Selling a junk Mercedes-Benz E500
Any E500 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Mercedes-Benz E500
NHTSA has 546 owner complaints on file for the Mercedes-Benz E500, model years 2003 to 2009, the 380th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are fuel system (239, 44%), brakes (106, 19%), suspension (58, 11%). 14 complaints involved a crash, 2 a fire, and 10 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 91,810 miles. The 2004 model year has the most complaints (173). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is fuel system, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car that doesn't run: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Mercedes-Benz E500 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 143 | Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 3 | 90,489 |
| 2004 | 173 | Fuel system | 3 | 2 | 3 | 90,000 |
| 2005 | 168 | Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 3 | 100,551 |
| 2006 | 59 | Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 4 | 80,000 |
| 2007 | 1 | Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 1 | Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Mercedes-Benz E500 recalls
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for visibility and wipers (4). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2003 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 24V874000, Nov 2024): Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be proper…
- 2003 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 22V954000, Dec 2022): Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly…
- 2006 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 21V196000, Mar 2021): Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2006-2007 C350, C230, C280, CLK350, E320CDI, E350 Wagon, E350, 2006 C55 AMG, CLK500, CLS500, CLS55 AMG, E500 Wagon, E500, E55 AMG, 2007 CLK550, CLS550, CLS63 AMG, E550,…
- 2003 model year, visibility and wipers (campaign 19V918000, Dec 2019): Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. F…
What a Mercedes-Benz E500 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk E500 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car that doesn't run 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
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Questions people ask
- What is a junk Mercedes-Benz E500 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same E500 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Mercedes-Benz E500 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Mercedes-Benz E500?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Mercedes-Benz E500 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.