2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Complaints

STRONG GAS ODOR FROM LEFT REAR WHEEL AREA AFTER FILLING TANK FULLY. STOPS LEAKING FUEL WHEN TANK REACHES ABOUT 3/4 FULL. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 MERCEDES BENZ E500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REFUELING, HE WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL FUMES WERE ALSO EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS COLLECTING UNDER THE REAR SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,945.

CONSTANT FUEL LEAK, WITH FUEL VAPORS THAT CAN BE SMELLED OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE LEAK IS WORSE AFTER FUELING THE CAR. THERE IS A CONSTANT FUEL SMELL INSIDE THE CAR. *JS

GAS ODOR BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE WHEN TANK IS FILLED TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY. ODOR LINGERS UNTIL TANK IS ABOUT HALF EMPTY. INSPECTED FUEL PUMP/FILTER LOCATED UNDER REAR DRIVERS SIDE SEAT AND DISCOVERED GAS LEAKAGE/PUDDLE. GAS LEAK IS WITHIN A COUPLE OF CENTIMETERS FROM TWO ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTIONS ATTACHED TO FUEL PUMP/FILTER - AN IMMINENT FIRE HAZARD. PREVAILING FUMES ARE HAZARDOUS TO VEHICLE PASSENGERS, ESPECIALLY SMALL CHILDREN, AND MAY CAUSE DIZZINESS WHILE DRIVING OR LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS. *TR

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF FRONT LEFT SUSPENSION STRUT ON A 2004 MERCEDES E500 STATION WAGON. THE CAR HAS AN AIR RIDE SYSTEM WHICH MAINTAINS THE RIGHT HEIGHT OF ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY BY MERCEDES SINCE PURCHASE. THE AIR BLADDER INSIDE THE STRUT BLEW OUT WHILE PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOME. THIS RESULTED IN THE RIDE HEIGHT OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR DROPPING IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT WARNING TO THE POINT WHERE THE FRAME WAS BARELY 2" ABOVE THE PAVEMENT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT SPEED ON A ROUGH ROAD OR ONE WITH CROWN OR AN IRREGULAR SURFACE, OR IN HEAVY SNOW, THE FRAME COULD CONTACT THE GROUND CAUSING ANY NUMBER OF POSSIBLE OUTCOMES INCLUDING SEVERE CHASSIS DAMAGE AND TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL. *KB

MY MERCEDES E500 2004 RANDOMLY LOSES POWER AFTER COMING TO A STOP. I HAVE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE AND STOP. I TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON AND IT THE POWER IS OK. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OUT AFTER RESTARTING. THIS WOULD HAPPEN ONE OR TWICE A MONTH. I ONLY HAVE 45K ON THE CAR. NOW IT'S HAPPENING QUITE OFTEN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THAN GO OUT AFTER RESTARTING. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY HAVE FOUND NO TROUBLE. THEY GIVE ME THE GAS CAP , BAD GAS, ECT. TODAY I LOST POWER TOOK IN TO THE DEALER AND NOW THEY ARE STATING A POWER TRAIN PROBLEM. I GET NERVOUS ON THE ROAD WAY WHEN I LOSE POWER BECAUSE I CAN NOT SPEED UP AND GET AWAY FROM ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE DEALER IS STATING 2 TO 5 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 45K AND I KEEP IT IN MINT CONDITION AND ONLY DRIVE IT ON WEEK ENDS. I SEE THAT SEVERAL E500 2004 OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM VIA AN ON LINE FORUM FOR 2004 E500. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 MERCEDES BENZ E500. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE WARNING LIGHT "BRAKE FAILURE AND ESP FAILURE" WERE DISPLAYED AND ALSO INDICATED THAT THE CONTACT SHOULD DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING THE BRAKES; HOWEVER, WHEN HE WAS ABLE TO STOP IT BY DOWNSHIFTING AND ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONTACT STATED THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS PERFORMING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT HAD ALSO VIEWED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS VIA THE INTERNET REGARDING BRAKE FAILURE FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL BUT WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. UPDATED 01/13/11*BF THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THERE WAS A SMELL OF GAS. IT WAS DETERMINED THE GAS TANK WAS CRACKED. ALSO, THE FRONT BALL JOINT BROKE. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 01/24/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ E500. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 20 MPH, THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HIS RESIDENCE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND UTILIZED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A TOW TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 51,000. UPDATED 12/10/10 *BF THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS SENSOTRONIC BRAKING SYSTEM FAILURE. IT WAS REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. UPDATED 12/27/10 THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE NOT RESPOND. THE CONSUMER THEN DECIDED TO USE THE COMBINATION OF THE FOOT BRAKE AND THE HILL WHICH BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. UPDATED 01/31/11

THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION SYSTEM HAS FAILED 3 TIMES - FIRST IN MARCH 2010, THEN APRIL 2010, AND NOW MAY 2010. IT HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE FIRST 2 INCIDENTS. THE FIRST TIME, THE CAR DROPPED TO THE GROUND WHILE PARKED, THE SECOND TIME IT WAS SLIGHTLY LOW, AND THEN WHILE DRIVING THE REAR DROPPED AND THE CAR BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO HANDLE. IT IS NOW DROPPING ON THE RIGHT AGAIN, AND PULLS STRONGLY TO THE RIGHT. SERVICE WAS COMPLETED AT THE DEALER. EVEN THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SYSTEM FAILS, AND FAILS IN A MANNER IN WHICH THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO GO IN A CHAIN REACTION FASHION. *TR

E500 4MATIC SUSPENSION FAILURE - FRONT AIRMATIC SUSPENSION COLLASPED. CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. *TR