Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has 12 model year(s) in the federal index and no scored complaint record yet, so this page carries the catalogue entry and the years we hold rather than a verdict.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class: which years to avoid
Across 8 scored model years the Mercedes-Benz E-Class ranges from 73/100 in 2014 to 90/100 in 2022 — a 17-point spread, so which year you buy matters.
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the E-Class changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2016
Mean score 78/100. 29 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2021–2022
Mean score 86/100. 3 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,380 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,470 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,110 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 90 | BUY | $4,250 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 83 | BUY | $4,290 | 0 | 6 |
| 2020 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,430 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 82 | BUY | $5,090 | 0 | 5 |
| 2015 | 79 | BUY | $5,230 | 0 | 6 |
| 2014 | 73 | BUY | $5,720 | 0 | 8 |
| 2013 | 79 | BUY | $5,860 | 0 | 6 |
| 2012 | 75 | BUY | $6,000 | 0 | 7 |
| 2011 | 78 | BUY | $6,490 | 0 | 5 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the E-Class, through the years →
E-Class sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the E-Class on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
FAQ
What are the best Mercedes-Benz E-Class years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2022 at 90/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04