Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2003 Honda Accord vs 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2003 Honda Accord2003 Mercedes-Benz E320
NHTSA complaints1,987214
Recall campaigns132
Service bulletins (TSBs)38277
Investigations51
Crash reports1538
Fire reports181
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)21–2620
Median reported incident mileage90,000 mi100,000 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentHonda AccordMercedes-Benz E320
Power Train92411
Air Bags31819
Electrical System14221
Service Brakes, Hydraulic14318
Engine and Engine Cooling953
Steering902
Vehicle Speed Control813
Structure734

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling10421
Shifting problems920
Vibration / shaking750
Hesitation / surging689
Airbag warning light580
Check engine light459
Clunking / rattling310
Rust / corrosion200
2003 Mercedes-Benz E320

Compare all Honda Accord vs Mercedes-Benz E320 years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.