2001 Mercedes Benz E320: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320
On the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, with 6 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 95,000 miles. Overall it scores 67 out of 100, high risk for a 2001.
High risk for a 2001 — 178th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. 54 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 27 named failure modes on the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320, and the three most-reported carry 26% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other electrical problem leads with 6 reports and about 1.3 per 1,000 vehicles.
No-start or intermittent start failure follows with 4 reports, median 135,000 miles.
Headlight failure or clouding follows with 4 reports, median 95,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into electrical (8), lighting (7) and transmission (6).
At what mileage it happens
32 of the reports on the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 95,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 22% by 50,000 miles, 53% by 100,000 miles and 69% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 3 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 150,000 and 160,000 miles, which alone holds 16% of the dated reports.
9% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 27. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 3 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
Severity, and what it costs
Across the named modes, 6 mention a crash, 6 a fire and 4 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.56, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800, headlight failure or clouding at $150–$1,800 and airbag failed to deploy in a crash at $1,000–$5,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
24% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 5 | — | 154k | — | 1.3 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 4 | 2 | — | 136k | — | 0.8 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 4 | 2 | — | 95k | — | 0.8 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 3 | 2 | — | 52k | — | 0.6 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Strut, shock or spring failure | suspension | 3 | 1 | — | 140k | — | 0.6 | $500–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 42k | — | 0.4 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.4 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Transmission fluid leak | transmission | 2 | 2 | — | 150k | — | 0.4 | $300–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 66k | — | 0.4 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 2 | 1 | — | 55k | — | 0.4 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 2 | 1 | — | 167k | — | 0.4 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 1 | — | 61k | — | 0.4 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 110k | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.2 | $200–$900 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Window regulator or power window failure | body | 1 | 1 | — | 38k | — | 0.2 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 25 | — | 0.2 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 86k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 154k | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 93k | — | 0.2 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 154k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 360k | — | 0.2 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 3 | 2 | — | 183k | — | 0.6 | — | Moderate |
This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320 draws about 11 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 89th percentile of complaint rates among 2001 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. This year had no usable recall paperwork, so the fleet-size estimate is the median of other years of the same model.
The working figure is 4,733 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2001 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other electrical problem
Tl* - the contact ownsw a 2001 mercedes e320. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the garage when she started to smell fumes. The contact could not find where the fumes were coming from. She then called the fire department. The fire department found that the vehicle was the cause of the fumes and had caught on fire. Then, they extinguished the fire. The vehicle was a totaled. The contact called the dealership, and they offered no solution and have yet to fully inspect the vehicle to find out the cause of the fire. The fire department stated that an electrical failure was a possible cause of the fire. *ak
Defective insulation on the wiring for the exterior lighting. It appears this problem is catalyzed by heat. Insulation crumbles and leave bare wire exposed, causing shortage and failure/melting of light socket. Obviously, mercedes benz of north america realized issue but s not compelled to make repairs!
No-start or intermittent start failure
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz e 320. The contact stated that the cup holder was too close to the gear shift and when liquid spills into the gear shift, it shuts the vehicle off. When this happened it shorted out the controls on the instrument panel and the vehicle would not start until it dried out. The instrument panel; however, has to be replaced. The failure occurred twice. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 136000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 mercedes benz e 320. The contact stated that the cup holder was too close to the gear shift and when liquid spills into the gear shift, it shuts the vehicle off. When this happened it shorted out the controls on the instrument panel and the vehicle would not start until it dried out. The instrument panel; however, has to be replaced. The failure occurred twice. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 136000.
Headlight failure or clouding
The passenger side front low beam headlamp stopped working. We changed the light bulb, but that did not correct the problem. We noted that the socket for the passenger side low beam appeared burnt. We took it to a mechanic who rewired the right front low beam light socket and wire harness. After this initial problem, the driver side high beam headlamp stopped working. We replaced the lamp bulb. We noted that the driver side high beam headlamp socket appeared burnt. We did not replace the driver side high beam headlamp socket. So it does not work. After the above two problems, the driver side rear brake, tail, and parking lamp stopped working. We changed the lamp bulb, but that did not correct the problem. The driver side rear brake, tail, and parking lamp socket did not appear burnt. Instead the lamp was lose and could not be tightened. We used black electric tape to hold the lamp in place, which has worked. However, we must periodically re-tape. *tr
The passenger side front low beam headlamp stopped working. We changed the light bulb, but that did not correct the problem. We noted that the socket for the passenger side low beam appeared burnt. We took it to a mechanic who rewired the right front low beam light socket and wire harness. After this initial problem, the driver side high beam headlamp stopped working. We replaced the lamp bulb. We noted that the driver side high beam headlamp socket appeared burnt. We did not replace the driver side high beam headlamp socket. So it does not work. After the above two problems, the driver side rear brake, tail, and parking lamp stopped working. We changed the lamp bulb, but that did not correct the problem. The driver side rear brake, tail, and parking lamp socket did not appear burnt. Instead the lamp was lose and could not be tightened. We used black electric tape to hold the lamp in place, which has worked. However, we must periodically re-tape. *tr
How it ranks in the 2001 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Better and worse years of the same car
High risk for a 2001 — 178th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 12 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 1996 comes out best at 58 and 2005 worst at 71, with 2001 itself at 67.
If the model year is negotiable, 1996, 2002 and 2000 score lower than 2001 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 1996–2002 generation specifically, 1996 is the strongest year at 58 and 1999 the weakest at 68.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 1996-2002 generation, 1996 Mercedes Benz E320 scores best at 58 and 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 worst at 68.
The limits of complaint data
54 owner reports; fleet size borrowed from other years of the same model. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 54 reports, 32 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 59% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320?
The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (6 reports, median 155,000 miles), no-start or intermittent start failure (4 reports, median 135,000 miles) and headlight failure or clouding (4 reports, median 95,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2001 Mercedes Benz E320 reliable?
It scores 67 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 178th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2001 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Mercedes Benz E320 is best?
Within the 1996–2002 generation, 1996 scores best at 58 out of 100 and 1999 worst at 68. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed