2003 Mercedes-Benz 500 Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 500. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Was going down road and front strut bottomed out because of air bellow failure in air leveling system .many people have had same problem! *tr”
“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…”
“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…”
“The front passenger seat belt does not extend out and does not work properly during hot weather. *tr”
“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…”
“While parked the battery died. As a result, the vehicle would not unlock. *ak the vehicle had multiple electrical system problems. *nm”
“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. *ak”
“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.*ak”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 500 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.