Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic13
- Electrical system9
- Fuel system, gasoline5
- Fuel/propulsion system5
- Equipment4
- Vehicle speed control4
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Power train3
- Suspension3
- Exterior lighting2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 19 2003 E-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 12 people died inside them, and 3 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 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class failed the safety check 1.39% of the time — 34% less often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 115,599 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2003 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 1.8 petrol (120 kW, 161 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6 petrol | 130 kW 174 hp | 391 |
| 3.2 petrol | 165 kW 221 hp | 306 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 222 |
| 3.2 diesel | 150 kW 201 hp | 220 |
| 2.1 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 120 |
| 5.0 petrol | 225 kW 302 hp | 118 |
| 2.7 diesel | 130 kW 174 hp | 105 |
| 5.4 petrol | 350 kW 469 hp | 79 |
| 2.1 diesel | 90 kW 121 hp | 61 |
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
1,685 first registered in 2003 are on Dutch roads; 43% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €83,436.
Most common APK defects
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm702
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde611
- Band onvoldoende profiel539
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling508
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen456
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm325
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af298
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld244
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,977 cars built in 2003 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,626 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
2,005 of these cars first registered in 2003 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 415,000 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
45 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 87% arrived as used imports, 2% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
| 2022740 22 Dec 2022 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the sunroof glass may not be properly attached to the sliding roof frame. Over time, the glass can become loose and could separat… |
| 2021478 23 Jul 2021 | Structure Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles inspected under Mercedes-Benz recall 7891003 (Transport Canada recall 2019-668) that require a second inspection. … |
| 2019668 23 Dec 2019 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the sunroof glass may not be properly attached to the sliding roof frame. Over time, the glass can become loose and could separate… |
| 2008242 9 Jul 2008 | Other Certain vehicles may have been programmed with incorrect software calibration data during the manufacturing process. This could affect various functions such a… |
| 2005094 4 Apr 2005 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) unit may contain a pump piston which is out of permissible tolerances. Also, vibrations within the ele… |
| 2004210 24 Jun 2004 | Brakes The electronic monitoring system of the Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) is designed to monitor the pressure gradient within the high pressure line of the brake … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING MY 2006-2008 M-CLASS, R-CLASS, MY 2005-2009 SLK-CLASS, MY 2005-2008 C-CLASS, MY 2003-2004 AND 2006-2008 CLK-CLASS, MY 2003-2008 E-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2008 CL-CLASS, MY 2008 CLS-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2007-2008 S-CLASS, MY 2003 G-CLASS, AND MY 2003-2004, 2006 AND 2009 SL-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL (SBC) SYSTEM MAY PREMATURELY SHIFT TO THE HYDRAULIC BACK-UP FUNCTION MODE, DUE TO DETERIORATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTION, OR DUE TO PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE ELECTRONIC MONITORING SYSTEM OF THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL (SBC) IS DESIGNED TO MONITOR THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WITHIN THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. IF AN UNACCEPTABLE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS DETECTED, THE SYSTEM WILL SWITCH, AS IT IS DESIGNED TO DO, INTO THE HYDRAULIC FUNCTION MODE.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE NUT ON THE BOLT WHICH CONNECTS THE STEERING GEAR TO THE STEERING COUPLING MAY NOT BE TIGHTENED CORRECTLY.
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 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10136029 | SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink |
| 10030964 | MERCEDES: THE LIMITED WARRANTY ON THE SBC HYDRAULIC UNIT FOR MODELS 211, MODEL 219 AND MODELS 230 WAS EXTENDED FROM THE ORIGINAL 4 YEARS/50,000 MILES TO 10 YEARS WITH NO MILEAGE LIMITATION. THE SBC HYDRAULIC UNIT EXTENDED LIMITED WARRANTY APPLIES TO ALL CONDITIONS THAT JUSTIFY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SBC HYDRAULIC UNIT UNDER THE STANDARD WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONS. *PE |
| 10025554 | MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. CHECK FUEL FILTER MODULE ASSEMBLY AND REPAIR OR REPLACE IF NECESSARY. MODELS 211 AND 219 AMG. MODEL YEARS 2003-2006. CSC WAS RECEIVED. *PE |
| 10020183 | DIRT CAN COLLECT IN THE REAR SLEEVES ON THE FRONT AXLE CARRIER. CLEAN SLEEVES ON FRONT AXLE CARRIER AND INSTALL NEW BOLTS AND WASHERS. *TT |
| 10019493 | THE REMOTE TRUNK CLOSING CONTROL UNIT MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY DURABLE AND MAY RESULT IN THE NEED TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE TRUNK MANUALLY. REPLACE REMOTE TRUNK CLOSING CONTROL UNIT. *TT |
| 10019128 | STEERING WHEEL TWITCH DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING MERCEDES BENZ 2006 MODEL 230. *TT |
| 10019014 | INSPECT REAR SAM CONTROL MODULE, REPLACE IF NECESSARY. A FAULT IN THE REAR SINGLE ACQUISITION AND ACTUATION MODULE (REAR SAM) MAY UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES CAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE TO NO LONGER REGISTER THE PROPER FUEL LEVEL IF THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED. *TT |
| 10017495 | PARKING BRAKE FAILS TO RELEASE / DIFFICULT TO OPEN. *TT |
| 10016646 | IMPLAUSIBLE OR ILLOGICAL MESSAGES CAN APPEAR IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TT |
| 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 |
| 10014573 | ACTIVATION OF THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL (SBC) SYSTEM WITH DAS SOFTWARE 02/05. MERCEDES-BENZ MODELS 199, 211, 219, 230 MY 2003-2006. *TT |
| 10011739 | VOLUNTARY RECALL CAMPAIGN SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM. *JB |
| 10010822 | CONSUMER SHUTOFF DISPLAYED IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHILE DRIVING. *TT |
| 10010512 | FLASH CENTRAL GATEWAY (CGW). *TT |
| 10008444 | SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL (SBC) BLEEDING PROCEDURE. VARIOUS INCLUDING MY2005 M-BENZ E-CLASS AND SL-CLASS INCLUDED. *TT THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES PB42.46/46 DATED JUNE 24, 2004. ALL MODELS. *TT |
| 10008443 | CENTRAL LOCKING AND/OR TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR ARE NONFUNCTIONAL; FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR IS INEXACT; REAR LAMPS ARE CONTINUOUSLY LIT; ANTITHEFT ALARM SYSTEM SOUNDS FALSE ALARMS. *TT |
| 10008442 | SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN GENTLY APPLYING BRAKE. MODEL 211 MY2005 ALSO INCLUDED. *TT |
| 10007590 | TELE AID NOT ACTIVE DISPLAYED IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TT |
| 10000638 | ENGINE TICKING (PISTON SLAP) NOISE COMPLAINTS WHEN ACCELERATING BETWEEN 1200 AND 3000 RPM. MODELS E500, SL500, CLK500 MY2003. *TT |
| 10000629 | CAN B BUS CAUSING NUMEROUS DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES / SRS MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATION. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)