2000 Mercedes-Benz E Class problems & reliability
34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz E Class. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2000 Mercedes-Benz E Class vehicles were involved in 14 fatal crashes with 11 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 11 | 32% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 21% |
| Structure | 5 | 15% |
| Power Train | 3 | 9% |
| Steering | 3 | 9% |
| Suspension | 3 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 21 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 78,800 miles (middle 50% between 61,000 and 110,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My 2000 e320 has excessive rust issues through out the entire body. I was told by mercedes benz of north america this is a common issue because of the use of a new water based paint used between 1997-2002 but because I am out of warranty and the car is over 10 years old they can not help me or offer me any further…”
Structure · filed Aug 27, 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz e320. While driving 20 mph, the contact heard a loud banging noise coming from the front end of the vehicle after driving over a bump in the road. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front spring tower had fractured. He also noticed corrosion on the spring…”
Suspension · filed Aug 3, 2011
“I am the owner of a 2000 e320. I have been having chronic problems with headlamps, fog lights, and brake lamps going out very frequently. Often, I receive an error message that the "lamps are inoperable", after checking all bulbs, I find this is not the case, mercedes may not admit to this, but there is an electrical…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 18, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION
Defect Petition DP05007 · opened Nov 7, 2005 · closed Mar 27, 2006
- ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03058 · opened Dec 17, 2003 · closed Apr 22, 2004
- SUDDEN ENGINE SHUT DOWN
Investigation SQ01010 · opened Sep 25, 2001 · closed Feb 4, 2002
Technical service bulletins
6 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz E Class.
SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink
LI68.05-P-059193 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 20, 2014
Revised repair procedure and additional applicable models. Model 170, 202, 208 and 210 models. Front fog lamp(s) inoperative. Mercedes-benz. *tt model years: 1994-2004. Updated 09/09/08. *pe
8210196 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 2008
Trunk lid opens or closes too quickly while operating with remote trunk lid control button. *tt
885040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 5, 2005
Consumer shutoff displayed in instrument cluster while driving. *tt
5410117 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Service campaign to replace the front left, rear left and / or right side impact airbags on 2000 slk and e-class vehicles. *tt
2001040001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 2001
Brief information on installing telephone. *tt
01002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 5, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2000 Mercedes-Benz E Class in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2000 Mercedes-Benz E Class?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 78,800 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.