt exploded while buckled up as the car was going about 30 mph on a 4 lane street. No warning and was very traumatic. I had to pull over when I smelled something burning. When I released seatbelt to get out of the car it would not buckle up when I tried to get back in the seat. Had to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Mercedes Benz E320s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 195 owner complaints about electrical system for the Mercedes Benz E320. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Mercedes Benz E320 electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Mercedes Benz E320?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,300 (half paid between $1,550 and $2,750), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Mercedes Benz E320?
The most frequent phrase is “wiring harness”, in 74 of 195 complaints.
Other Mercedes Benz E320 problems
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (253)
- Service Brakes problems (162)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (116)
- Air Bags problems (109)
- Suspension problems (103)
See all Mercedes Benz E320 problems.