Hatchback, electric, built in Germany. Owner complaints on file from Nov 28, 2017 to Dec 15, 2025.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21V-229 | Apr 1, 2021 | Steering shaft bore hole for the universal joint bearing may allow excessive movement that, over time, could result in the separation of the… | Steering | 4,992 | Part replacement |
| 21V-058 | Feb 5, 2021 | Software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in the… | Communication | 1,292,258 | Software update |
| 17V-627 | Oct 6, 2017 | Driver's air bag may unexpectedly deploy due to insufficient grounding of the steering components if an electrostatic discharge occurs and the air… | Airbags | 495,290 | Not stated |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
20 complaints on file, page 1 of 1.
In November 2024, the vehicle indicated "add coolant". The vehicle was brought to Mercedes Benz of Scottsdale for servicing. The dealership apparently added coolant without advising me that the B250-E has a 100% chance of failure to the Drive Unit / coolant intrusion unless a small part is replaced before coolant leaks into the inverter/entire engine. A few weeks later - the vehicle, while traveling on a highway, had a complete failure and essentially shutdown on moment's notice. It nearly caused a severe accident. Mercedes Benz USA and the MB Scottsdale dealership have refused to cover the cost of a repair (near $7,000) or replace the vehicle (that is completely inoperable). I was disturbed to learn that a failure rate to the Large Drive Module is ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. This same problem exists for early Toyota RAV4 EVs and some Teslas. I encourage you to go to [XXX] to confirm the facts. These vehicles should be recalled. Consumers like me should not have to shoulder the expense due a defect that the manufacturer should cover/resolve. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11705166On Wednesday [XXX] I was driving my electric vehicle to work. I exited the freeway and as soon as I stopped at the light for the off ramp a warning light indicator appeared stating Coolant Low. I found this odd as I was unaware of Electric Vehicles using Coolant. I clicked the OK button on the steering wheel and the message was acknowledged and disappeared from the screen. When the Light changed to green I proceeded to turn towards my office. At the next traffic light a new message popped up stating see service agent before starting your car. I again found this odd as the car was already running and the message could not be acknowledged with the OK button on the steering wheel. I was 2 blocks from my office so I continued on to get the car out of traffic so it wouldn't be a safety hazard. 1 block later the message disappeared and I was stopped at the left turn lane light when the Car completely died. All lights and indicators came on the dashboard and the car was completely dead. A kind person pushed my car out of the street so I would not be in danger or blocking traffic. These 2 indicators on the way to the office where the first indicators that ever were shown prior to the car becoming inoperable. I had the vehicle towed to my certified MB mechanic and he diagnosed the issue within an hour of receiving the car. The drive Unit was damaged due to an internal leak in the drive unit. I contact MBUSA to file a complaint about the car and they notified me I had to have the car diagnosed by a MB Dealership. I had the car towed to MB of Laguna Niguel and they charged me 300 for initial Diagnosis. On October 3, 2024 I was informed by the service rep the car needed additional diagnostics to determine the issue fully. They needed an additional 590.00 to run the diagnostics. On October 7, 2024 I was informed the repairs would be 19,000.00 to repair this car that we only paid 20,000 for. This is a complete design defect and should be covered. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
NHTSA complaint 11633846While driving a notice to park the car and call for maintenance came up then while I was trying to get to safe stopping point the car went on to neutral and shut down while I was at speed. I turned the car back on and moved it to safety and called for roadside assistance
NHTSA complaint 11630844The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz B250E. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle the lost automotive power and stalled. The message "Shut Off Immediately" was displayed. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 72,000.
NHTSA complaint 11618068The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz B250E. The contact stated that while reversing from the garage at 3–5 MPH, the contact depressed the park button. The vehicle attempted to go into the park position. There was an abnormal noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at low speeds, the vehicle went into lock mode. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear box and drivetrain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
NHTSA complaint 11585036My car just stalled and was not able to move on the highway exit which caused a high risk for the safety of passengers and the safety of others. The car has been towed to a Mercedes Dealer in West Covina, California. and they indicate that the coolant leaked into the drive motor and caused the car to stop. Prior to this car stall, there was no warning lamp, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. After the car stalls on the street, a failure message appeared asking to send the car to the shop.
NHTSA complaint 11553101At 23,596 total vehicle mileage, the electric drive motor failed while driving. This occurred two days and less than 50 miles after having an annual service performed at an authorized Mercedes Benz dealership. Failure resulted in sudden loss of power alternating with full torque power at any throttle position making the car uncontrollable and hazardous to the occupants and other cars/occupants on the road. No warning indicators, vibrations, or unusual sounds noticed prior to failure. Problem confirmed at the dealership that drive motor had failed. Drive motor produced by Tesla, with Tesla retaining the "core" motor.
NHTSA complaint 11547557Speed sensor has coolant on it, indicating a leak into the motor which leads to the motor needing to be replaced.
