2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class problems and complaints

Owners have filed 296 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (141), Suspension (37), Fuel/Propulsion System (32).

Key takeaways

  • 296 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 14 involve a crash, 3 a fire, 11 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Air Bags14148%
Suspension3713%
Fuel/Propulsion System3211%
Unknown Or Other217%
Service Brakes165%
Structure165%
Engine155%
Steering124%
Power Train103%
Seats83%
Electrical System72%
Wheels62%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR AWDNot ratedNot ratedNot rated5/5
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2 DR AWDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWDNot ratedNot ratedNot rated5/5
2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2 DR RWDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Air Bags,seats - filed 2026-07-28

Without an impact or collision, my car's passenger seat headrest shot out. I've been checking and others have done this as well. This morning, the driver's side headrest shot out without impact or collision. There is something wrong with the mechanism or airbags for the headrests. This can be extremely dangerous wh...

Service Brakes - filed 2025-12-30

Dealer notes: Replace rear brake lines, found to be rusty recommend replacement with rear subframe replacement. This is a very well known issue and is not covered under recall from manufacturer. It will cost $3200 for brake line repair alone, not including the subframe. This is an extreme safety hazard and a common pro...

Steering,service Brakes - filed 2025-09-26

Subject: Safety Concern – Mercedes-Benz E350 4MATIC (2011) Subframe and Brake Line Rust Dear [Mercedes-Benz Customer Care / NHTSA], I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding my 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 4MATIC. Recently, I brought my vehicle in for recall service, and during the inspection, it was disc...

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More for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.