AutoUtility currently tracks 89 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Air Bags & Restraints issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 30 complaints (33.7% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 6 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 4 report one or more injuries. The 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class belongs to the 4th Generation (W212) platform.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
30 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
9 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The rear subframe is defective and subject to premature corrosion and failure of parts that connect to the rear suspension. Due to the fracturing of the joints connecting to the suspension, my car was at risk of going out of control when needing to brake at higher speeds. The way the suspension..."
"Passenger seat capacity sensor fault. Will not activate passenger side air bag. Checked with obd scanner"
"Fuel odor is very apparent (while idle) but difficult to identify location. Same models seem to have recalls for fuel injectors/rails but not this specific VIN. I believe the issue might be of similar recall. I will have the car diagnosed soon."
"The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated that water was leaking inside the vehicle through the seal around the windshield. The contact stated that upon manually pushing the windshield, the windshield was movable. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a windy sound..."
"The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The automatic brake and Adaptive Cruise Control warning lights were illuminated. The emergency braking..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 57 | 5 | 6 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Current Page | 89 | 6 | 5 | Current |
| 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 166 | 3 | 20 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 66 | 2 | 6 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 54 | 4 | 20 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 20 | 0 | 14 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 25 | 0 | 18 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 21 | 2 | 8 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 24 | 0 | 5 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 25 | 3 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 2 | 0 | 2 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 37 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,COMMUNICATION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is Air Bags & Restraints, appearing in 30 records (33.7% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (10) and Steering System (9).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 89 consumer defect complaints and 5 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, 6 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 4 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.