2005 Mercedes Benz E500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E500 years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes Benz E500. That ranks 2nd out of 7 E500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (55 complaints, 39%), typically at around 105,400 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 4 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 140owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Mercedes Benz E500 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 | 55 | 39% | 105,400 | “fuel tank” (25%) | $2,450 |
| Service Brakes | 34 | 24% | 109,034 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 23 | 16% | 76,931 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 7% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 8 | 6% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 5% | 111,551 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 4% | 77,100 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 4% | 66,423 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% | 90,991 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 3% | 39,098 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 2% | 7 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 50,064 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 42,333 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 104,981 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 7,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 104,981 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 170,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Mercedes Benz E500 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.
This is not about an accident. It's about the vehicle's condition. Precisely, about the brake service warning. Red warning with beeping on dashboard saying I need to bring it to workshop for service. My wife was driving this car when she felt something was wrong with the car and she brought it to…
Car smells like gas. Constantly a couple machanic. Did some repairs. But thereâs a small leak as well from a smoke test. Gas leaks in more than one area. Oil leaks everywhere. Evap leak didnât pass smog. Then went to a smog station and repair. Check engine light back on again. I saw Mercedes…
2005 e500 mercedes benz,after full tank of gas I filled. I noticed very strong gas inside my car and outside. It can catch on fired. cause cancer and lung issues.
The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E500. The contact stated that fuel was leaking from the fuel tank. There was an abnormal odor of fuel inside the vehicle. The contact refueled the vehicle and there was an abnormal odor of fuel outside of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated…
Per incident was back glass detached from window and broke all over the road and on the back of my car while driving. 2: Sbcc pump goes in and out admittedly and type of a no brake issue at all hard as a rock will not move car only has 180,000 miles on it and itâs been doing that since 140,000…
Other Mercedes Benz E500 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 E500 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 E500 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 E500 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 E500 | 50 | 4 |
| 2005 | 140 | 3 |
| 2004 E500 | 142 | 3 |
| 2003 E500 | 125 | 3 |
See all Mercedes Benz E500 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 E500?
Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, service brakes, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 55 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Mercedes Benz E500?
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 E500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E500 model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.