Fuel leak or fuel odor on the 2007 Mercedes Benz E550
When fuel leak or fuel odor gets reported
Owners of the 2007 Mercedes Benz E550 report fuel leak or fuel odor at a median of 65,000 miles. A quarter of the reports come in before 45,000 miles and a quarter after 80,000 miles, from 8 reports that carried an odometer reading.
A part like this is normally expected to survive 90,000 miles. It is the 2nd most-reported problem on this model year.
The mileage distribution
The reported range runs from 25,000 miles at the tenth percentile to 90,000 miles at the ninetieth, a spread of 67,951 miles across the middle 80% of reports.
A spread this wide points at use rather than design. Towing, climate, service history and city mileage all move a failure like this, so the median is a weak guide to any individual car.
25% of the dated reports were filed under 36,000 miles.
The whole distribution
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22,699 miles | 42,625 miles | 67,125 miles | 78,994 miles | 90,650 miles |
Read the 10th percentile as “one report in ten arrived this early”. Exact figures are shown in this table because it is the table of record; everywhere else on the site they are rounded to the precision the sample can carry.
What a percentile can and cannot tell you here
These five numbers describe the readings owners gave, in order. The median is the middle one: half the reports arrived below it. The 10th and 90th are the edges of the bulk of the distribution, and the distance between them is the part worth reading. A tight spread — say 70,000 to 95,000 miles — points at something that wears out on a schedule, and the schedule is knowable. A wide one, 20,000 to 190,000, points at a fault that hits some cars and never troubles others, which means the mileage on the listing in front of you tells you very little about your odds.
What these figures are not is a survival curve. Every reading here comes from a car whose owner filed a complaint, so the sample contains only failures: it cannot say what share of the fleet made it past 150,000 miles untouched, because those owners had nothing to report. Nor is the mileage the moment of failure — it is the odometer reading as recalled at the time of filing, which may be weeks later and is sometimes rounded to the nearest ten thousand by the person typing it.
Percentiles are shown at all only once 8 readings exist for the vehicle and mode. Below that the middle of a handful of numbers is noise wearing a decimal point, so the figures are withheld rather than dressed up.
What happens, and what it costs
Putting it right typically runs $300–$2,500 at an independent US shop. That range is an editorial estimate held in this site's failure-mode catalogue, not a figure from NHTSA, and it is a repair cost rather than a diagnosis cost.
This mode is classified as critical, which means a failure can leave the car unable to stop, steer, or stay out of the way of traffic. It is weighted accordingly in the risk score.
The same failure, every year of the Mercedes Benz E550
If one year stands out to the left, that is the year to avoid; if the whole line sits at a similar mileage, this is wear rather than a defect in one production run.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The mileage is the one the owner gave.
After filling the fuel tank (without topping-off and without any spillage) and arriving at next destination, there is a strong gasoline odor on the driver side rear of the vehicle. This is the side opposite of the filler pipe, so it is not related to spillage during filling. The odor lasts until the tank is down to approximately 3/4. Upon inspection of the under side of the car, there is a small but noticeable wet area under the driver side rear passenger compartment. Searching the internet provides a vast number of people with 2003-2009 e class sedans (w211 body style) that have the same issue. I have provided links for review. This is a serious safety issue and should be addressed with a recall as soon as possible. Thank you for you prompt attention to this very concerning matter. Http://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/363759-urgent-notice-03-06-e55s-were-involved-fuel-sender-recall-bombs.html http://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/178514-gas-odor-04-320-a.html http://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/272451-gas-odor-when-tank-full.html http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w211-e-class/1458815-gas-smell.html…
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 mercedes benz e550. While parked, the contact noticed a strong gasoline fuel smell after refueling the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the fuel tank seals would have to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the contact noticed a fuel leak after the repairs were completed. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Purchased vehicle nov 2012, filled car up for the first time 3/20/13 for out of town trip. Noticed very strong gas odor in back seat. Did not re-fill while out of town due to possible leaking fuel sending unit and/or gas tank. *tr
Also reported on the 2007 Mercedes Benz E550
Other fuel system problem
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure
Other wheel or tire problem
Airbag inflator rupture
Fuel pump failure
Other suspension problem
How far this goes
Complaints are voluntary, so 9 is a floor and not a count of affected cars. Mileages are typed in by owners and cluster on round numbers. And the mode itself is assigned by software reading the complaint text, which is reliable in bulk and fallible one report at a time.
Questions this page answers
At what mileage does fuel leak or fuel odor happen on the 2007 Mercedes Benz E550?
Across 8 owner reports that included an odometer reading, half were filed by 65,000 miles. A quarter were filed before 45,000 miles and a quarter after 80,000 miles. These are the mileages owners reported when they complained, not a prediction for any individual car.
How common is fuel leak or fuel odor on the 2007 Mercedes Benz E550?
9 reports have been filed with NHTSA, about 1.9 per 1,000 vehicles. Complaints are voluntary, so this is a floor rather than a count of affected cars.
What this is and is not. These are the mileages at which owners chose to complain to a federal agency, which is not the same as the mileage at which the part fails on every car. It skews toward failures that happened outside warranty, cost real money, or frightened someone. It is still the only public dataset that carries failure mileage at all, and the shape of a few hundred readings is informative even when a single one is not. Methodology · JSON · this failure on other cars
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