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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
93,699 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2003 Mercedes-Benz E320 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #55

Apr 062015

E320 6-cyl

  • 100 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There is a gas leak on the sending unit (fuel tank) when the vehicle is filled with fuel. This is an extremely dangerous issue, and it is common with the Mercedes Benz E320. I am concerned for my safety and the safety of my child who complains of the strong smell of gas while riding in the car. It leaves the smell of gas in my garage as well..

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #54

Oct 012014

E320 6-cyl

  • 110,000 miles
Car stalled several times and had smell of gasoline vapors in passenger compartment. Fuel sensor and pump was replaced, issue went away. Vendor will not reimburse service and parts.

- San Ramon, CA, USA

problem #53

Dec 022014

E320 6-cyl

  • 103,000 miles
We have been experiencing fumes of gas after the gas tank is completely filled. Later the car developed rough idling. We took the car to Mercedes-Benz of Oklahoma city where the car has always been serviced for inspection, the dealership kept the car for four days. In the mean time we received a letter from Mercedes-Benz of usa notifying us of extension of warranty on fuel system for up to 15 years. When we asked the dealership about it we were told they know and are following the "bulletin" issued by the company. Initially we were told there was a leak on the top of the gas tank, however the car was returned to us by replacing the fuel filter under warranty. There was no paper work so we don't know what was actually diagnosed and done. The car is still idling rough, the fuel gauge is not reading correct (though the tank is full, gauge shows 1/4th empty). We will take the car back to the Mercedes dealership tomorrow. Fuel leak is a serious matter, we wish the company had taken serious steps to fix it and had informed the customers of the actual problem. Hope NHTSA will look into this matter.

- Edmond, OK, USA

problem #52

Dec 102014

E320

  • 181,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that after refueling, a strong odor of fuel emitted inside the vehicle and then subsided after driving some distance. The failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer issued a voluntary recall related to the fuel system however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 181,000.

- Florence, SC, USA

problem #51

Apr 092008

E320 6-cyl

  • 74,703 miles
On several occasions between 2005 and 2015, I smelled gas inside of my car after filling the tank. Gas soaked my back seat and carpet behind driver's seat, and leaked out the right (driver's) side of the car. When I took into the Mercedes dealer in sugar land on April 9, 2008, they were unable to diagnose the problem. After then, I avoided filling up the tank. On December 12, 2012, I filled the tank by accident and the fuel soaked by back seat and leaked out the right side of the car. I took it to an auto repair shop, and the fuel pump seal was replace.then on July 1, 2014, the fuel pump went out and had to be replaced along with the fuel pump relay.

- Richmond, TX, USA

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problem #50

Nov 042014

E320 6-cyl

  • 153,000 miles
I recently noticed the smell of gasoline in the cabin of my vehicle. As it got stronger I became more worried. When cleaning out the car today I noticed the driver side rear seat belt was stained near the bottom(smells like fuel). I pulled up the back seat and under the seat on the driver side rear there is a significant amour of fuel puddled and stained into the floor and around a circular looking cover of some sort. While looking on the internet I saw that it has been common in this year/model car.

- Montgomery , AL, USA

problem #49

Jul 082014

E320

  • 190,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that there was a fuel odor present inside the vehicle and was leaking fuel without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.

- Conley, GA, USA

problem #48

Jul 012014

E320

  • 136,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, there was a fuel odor without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 136,000.

- Blythewood, SC, USA

problem #47

Mar 132013

E320

  • miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that fuel fumes emitted into the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Woodlake, CA, USA

problem #46

Sep 192014

E320 6-cyl

  • 97,000 miles
I filled the tank and it leaks on the garage floor at a steady drip underneath the rear driver passenger side tire where the tank sits...notice it leaking from the top of the tank coming down on to the floor...I cannot fill the tank and the smell and the amount of gas on the floor I believe is quite hazardous in an enclosed garage underneath a bedroom.

