What are the best years of the Mercedes Benz E Class?

None of the judged years of the Mercedes Benz E Class came out Worthy. Each one came out Maybe or Pass, from its owner complaints to NHTSA against a typical year of the Mercedes Benz E Class at the same age. Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold.

Which Mercedes Benz E Class years should I avoid?

The 1997 and 2000 Mercedes Benz E Class are the years to avoid: Pass years come first, then the Maybe years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA against a typical year at the same age. 2000 came out Pass. 1997 came out Maybe. Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold. Have any car inspected before you buy.

How do you decide which Mercedes Benz E Class years are best?

Each model year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA are held up against a typical year of the Mercedes Benz E Class at the same age, never against another model. The typical year leaves out years that were high themselves, so a run of bad years cannot set its own bar. A year with at least 5 complaints and under 2 times a typical year (1.2 times when most are about costly parts such as the engine) is Worthy, unless its complaints about costly parts alone reach 2.5 times a typical year's, or the years on both sides of it came out Maybe or Pass. A Maybe or Pass on its complaints needs enough more of them to rule out chance. The best years named are the newer Worthy years with the fewest complaints for their age, never right next to a Maybe or Pass year, and the years to avoid are the Pass years first, then the Maybe years. The newest 2 model years are too new to judge. Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold.

Best and worst Mercedes Benz E Class years

Every model year, judged against the others.

Best and worst E Class years

Skip 2000. Careful with 1997.

Best years

None of the judged years of the E Class came out Worthy.

Years to avoid

Pass years first, then the Maybe years with the most owner complaints against a typical year at the same age.

From owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Only years old enough to judge. Still have any car inspected.

Every year at a glance

0Worthy
1Maybe
1Pass
5Not judged

1995, Not judged, 21 owner complaints

Lightest for their age

Worthy years with the fewest owner complaints against a typical year at the same age, none right next to a Maybe or Pass year. A year with few sales can look the same.

None of the judged years of the E Class came out Worthy.

Think twice

Judged years that came out Maybe or Pass: more complaints than a typical year, more about costly parts, or inside a run of problem years.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

How we judge a year

Each year’s owner complaints, held up against a typical year of the E Class at the same age. Popular cars collect more complaints just by selling more, so a year is never compared with another model. The typical year leaves out years that were high themselves, so a run of bad years cannot set its own bar.

Worthy: At least 5 complaints, and under 2 times a typical year (1.2 if most are costly parts).
Maybe: 2 times a typical year or more, with at least 15 complaints. Or 2.5 times a typical year’s complaints about costly parts, with at least 25 of them. Or 1.2 times, with at least 25, most about costly parts. Too many to be chance each time. A year with a Maybe or Pass year on each side is Maybe too: it sits inside a run of problem years.
Pass: 3 times a typical year or more, with at least 25 complaints, too many to be chance.
Not judged: Too new (the newest 2 years), too few complaints, or too few to tell a real problem from chance.

Every rule, in full

Gathering every model year from NHTSA. The first look at a model can take a little while.

Year	Verdict	Owner complaints	Recalls	Top problem area
2001	Not judged	15	0	Brakes
2000	Pass	49	1	Electrical
1999	Not judged	13	1	Suspension
1998	Not judged	26	0	Suspension
1997	Maybe	40	1	Suspension
1996	Not judged	16	2	Suspension
1995	Not judged	21	2	Electrical

Best and worst E Class years

Best years

Years to avoid

Every year at a glance

Lightest for their age

Think twice

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Best and worst E Class years

Best years

Years to avoid

Every year at a glance

Lightest for their age

Think twice