FaultScore

BMW 530IA vs Mercedes Benz E 300

Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.

Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.

Measure BMW 530IA Mercedes Benz E 300
Complaints on file 34 85
Model years covered 1994–2003 2018–2019
Worst model year
Best model year
Crashes reported 1 6
Fires reported 7 0
Injuries reported 1 7
Deaths reported 0 0
Most complained-about part Airbags Other & Unspecified
Share of complaints involving harm 26.5% 15.3%

BMW 530IA by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Airbags 11 32.4%
Engine & Cooling 10 29.4%
Transmission & Drivetrain 6 17.6%
Seats 3 8.8%
Electrical System 2 5.9%
Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 2.9%
Fuel & Propulsion 1 2.9%

Mercedes Benz E 300 by year

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Other & Unspecified 15 17.6%
Engine & Cooling 13 15.3%
Electrical System 11 12.9%
Seat Belts 9 10.6%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 6 7.1%
Transmission & Drivetrain 5 5.9%
Steering 5 5.9%
Wheels 4 4.7%