Mercedes-Benz E-Class: which model years to avoid
Complaint and recall totals for every Mercedes-Benz E-Class model year we track, ranked by severity.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 233 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 35.2 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2013 | 185 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 103.8 High | AIR BAGS |
| 2014 | 302 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 68.2 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2015 | 57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 175.4 High | AIR BAGS |
| 2016 | 89 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 69.7 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2017 | 165 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 76.4 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 66 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 75.8 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 54 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 114.8 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2020 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 220.0 High | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31.6 Low | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2022 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 76.2 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2023 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69.6 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2024 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48.0 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Across 13 model years, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class carries the highest severity index (220.0, driven by engine), while the 2021 is the cleanest at 31.6.
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.