YearToAvoid

2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 has a complaint index of 72, ranking 6th worst out of 19 model years, and carries a Caution verdict. Airbags are the top problem area with 84 complaints (39% share) and seven recall campaigns have been issued.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
72/100
#6 of 19 E350 years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
217
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
7
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
6
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
5
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2017
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
22
19 city / 28 hwy
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0

Top 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags84 (39%)
  2. Fuel System35 (16%)
  3. Brakes21 (10%)
  4. Engine21 (10%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires20 (9%)
  6. Electrical System19 (9%)
  7. Other17 (8%)
  8. Structure & Body15 (7%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain10 (5%)
  10. Steering9 (4%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Some vehicles rolled backward on their own while parked with the engine off or key removed, in at least two cases striking the driver or a parked car.
  • Owners reported delayed or denied airbag replacement under recall 17V017000, with one crash occurring before the part was installed.
  • Front driver and passenger seat belts vibrated uncontrollably against the shoulder at highway speed, forcing drivers to tuck the belt to stay safe.
  • A power steering malfunction warning appeared after a failed start attempt, making the vehicle hard to control at low speed.
  • Original equipment Continental tires developed sidewall bubbles and cuts with no impact event, sometimes affecting multiple tires on the same car.
2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 complaints: complaints filed per quarter182011 Q42014 Q32017 Q22019 Q12020 Q42022 Q32024 Q22026 Q1
217 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (18).

2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 recalls

7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V638000Aug 13, 2021Airbags205 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2016 E400 Coupe, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2011-2014 E350 Coupe, and 2012-2014 E350 Cabrio vehicles. An incorrect front passenger air bag may have been installed during a prior repair.

    Risk: An incorrect air bag may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag on the affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

  2. NHTSA 19V010000Jan 9, 2019Airbags288,779 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014 C250, C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2014-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, GLK 350, GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, 2015-2017 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2014-2017 E550 Cabrio, and 2014-2016 E550 Coupe vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally, MBUSA is recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2011 C300, 2011-2014 C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Coupe, 2015-2016 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2011-2016 E550 Cabrio, E550 Coupe, 2011-2015 GLK350 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, and 2013-2015 GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." MBUSA is also recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2010-2011 C300, 2010-2014 C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 Coupe, 2011-2014 E350 Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2015-2016 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2016-2017 E550 Cabrio, 2010-2016 E550 Coupe, 2010-2015 GLK350 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, and 2013-2015 GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

  3. NHTSA 17V627000Oct 6, 2017Airbags495,290 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling these vehicles: 2014-2018 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, CLA45 AMG 4Matic, 2015-2018 GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, GLA45 AMG 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C63S AMG, 2012-2014 C250, C350, C300 4Matic, E550 4Matic, 2013-2014 C63 AMG, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2013-2015 C350 4Matic Coupe, GLK250 4Matic BlueTec, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, 2016-2017 C350e, C43 AMG, 2015 C400 4Matic, 2016-2018 C63 AMG, GLC300, GLC300 4Matic, 2017-2018 C300 Coupe, C300 4Matic Coupe, C43 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, C63S AMG Coupe, C300 Cabriolet, C300 4Matic Cabriolet, C43 AMG Cabriolet, C63 AMG Cabriolet, C63S AMG Cabriolet, GLC300 4Matic Coupe, GLC43 AMG, GLC43 AMG Coupe, 2014 E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabriolet, E400 Hybrid, 2015-2017 E400 Coupe, E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabriolet, 2014-2017 E550 Coupe, E550 Cabriolet, B250e, 2014-2016 E250 BlueTec, E63 AMG 4Matic Wagon, 2012-2013 E350 BlueTec, 2012-2016 E350, E350 4Matic, 2015-2016 E400, E400 4Matic, 2012 E63 AMG, 2014-2015 E250 4Matic BlueTec, 2013-2016 E350 Wagon, 2017 GLC300d 4Matic, and 2018 GLC350e 4Matic. The driver's air bag may unexpectedly deploy due to insufficient grounding of the steering components if an electrostatic discharge occurs and the air bag clockspring is broken.

    Risk: If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.

    Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will add sufficient grounding to the steering components, free of charge. The recall began in December 6, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

See all 7 recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 →

2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19 MPG
Highway
28 MPG
Combined
22 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,650
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other E350 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid78183420
2011Avoid83223520
2012Caution72217722
2013Caution67161622
2014Avoid94278823

All Mercedes-Benz E350 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 E350 carries a Caution verdict, ranking 6th worst among 19 model years with a complaint index of 72.
What is the biggest problem with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 84 complaints, or 39% of all reported issues, with a median failure mileage of 65,500.
Does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists seven recall campaigns for the 2012 E350, most involving airbags, plus one for the fuel system and one for the electrical system.
How does the 2012 E350 compare to other years?
Its complaint index of 72 is lower than 2006 (100), 2007 (89), 2011 (83), and 2014 (94), all rated Avoid, but higher than years like 2015, 2017, 2022, and 2024, which earned Good or Best verdicts.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.