2017 MERCEDES BENZ E300 Electrical System Problems

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding serious and repeated issues with my 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300, purchased and serviced exclusively by authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships. 1. Repeated OEM Run-Flat Tire Failures Within the past two years, I have been forced to replace nine OEM run-flat tires, including:    •   3 replacements at Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner, VA    •   2 replacements at Goodyear Tires, Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, FL    •   4 additional replacements at certified service centers These failures occur under normal driving conditions, often without visible punctures or road hazards, and at safe speeds. Each tire replacement costs approximately $550, plus towing, diagnostic fees, and rental car costs. The financial and safety burdens are substantial, and this level of tire failure is not normal for any vehicle—particularly a low-mileage, luxury sedan. 2. Electrical/Dashboard Recording Malfunction My dashboard service history fails to record service visits, even when performed at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. This is deeply concerning as it compromises vehicle resale value, warranty tracking, and transparency of maintenance records. Despite multiple visits and attempts by service centers, the issue persists without resolution. 3. Financial Impact and Brand Reputation The total cost of repeated tire replacements and unresolved electrical issues has reached several thousand dollars, despite my vehicle having relatively low mileage and receiving all recommended service at authorized dealers. This experience is completely inconsistent with the quality and reliability promised by the Mercedes-Benz brand. I am requesting the following:    •   Full investigation into the defect rate of OEM run-flat tires on the 2017 E-Class models    •   Immediate inspection and repair of the dashboard/electrical recording issue at no cost to me    •   Reimbursement for tire-related costs and associated expenses incurred due to repeated failures.

When using Map apps through CarPlay, I’ve noticed two consistent problems: Inaccurate Vehicle Speed: The carplay speedometor does not match the the actual speedometer of the vehicle, which seems always 1.6 times higher than the actual(seems to be the metric confusion from mph to kmh). GPS Drift: The location shown on the map is frequently ahead of my actual position, which causes navigation directions (especially turns and exits) to be slightly mistimed. However, when the speedometer is correct, the GPS drift issue would disappear automatically. So I assume that these two issues are correlated. These issues can be confusing and potentially unsafe while driving. I’ve tested other navigation apps on CarPlay and found they do exhibit the same behavior, so I suspect the issue may be general to Mercedes E300 and probably other vehicles. I did a bit of research and found it to be a common issue of Mercedes E300 2017. Please see attached link for the threads from MB forum. https://mbworld.org/forums/gls-class-x167/843643-wrong-speed-limit-detected.html Thank you for your assistance, and I look forward to your reply. Best regards

Smell of Gas coming from the the fuel line, and the radio changes stations on its own

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while at a complete stop and releasing the brake pedal, the Eco Mode system failed to engage, and the engine failed to restart. The contact stated that upon depressing the Push to Start button, the vehicle restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure progressively worsened. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with Eco Mode activated, the vehicle would only restart after pressing the Push to Start button several times. The contact used a vehicle scanner and was able to retrieve diagnostic trouble codes related to the Starting Current Limiter. The contact referenced TSB Number: 2017020021 and NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V114000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling). Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel had seized in an incorrect position and could not be readjusted. The contact related the failure to TSB Number: 2017020018. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

Battery being drained, the car does not start, water inside the vehicle on the floor at the drivers side

The entire driver instrument panel screen went blank, after going blank and coming back on a few times while driving. This is EXTREMELY dangerous. Now, the driver cannot see the speed, odo, fuel gauge, indicators or anything at all. I hope you please investigate and initiate a campaign and get this resolved from Mercedes.

Suddenly , the trunk stopped closing completely. Noted a significant gap in the trunk to the quarter panel due to the pull down function / soft close not working. Trunk is now slightly open, which could be an issue with water ingress with many electrical components in the trunk compartment.

There are three main issues: As the weather got cold here in NJ, whenever the car is started in the morning, there is a strong fuel smell inside the cabin. Also there is a lot of fumes that smell gasoline. I think it is safety issue. The auto braking does not seem to operate right. I do not see any error message, but it had never tried to avoid a collision when I have tried other cars that would have normally applied the brakes in those situations. The garage door opening function does not work as soon as the ignition is turned off. This is an electrical issue in my view.

Vehicle instrument cluster has gone completely off while driving, will not display. Everything else in car works fine. Fuses are not blown. Shows recall in 2017 for this make and model but VIN does not show as any active recalls related to this for this vehicle.

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz E300. The contact stated that while starting and driving the vehicle, the instrument cluster was blank. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V245000 (Electrical System). The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Mileage: 70,000

It appears according to the technician that the entire fuel system has shorted out at once while I was driving down the road and my car died at once while nearly causing a wreck while losing all power steering and control.

