The 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 16,255 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the suspension. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS00V3880002000-11-2816,255 affected
Defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS IN THE ABSENCE OF A CRASH.
Consequence
INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT COULD CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR MOUNTED SIDE AIR BAG MODULES. AT THE SAME TIME, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE CONDITION OF THE SIDE AIR BAG MODULE WIRING WITHIN THE DOORS AND REPLACE THAT WIRING IF THERE IS ANY EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE.
Complaints by component
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
14
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
4
SUSPENSION:FRONT
4
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
3
SUSPENSION
2
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
1
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
1
Total complaints43
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I took my car into get the suspension fixed and was told that the spring perch that attached the spring to the car has rusted through and is about to break. Luckily I found it before I had a bad accident. I am in the process of checking with mercedes to see if they will stand by a poor design…”
“I was coming off west rt 46. I came to a stop sign,made a right and as I was driving heard a thump noise....then as I drove a squeaking noise and I pulled over,looked at the car ,around it and under it and didn't see anything. I drove it slowly abt a mile home. When I got home I opened the hood…”
“While driving, heard a rattling sound from the front end of the car. Short while later, started to proceed from a stop and the front passenger side suspension coil spring came off the car and exited out the wheel well with a big bang and rolled down the street about 75 feet. *tr”
“I have a 1997 e420 mercedes that my wife and our one month old baby drive daily. Well she told me she heard some strange noises coming from the wheel area of the front left tire. I told her that she better let us have it checked out before driving the car anymore. I took the car to my mechanic and…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz e300 diesel. While servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the spring perch on the front driver and passenger sides was rusting and separated from the suspension chassis. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was…”
“My mb e300d's engine will cut off for no apparent reason. It started gradually just cutting off while sitting at an intersection or while slowing to a stop. Feeling it was anything from fuel to computer problems I took it to the shop on several occasions. They advised they could not find the…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz e420. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph in lightly drizzled weather conditions. There was a loss of steering control. The driver experienced difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Suddenly, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz e420. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph in lightly drizzled weather conditions. There was a loss of steering control. The driver experienced difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Suddenly, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationPE07021 Opened 2007-04-19 · closed 2007-08-09
FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING EJECTION
ODI HAS FOCUSED THIS INVESTIGATION ON ASSESSING THE RISKS POSED BY A SEPARATED SPRING AS (1) A ROAD HAZARD AND (2) THE POTENTIAL FOR VEHICLE CONTROL TO BE COMPROMISED AFTER THE FRONT COIL SPRING HAS BEEN EJECTED FROM ITS INTENDED POSITION IN THE VEHICLE.BOTH RISKS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CORROSION, FLEXING, AND FRACTURE…
InvestigationRQ00013 Opened 2000-06-02 · closed 2001-07-20
INADVERTENT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DEPLOYMEN
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationRQ00013 Opened 2000-06-02 · closed 2001-07-20
INADVERTENT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG DEPLOYMEN
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationRQ00013 Opened 2000-06-02 · closed 2001-07-20
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-Class as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.