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3.7

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
33,637 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.

2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 Owner Comments

problem #15

Sep 072022

E350

  • miles

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

Camshaft sensors and solenoid leak oil internally which then gets into the sensors electrical connector. From the the oil enters the engine wire harness through capillary action maki g it-??s way to other sensors and ultimately the DME (Digital Motor Electronics). This can cause February DME to fail which in turn can make the engine stop running.

- Milpitas , CA, USA

problem #14

Dec 082021

E350

  • miles
The camshaft position sensors leak oil into wiring harness. The oil circulates to other engine sensors and the ECU(engine control computer). Oil in the other sensors and the ECU causes the car to stop operating or operate erratically while driving. a real problem. This is a safety issue there should not be oil leaking into the ECU! The mercedes dealer replaced the leaking camshaft position sensors and confirmed oil had leaked into the ECU and wiring harness on december 13,2021. They recommended replacing the wiring harness and ECU at cost of $6500. I have the replaced bad sensors. Mercedes says they have no culpability in this or a fix. The mercedes complaint number is #23264730932. The previous mercedes engine generation had the same problem and mercedes did a recall on that engine.

- St Paul, MN, USA

problem #13

Oct 302021

E350

  • miles
Cam adjustment solenoids leak oil into the engine wiring harness causing component failures, rough running and stalling. This problem was diagnosed and replaced by the dealer at 48k miles and has returned at 116k miles. There is a recall for models prior to 2012 and this car has the same problem. Eventually the engine will quit running at any given moment posing a dangerous situation.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #12

Jun 102020

E350

  • miles

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

My vehicle when coming to a stop throws itself in the park around 5 mph. I have almost gotten hit by vehicles behind me several times.

- Union City, NJ, USA

problem #11

Jun 042019

E350

  • miles
50% of the time car is placed in reverse back up camera screen has no picture just a black screen. Mercedes Benz of austin ran diagnostics but could not find a problem. I am aware that there is a recall for earlier models on the back up camera but recall does not include 2012 E350. Problem started about 2 years or so ago. It is an intermittent problem starting about 2 years ago and has been ongoing.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #10

Jun 042021

E350

  • miles
The key in the electronic ignition switch is not recognized causing the car to suddenly throw itself into park while the vehicle is still in motion, at speeds as high as 6 mph, per service bulletin #LI54.25-P-056472. The issue is intermittent and unpredictable and puts the driver at great risk of an accident because the car stops violently and without warning to the cars behind. The car can be put back into Drive and as soon as you start driving again, it will immediately throw itself back into park, which sometimes happens over and over again. This has put me in the position of having entered an intersection only to have my car stop in the middle of the intersection. I've been nearly hit from behind or side several times due to the unexpected and sudden stop my car made when this happened. Despite reporting the TSB to the Mercedes dealership, they would not cover the out of warranty repair because they said it's "only a service bulletin and not a safety recall." This is VERY CLEARLY a safety issue and there are hundreds if not thousands of drivers and cars affected based on internet searches of MB and auto forums.

- Evergreen, CO, USA

problem #9

Apr 012021

E350

  • miles

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

1. Backup camera will periodically display a blank screen when shifted into reverse. System has to be shutdown and restarted to get the camera to work again. Tends to happen on rainy days when camera most needed. No accident has occurred as a result to date. Date of last occurrence is an approximation. 2. Distronic Plus system (Adaptive cruise) will disengage unexpectedly when coming to a stop in traffic or if in stop and go traffic. The system beeps once and a red light flashes, but this is easily missed if radio is playing or driver is distracted. This has almost caused several roll forward rear-end collisions, prevented only by quick driver intervention. Neither issue has been addressed with the dealer since the vehicle is out of warranty.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

problem #8

Mar 262021

E350

  • 101,000 miles
My 2012 Mercedes E350 has oil contamination of the wiring harness. The oil has also damaged other components in the engine compartment including oxygen sensors; probes and ECU(computer) this is very expensive damage. Mercedes-Benz had had recall for this problem in the past but the recall did not extend to the 2012 model year. They need to do another recall for this ongoing problem. This is a major safety hazard, as the car could stall in traffic without warning

- Flower Mound, TX, USA

problem #7

May 152019

E350

  • miles
The cam solenoid sensors are picking up oil, then it is being disbursed in to the electrical systems of the vehicle. It is flowing into, O2 sensors making the vehicle run in a full rich mode, it is reaching the computer system that runs the entire vehicle. This repair can cost upwards of $8000. I have done online research and it is a very common issue amongst many Mercedes vehicles. The issue is a known problem, it was being repaired but Mercedes stopped the repair. It comes from an internal issue, not a fail to maintain problem. I contacted Mercedes, they say they don't know of the issue, but they did tell me, they know how to fix the problem for a cost of over $ 5000. To us. Online searches have resulted in many complaints by owners. Regular driving is a result of the issue. Now we can't drive out vehicle due to fear of the oil in the electrical lines reaching our cpu for the entire car, which will result several thousand more dollars on top of the repair cost. We have paid $ 800. At this point only to be told, do not drive the care or worse damage will occur. So we have a beautiful car that is collecting leaves and dust. I await your response, garyw. Smith. We contacted Mercedes bens of raleigh nc, they are our contact point, they don;T know of an issue but know the cure for $5000. Plus dollars, hmmm, curious...

- Broadway, NC, USA

problem #6

Jul 212020

E350

  • 150,000 miles
Car automatically shifts to park when going below 10mph or when braking

- N Billerica, MA, USA

problem #5

Mar 022020

E350

  • 70,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes Benz E350. The contact stated that the wiring harness in the trunk of the vehicle was defective. The defect caused the trunk lid to not open. The vehicle was taken to Mercedes Benz of ann arbor (570 auto mall dr, ann arbor, mi 4810 where it was determined that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. VIN unavailable.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

problem #4

Oct 012018

E350

  • 81,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and the air bag warning indicator was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to Mercedes-Benz of san jose (3000 E capitol expressway, san jose, ca 95148, (408) 214-3009) where it was diagnosed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #3

Sep 012016

E350

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-350. While driving approximately 45 mph, a "pre safe inoperative see owner manual" warning message appeared. The vehicle decelerated spontaneously. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road to a complete stop and shut off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle after a few minutes and it returned to normal. The failure recurred once the contact arrived home. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Greenville, MS, USA

problem #2

Jan 202015

E350

  • 30,000 miles
I started my car and it made a big loud noise from engine then I start getting all messages on screen that every things not inoperable. Even the gear shift was locked and the more I kept the car on the more noise was making. Its like I am pushing hard on gas panel.

- Dearborn, MI, USA

problem #1

May 112012

E350 6-cyl

  • 550 miles
I attempted to start the car and it would not crank. I called Mercedes service and they sent service to jumpstart the car. The car finally started. As I began to drive, a warning light stating "power steering malfunction - check owners manual" came on. With considerable difficult, I avoided the curb in the parking lot and managed to get the car to a parking space. The "power steering malfunction" indicator would not come off even after turning the car off and on again. The car became undrivable.

- Lebanon, NH, USA

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