Table 1 shows one common power train related problems of the 2004 Mercedes Benz E320.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Train problems |
The shifter module is defective because after starting the engine, when in drive, it stays in 2nd gear only. To put the car in reverse, I must shut the engine. Otherwise I can't shift from d to n to r. The shifter will not move past neutral. To get to p or r, I must shut the engine. This is unsafe when trying to back into a city street parking. When the car is stationary, after starting it, once I shift from p to r & arrive at n, the shifter will not allow me to shift back into r without shutting the engine & then restarting it.
Driving south on i95 near savannah the dash lights including the brake light lit up on the dashboard and the vehicle began decelerating. Applied the emergency brake and was able to drive the vehicle to the shoulder. After the engine was shut off the vehicle could be started but could not get from park into a gear or even neutral. All four wheels were frozen and so getting the car on to the tow truck was almost impossible. Were towed to the nearest mercedes dealership where the sbc system was replaced. This took over night as the part was not available at the dealership. Besides being greatly inconvenienced - we had to spend a night in a hotel, we could have been killed if this would have occurred at night. The car was serviced by mercedes since purchase new in 2004. The part should have been identified during a service call, this obviously was a recall that was kept quiet. Not informing the owners of this potentially deadly issues is a major negligence on mercedes part.
Transmission problems resulted when downshifting, the car will downshifts 2 or 3 more gears at a time.