How many recalls does the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 have?

The 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 has 3 NHTSA safety recall campaigns on record.

How do I check if my 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500?

Of 143 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is service brakes.

2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2003 Mercedes-Benz E500 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 913,037 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

VISIBILITY 24V874000 2024-11-19 33,456 affected

Defect

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.

Consequence

A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 22V-954. MBUSA's number for this recall is…

VISIBILITY 22V954000 2022-12-23 131,653 affected

Defect

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.

Consequence

A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall expands NHTSA recall number 19V-918. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and…

VISIBILITY 19V918000 2019-12-20 747,928 affected

Defect

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit:…

Consequence

A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020040011.

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

SUSPENSION

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

AIR BAGS

SUSPENSION:FRONT

POWER TRAIN

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Total complaints143

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz e500. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed but the pedal was stiff. The vehicle was taken to two dealers where it was diagnosed that the brake pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…”

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC · reported 2024-11-15

“Air suspension in the rear suddenly failed making it impossible to drive, also triggered a red warning of "stop, car too low"”

SUSPENSION · reported 2024-04-02

“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz e500. The contact stated that there was leakage coming from the driverâ€™s and the passengerâ€™s side sunroof. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The contact was informed that the only warranty would be for the module. The contact…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2022-09-07

“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz e500. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the air bags on the driverâ€™s side of the vehicle inadvertently deployed without warning. After the air bags were deployed, a message showing an air bag malfunction was displayed on the instrument panel. The…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2022-06-30

“I own a 2003 mercedes benz e500. My wife was driving the car about 25 mph .she put on the brakes and a bright red signal appeared on the screen and the car brakes failed .to avoid an accident ,my wife drove into an uphill parking lot where the car came to a stop without the cars brakes help .after…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2022-05-06

“I own a 2003 mercedes benz e500. My wife was driving the car about 25 mph .she put on the brakes and a bright red signal appeared on the screen and the car brakes failed .to avoid an accident ,my wife drove into an uphill parking lot where the car came to a stop without the cars brakes help .after…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2022-05-06

“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz e500. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the brakes became inoperable. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnose the failure to be the sensotronic brake control (sbc) electronic braking…”

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC · reported 2022-04-29

“The contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz e500. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the air bag suspension detached from the subframe which caused the shock to lean into the tire. The rear driverâ€™s side wheel ceased turning. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The…”

SUSPENSION · reported 2021-07-05