Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system3
- Visibility2
- Wheels1
- Suspension1
- Child seat1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 11 2002 E-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class failed the safety check 1.48% of the time — 26% less often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 126,571 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars on Dutch roads are the 2.6 petrol (130 kW, 174 hp), 3.2 petrol (165 kW, 221 hp) and 5.0 petrol (225 kW, 302 hp), out of 7 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6 petrol | 130 kW 174 hp | 359 |
| 3.2 petrol | 165 kW 221 hp | 250 |
| 5.0 petrol | 225 kW 302 hp | 135 |
| 2.1 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 82 |
| 2.7 diesel | 130 kW 174 hp | 78 |
| 2.6 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 27 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 20 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
1,061 first registered in 2002 are on Dutch roads; 42% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €71,458.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde445
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm445
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen365
- Band onvoldoende profiel338
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling310
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect268
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm224
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld210
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
621 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,517 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
770 of these cars first registered in 2002 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 392,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
20 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register; 90% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10136029 | SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink |
| 10016632 | THE ALTERNATOR REGULATOR MAY FAIL TO PREVENT VOLTAGE VALUES RANGING BEYOND THE SPECIFIED TOLERANCE LIMITS. *TT |
| 10015377 | 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 |
| 10015071 | TRUNK LID OPENS OR CLOSES TOO QUICKLY WHILE OPERATING WITH REMOTE TRUNK LID CONTROL BUTTON. *TT |
| 10010822 | CONSUMER SHUTOFF DISPLAYED IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHILE DRIVING. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)