2004 Mercedes Benz E500 Fuel/propulsion System Problems
Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500, 39% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 93,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “fuel tank” (25% of reports).
- 56fuel/propulsion system complaints
- 93,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,100typical repair cost reported by owners
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Fuel tank: mentioned in 14 of 56 complaints (25%)
- Strong odor: mentioned in 9 of 56 complaints (16%)
- Sending unit: mentioned in 6 of 56 complaints (11%)
- Smell gasoline: mentioned in 5 of 56 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical fuel/propulsion system repair on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500 at $2,100, and half of them between $1,350 and $2,750.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2014), 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 fuel/propulsion system problems happen?
Based on 49 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 56 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Mercedes Benz E500 fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system for the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500. 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.
Approximately in March 2026, I started noticing a very strong gasoline odor coming from my 2004 Mercedes-Benz E 500 4-matic with original miles approximately 56,300. The fuel odor always got stronger whenever I would fill up the gas tank. The history on my car is such that it has always been garage…
I am submitting this complaint regarding a suspected safety-related defect involving the fuel system of my Mercedes-Benz vehicle. I have experienced a persistent gasoline odor originating from the vehicle. The presence of fuel odor is not a normal operating condition and reasonably indicates a…
the car has smelled like gas from the minute i received it. the previous owner told me that mercedes had quoted 5 grand to fix it so i would only put half a tank in at a time. turns out there was a warranty on it but has since expired. why wasn't it fixed for free when the previous owner brought…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Mercedes Benz E500s have fuel/propulsion system problems?
No. NHTSA has 56 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500 (39% of the 142 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500 fuel/propulsion system?
No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 93,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,100 (half paid between $1,350 and $2,750), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2004 Mercedes Benz E500?
The most frequent phrase is “fuel tank”, in 14 of 56 complaints, followed by “strong odor” (9).
See all 2004 Mercedes Benz E500 problems or fuel/propulsion system problems across all E500 years.