FaultScore report
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2003 Mercedes Benz 500 with NHTSA between 2002 and 2014. The largest single group is the fuel & propulsion. Across this model's run it ranks 4 of 4 worst.
FaultScore 52/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Mercedes Benz 500.
How this is worked out11
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
21,750 mi
Median mileage at failure
Half of reported failures happened before this
60%
Failed under 36,000 miles
Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 66,000 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 10,000 mi
Median failure at 75,000 miles
Median failure at 19,500 miles
Median failure at 88,000 miles
Median failure at 24,000 miles
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
WHILE DRIVING THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SNAPPED IN HALF, CAUSING A COLLISION. CONSUMER COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT END FELT LOOSE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
NHTSA complaint #10094705 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
SEAT BELTS
THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT DOES NOT EXTEND OUT AND DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY DURING HOT WEATHER.
NHTSA complaint #10595347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
IN JUNE 2012 THE CAR DID NOT PASS INSPECTION AND WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED A NEW GAS CAP. WE GOT A GAS CAP AND IT PASSED INSPECTION. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD A STRONG FUEL SMELL WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FILLED COMPLETELY. IF WE ONLY FILL THE GAS TANK ABOUT 3/4 OR LESS, THERE IS NO GAS SMELL. WE RECENTLY HAD THE CAR SERVICED AND THE MECHANIC TOLD US THE GAS CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND A SEAL/CAP IN AN OVERFILL TANK UNDER THE REAR SEAT WAS LOOSE. WE REPLACED THE GAS CAP AGAIN AND THE CAP TO THE OVERFILL TANK WAS TIGHTENED. WE FILLED THE TANK FULL AND HAVE A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS SO THOSE REPAIRS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IN A REVIEW OF SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, WE SAW THAT NHTSA AND MERCEDES-BENZ WERE JOINTLY INVESTIGATING A FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE GAS TANK FOR E-CLASS MERCEDES PRODUCED BETWEEN 2003 - 2008. WE THINK WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE FUEL LEAKS. WE WANT TO SELL THE CAR BECAUSE WE HAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER VEHICLE BUT DO NOT WANT TO SELL IT UNTIL WE HAVE FIXED THIS FUEL PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10595308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION
WAS GOING DOWN ROAD AND FRONT STRUT BOTTOMED OUT BECAUSE OF AIR BELLOW FAILURE IN AIR LEVELING SYSTEM .MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM!
NHTSA complaint #10577137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
BROUGHT CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND ANNUAL STATE INSPECTION STICKER, WAS TOLD THAT THE GAS TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO MALFUNCTION THAT ALLOWED GAS VAPORS TO ESCAPE FROM TANK. WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NO FAULT OF MY OWN BUT TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED TO PASS INSPECTION!!! THE CAR WAS NOT MISUSED OR DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR ABUSED, OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE PART MERCEDES PUT IN THEIR CARS AND THEY CHOSE NOT TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. CHARGED $1,400 FOR REPAIRS.
NHTSA complaint #10505934 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 MERCEDES E500 DOWN A HILL WHEN THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED. THIS OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY BY DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH WARNINGS AND ADMONISHING TO PULL OVER AND NOT DRIVE. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND OUT THAT MERCEDES HAS A 'PROGRAM' FOR THIS FAILURE BUT DOES NOT TELL CAR OWNERS ABOUT IT UNTIL IT OCCURS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT I HAD NO OTHER BRAKING CAPABILITY.
NHTSA complaint #10359673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE PARKED THE BATTERY DIED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS.
NHTSA complaint #10111549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE STALLED INADVERTENTLY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO TOLD CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD RECALL REPAIRS DONE. CURRENTLY, STALLING PROBLEMS RECURRED.
NHTSA complaint #10099605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
WHILE DRIVING THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SNAPPED IN HALF, CAUSING A COLLISION. CONSUMER COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT END FELT LOOSE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
NHTSA complaint #10094705 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
ON 2/13/04 MY WIFE WHO IS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT WAS GOING HOME AFTER A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE IN HER 2003 MERCEDES C240 ON I 75 GOING SOUTH NEAR ARVIDA PARKWAY EXIT, SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE RODE AND PROCEDED TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FROM MERCEDES, THEY ADVISED HER NOT TO MOVE THE CAR ANY FURTHER AND THEY WOULD DISPATCH SOMEONE IN ABOUT AN HOUR. BEING A HEAVILY TRAVELED ROAD SHE WAS CONCERNED DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AND HER BEING RIGHT ON THE SHOULDER, SHE THEN CONTACTED ME AS I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK LEAVING THE SAME DOCTORS APPT, I PROCEDED TO HEAD TO HER ASSISTRANCE AND ADVISED HER TO PULL FURTHER OFF THE SHOULDER INTO THE GRASS WHICH SHE DID, I ARRIVED TO HER LOCATION APPROXIMATLY 45 MIN LATER AND THERE WAS STILL NO ASSISTANCE THERE, ABOUT 30 MIN AFTER I ARRIVED ONE OF THE I75 ROAD RANGERS ARRIVED AND HELPED CHANGE THE TIRE WHICH WAS A MICHELEN MXV4 PLUS RADIAL XSE4, AFTER THE TIRE WAS REPLACED WE WERE PROCEDING TO THE MERCEDES DEALER IN PEMBROKE PINE TO GET THE TIRE REPLACED WHEN MY WIFE PHONED ME THAT THE CAR WAS NOT RIDING CORRECTLY AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT , BEFORE SHE COULD GET TO THE NEXT EXIT MAYBE A HALF A MILE THE OPPISITE TIRE DISINIGRATED WITH THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE TIRE COMMING OFF, WE AGAIN PULLED OVER AND CALLED MERCEDES AGAIN AND WAS TOLD SINCE WE CANCELED THE FIRST CALL WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT OVER AN HOUR AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO TOW THE CAR SINCE WE HAD NO SPARE WHICH WAS USED EARILER. WE THEN LEFT THE CAR AND PROCEDED TO THE PEMBROKE PINES MERCEDES DEALER WHERE THEY ARRANGED TO TOW THE CAR, WE WENT BACK AND WAITED ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF FOR THE TOW TRUCK, ONCE THE CAR ARRIVED AT MERCEDES THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATEED MANY POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE PROBLEM INCLUDING UNDERINFLATION AND POSSIBLY VANDILISM WHICH I REALLY DOUBT.
NHTSA complaint #10059933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN AIR SUSPENSION PUMP PROBLEM. THIS DEFECT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DROP DOWN, CUTTING ALL FOUR TIRES. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT PROVIDING MUCH INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #10059861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
SERIOUS FUEL TANK LEAK RESULTING FROM POSSIBLE DESIGN/MANUFACTURER DEFECT OR DAMAGE IN SHIPPING REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF TANK. MERCEDES WILL NOT ALLOW MY INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT TANK. MR
NHTSA complaint #767966 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.