- Windsor, CO, USA

problem #45

Oct 072014

E320

  • 98,197 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I had a gasoline to leak in the well under the passenger seats in the back of my 2003 E320 Mercedes Benz. This is a serious safety hazard. About 2 weeks ago, I had to spend $1200 to replace a fuel pump on my 2003 E 320 Mercedes Benz. When will Mercedes Benz recall these models for fuel pump problems? they were never able to detect the problems while this car was under warranty, but now it's coming up 11 years later. Over 40 complaints have been sent to the consumer product safety commission (cpsc) about this problem, but Mercedes is still saying that there are no recalls, nor do they have any knowledge of these fuel leak problems. There are also owners in other states with the exact problem, but listed below is a complaint on cpsc's website from a laurel, md 2003 E320 owner with the same problems that I'm experiencing: Jul 31, 2011 - laurel, md - gasoline my 2003 Mercedes Benz E320, in which the fuel filters are located underneath the rear seat, had a powerful gasoline order inside the vehicle. The Benz repair shop stated it was a hairline fracture in the fuel filter and it was leaking gas. They replaced the filters, but I've seen them replace the same type filters in 2008 models. I think this is a defective product and a safety hazard. If me or my spouse had been a smoker, or caused a spark, we could've potentially caused a fatal explosion. I think this needs to be investigated.

- Lanham, MD, USA

problem #44

Aug 142014

E320 6-cyl

  • 115,500 miles
After filling up car there is a strong smell of gasoline inside.

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #43

Sep 102014

E320 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
I'm lucky to be alive! I purchased this car in 2005 and ever since I purchased my 2003 merc. Benz E320, it's been a crazy ride! here's a list of different issues that happened to me over the course of me owning this vehicle, which unfortunately I still do. I was driving with my little girl in tow and my brakes went out on me several times, my battery dies constantly, I had an issue when after I pumped gas you could smell fuel both inside my car & outside of my car, I literally one time had fuel pouring from the back of my car that ended on my garage floor. (thank god I don't smoke!) my suspension is constantly rattling, I have water that leaks on my feet when I drive occasionally and sometimes I have heat in the winter and sometimes I don't. I always have a check engine light on and as soon as I fix one, another one comes on. I currently had issues with code PO134, PO135 and had the O2 sensor changed, then my check engine light came back on and now I have codes PO171 & PO174 that I have no idea how to get fixed because it could be a number of issues. My battery drains when my electric seats are plugged in and so I have to have them unplugged to save my battery. Did I mention my back tire blew out on interstate 95 and I almost lost control of my car. It's devastating to pay the amount of money you do for this particular model, it's pretty on the outside and is a mess under the hood! is it normal when you have the ac on for it to sound like an airplane ready for take off? I'm tired of investing all kinds of money into this car, I just can't take it anymore! I can't even pass my va. State emissions test because of all these error codes (check engine light and malfunctions) and the state doesn't even find my car worthy of being on the roads.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #42

Feb 032014

E320

  • 73,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320 the contact stated that fuel fumes emitted from the vehicle constantly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. The technician suggested as an interim fix to not fully fill the fuel tank but provided no diagnosis or remedy for the failure. The contact continued to smell the strong fumes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the sending unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

- Spring Valley, CA, USA

problem #41

Aug 012011

E320

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that the odor of fuel was present inside and outside the vehicle. The contact indicated that the odor was much stronger while the engine was turned on. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel line injection system was faulty. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Greer, SC, USA

problem #40

Jan 092014

E320 6-cyl

  • 108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated that there was fuel fumes that emitted from the rear drivers side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the fuel odor emitted each time the vehicle was refueled. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel sending unit was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000 and the current mileage was 111,860. Updated 9/4/14 the consumer stated the gas smell was so strong it made the owner dizzy at times. The fuel tank sending unit was the source of the problem. As of 7/25/2014 the vehicle was repaired by german motors in las vegas, nv. Updated 12/17/2014

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #39

Jun 302014

E320 6-cyl

  • 111,000 miles
Smell of gas after I fill up at the pump.

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #38

Feb 182014

E320

  • 57,638 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated after refueling the vehicle a fuel odor was present in the cabin. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,638.

- Stuart, FL, USA

problem #37

Jan 312013

E320 6-cyl

  • 59,455 miles
Each time after a refuel I get a fuel smell in the cabin, and when parked in my garage I see the gas leaking undercarriage of the vehicle.I am forced to let the garage doors opened for a while to evacuate the gas fumes.

- Lawrenceville, GA, USA

problem #36

Dec 242013

E320

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz E320. The contact stated after the vehicle was parked, he began to smell gasoline fumes from outside of the vehicle. The failure was not diagnosed by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

- Brea, CA, USA

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