Mercedes Benz E Class
Problems & Worst Years

With only 64 complaint occurrences logged across nine distinct problems, the 2017 E-Class shows a lighter footprint than several other Mercedes-Benz models in this data set, though it isn't complaint-free. The single safety-rated issue involves airbag recall concerns, cited 12 times — the largest single complaint for the year — and it's the item most worth confirming has been resolved via the vehicle's VIN before purchase.

Behind that, three problems tie at 10 occurrences each: engine failure attributed to piston issues, rated high severity; general steering system issues, rated medium; and fuel system leaks paired with odors, also medium. A smaller cluster of seven reports describes transmission shifting issues. None of these four approaches the volume of the airbag complaint, but a piston-related engine failure paired with steering and fuel system reports is a reasonable prompt to have an independent mechanic look closely at the engine bay and take the car on a longer test drive that includes hard turns.

This data set includes only the 2017 model year for the E-Class, so there's no other year available to compare it against or call comparatively clean. No recall campaigns appear against this model year in the data provided, though the airbag-related complaints suggest checking recall status independently is still worthwhile.

As with any complaint record, these figures represent what owners chose to report to NHTSA, not a precise measure of how often something actually failed, and a car's individual history — service records, prior repairs, how it was maintained — carries more weight for a specific used example than which year it happens to carry on the title. A pre-purchase inspection remains the best way to settle any doubts the numbers raise.