ADAPTIVE HIGH BEAM WAS NOT WORKING - UPON INITIAL ACTIVATION OF THE HIGH BEAM THE CAR WOULD PROVIDE AN ERROR THAT THE CAMERA WAS BLOCKED AND IT WOULD NOT WORK. THE DEALER INVESTIGATED AND IT APPEARS A PIECE OF TRIM FROM INSTALLATION WHEN NEW WAS LEFT IN THE CAMERA AND IT WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY. THIS IS AN ISSUE IF YOU SUDDENLY NEEDED THE HIGH BEAMS ON AND THE CAR MAKES YOU PROCESS THE ERROR FIRST. THIS COULD IMPACT ANY DRIVER AIDS USING THE MULTIFUNCTION CAMERA.

Mileage: 20,500

ON SEPT. 10, 2020 WHILE DRIVING ON THE WESTBOUND LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY, NEAR EXIT 19,IN AN AFTERNOON RAINSTORM, MY 3 YEAR OLD MB E300 WAS FLOODED THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR MOUNT AND THE COLUMN ON THE DRIVERS' SIDE, SEPARATING THE WINDSHIELD AND DOOR. WATER CASCADED FROM THESE AREAS AND FLOODED THE FLOOR. ALL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ON THE FLOOR, UNDER THE FRONT SEATS, WERE SHORTED OUT. THIS BROUGHT THE CAR TO A COMPLETE AND SUDDEN STANDSTILL IN TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE OR MOVE, POTENTIALLY PUTTING MY LIFE IN JEOPARDY. THE SHIFT LEVER WOULD NOT PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE, REVERSE OR NEUTRAL. THE CAR NEEDED A TOW ON A DOLLY OFF THE HIGHWAY AND IT CONTINUED TO RUN FOR HOURS. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND THE WINDOWS COULD NOT BE SHUT. JUST ABOUT EVERY WARNING LIGHT IN EXISTENCE WAS ON IN THE DASHBOARD. THE ENGINE WAS FINALLY SHUT DOWN, AFTER OVER 4 HOURS, WHEN THE CAR ARRIVED AT RALLYE MERCEDES BENZ IN ROSLYN, NY. THIS SUDDEN STOP, IN A RUNNING CAR, ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY COULD OF BEEN DEADLY. THE CAR HAD RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED AT RALLYE MOTORS.

Mileage: 64,000

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN JANUARY 2020. AT FIRST, THE FUEL FILLER DOOR WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED ONCE I OPENED IT TO PUMP GAS. EVERY TIME I WOULD CLOSE IT, IT WOULD POP BACK OPEN. I WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE IT ABOUT 10 TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD STAY CLOSED. THEN, I WENT TO PUMP GAS AND THE FUEL FILLER DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS UNLOCKED. PEOPLE EXPECT BETTER QUALITY FROM SUCH AN EXPENSIVE BRAND. MERCEDES BENZ NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE FUEL FILLER DOOR.

Mileage: 30,000

THE MOTORIZED TRUNK LID SPONTANEOUSLY AND FORCEFULLY CLOSED ON MY HEAD, CUTTING MY FACE, WHILE I WAS LOADING (WITH BOTH HANDS) GROCERIES INTO THE TRUNK. CAR WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT, ENGINE OFF.

Mileage: 14,000

REAR RADAR NOT WORKING SO NO WARNING OF PEDESTRIANS OR VEHICLES. THERE IS NO DETECTABLE NOISE TO WARN OPERATOR. SERVICE MANGROVE AR BONITA MERCEDES OF FL. SAYS HE COULD DRILL SOME HOLES IN CA?.?? HAVE ALMOST BEEN STRUCK SEVERAL TIMES, THIS MUST BE A SYSTEM PROBLEM THE WAY THE ARE AVOIDING. VERY DANGEROUS.

THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER IT BEING IN SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR WAS SENT TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES BECAUSE THE AUTO START WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CAR WOULD JUST STOP AND COULD NOT TURN BACK ON SO I HAD TO GET IT TOWED 3 TIMES...... AFTER THE LAST TIME IT CAUGHT ON FIRE WITH THE PASSENGER INSIDE THE CAR..... PASSENGER IS OK DID NOT GET HURT BUT IT WAS A VERY TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE. THE CAR IS NOW A TOTAL LOSS AND I'M STILL WAITING ON THE DEALERSHIP TO INVESTIGATE THE FIRE AND TO PAY FOR THE CAR.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E300W. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V076000 (AIR BAGS) AND 17V114000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED (MERCEDES-BENZ OF CLEAR LAKE, CLEAR LAKE, TX, 281-554-9100) AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT....UPDATED 10/27/17 *BF UPDATED 11/2/2017*JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E300. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DELRAY MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 09/01/17*LJ *JS

Mileage: 5,000

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E300. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 71 MPH, THE BRAKES SCREECHED AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THEN SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE ACTIVE BRAKE ASSIST AND "SEE OPERATOR'S MANUAL" INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR ONE WEEK. THE CONTACT RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WAS NO REMEDY FOR THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V076000 (AIR BAGS) AND 17V114000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT AND VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.