One problem related to wiring has been reported for the 2005 Mercedes Benz E500. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Driving down the road when an alert that the srs system had detected a failure and lit up on the gauge cluster. Had a an independent mercedes shop read codes which were: failure of supplemental restraint system on a 2005 mercedes E500 wagon. The "srs" light came on for no apparent reason. The car was taken to a mercedes dealer for repair. The wiring harness in the steering column that sends and receives data to drivers side airbag 1 caused a failure in what is known as the squib for the affected airbag. The dealer told me that in the event of a crash the airbag would not deploy. They even knew about it and had a bulletin but no recall so I was charged about $735 for the repair. I was totally shocked that a brand that prides itself in safety technology would not stand behind the product and fix a known issue on a goodwill campaign that could be a potentially fatal parts failure. The problem is so common that they even have a kit for the wiring harness fix. After doing a lot reading on many mercedes info sites I found out it is affecting a potential of over 100,000 e class cars and the cl class cars that share the chassis and many components. I am glad I got it fixed because I know how much safer the car is with a functional airbag.