NHTSA complaint 11547367Electric motor has a coolant line running through it that has developed a leak and is in the process of destroying the motor. This is apparently a known issue that affects all Mercedes E-Class Electric Drive, B250e, Toyota RAV4-EV and some early Tesla Model S cars that have this early type Tesla motor installed. If the motor is not replaced, it could seize. Our car has only 23K miles on it but is out of warranty. I checked the speed sensor on 1/16 and found lots of coolant leakage and evidence of motor abrasion (see attached picture). The car developed a whining/whirring sound a couple of months earlier that are indicative of the problem.
NHTSA complaint 11502252I needed a new electric motor. It was covered by the warranty but would not be if it fails again, and it's known to happen again. This is a very common issue with the Mercedes B250E from 2014-2017. I believe this should be a recall. The cost to consumers for repair is around $20,000. There is a problem with coolant leaking into the electric motor causing it to fail. see all the other owners on these facebook groups having the same issue: https://www.facebook.com/groups/795845034211580 and https://www.facebook.com/groups/205091799685747
NHTSA complaint 11500301Mercedes dealer indicated a coolant leak resulted in an electrical failure and required that I pay $18,000 to replace the motor system. This is a known issue, however. When I mentioned that this is a manufacturing defect affecting numerous b250e I was referred to Mercedes Benz USA. Mercedes Benz USA offered a $1000 discount towards repairs rather than waiving the cost entirely. There are no details or tools available by mercedes or others to diagnose and resolve this issue. I would like this vehicle recalled. I want to be refunded the entire amount of the vehicle or at least the amortized value at the time of the incident.
NHTSA complaint 11496946The electric motor is destined to fail because of a coolant leak at the speed sensor. According to many accounts the motor will fail and lock up the system. My car has not yet failed but I fear an accident will happen depending on where it falls. My extended warranty from Endurance is no help as they denied coverage for the motor. I have no alternative transportation and am out $17000 on the car.
NHTSA complaint 11490473Motor failure after 50K mile. Car can only move and stop - move and stop. Need to replace Electric Engine Motor. Seat belt malfunction after 40K.
NHTSA complaint 11480555the electric motor has suffered a coolant leak. this is a known issue in the Mercedes B250e, Rav4 EV, and Tesla Model S. This issue should be recalled and repaired.
NHTSA complaint 11468727When trying to leave a shopping complex in my Mercedes Benz B250e, the vehicle suddenly just wouldn't move in either drive or reverse. All instruments looked normal, there were no warnings or messages on the console, and the vehicle was fully charged, but the electric motor just would not engage even though the transmission was engaged. The vehicle was towed to the nearness Mercedes Benz dealership in Littleton, where they diagnosed the problem simply as a "failed electric drive". They could offer no explanation as to why the drive failed, but offered us the option to replace it at a cost of over $16k. The vehicle's warranty had expired only 3 months prior, the vehicle only had 16K miles, and I had owned it less than a year, so this all felt very strange that such a major component would simply fail with no explanation. We pleaded with the dealer to honor the warranty under the spirit of "good-will" but did not offer any consolation towards what we feel is an exorbitant cost to repair the vehicle. Upon further research we have discovered that this seems to be a problem with these particular Mercedes model, many other owners of the same vehicle have experienced the same issue, Mercedes is aware of the problem and refuses to recall or honor repairs. vehicle mileage at 16,000
NHTSA complaint 11468355Glad to have found this group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bclasselectric?sorting_setting=TOP_POSTS Here's my situation with my B-250e 2017 model with 38,000 miles. Bought from a used car dealership in California. Took it to Mercedes-Benz of South Bay. First, they had it for 2 months and could not diagnose the problem with the error messages. This is when it was still drivable. They escalated to MB USA and Germany. Finally, Germany told them what to do to remove the alert and it worked fine. I drove it for 80 miles and now the same alert came back. This time the engine would not start. After another 3 weeks with the dealership I get this: Technician found coolant entering the electric motor assembly, specifically at the rotor position sensor. Resolving this matter takes replacing the electric motor itself. Amount to resolve takes $17, 575+tax (replaces electric machine/electric motor). Conferred with warranty manager for potential extended coverage. There is no additional or extended coverage for this component. I owe $15K on car payments so clearly, I won't be getting it repaired for $18K+. Especially when I can't trust if their diagnostic is accurate after they haven't figured it out for 3 months. Totally lost trust in the brand of Mercedes-Benz. The only remaining warranty is the Tesla battery till 100K miles. They say Tesla doesn't support it anymore. That's not my problem. Mercedes-Benz has sold this lemon of a model to many people. They owe compensation to pay for this. Customers are NOT Research & Development cost. We expect a working product. And as this group has posted -- this is a systemic issue. Any lawsuits on this or recall? There needs to be for sure.
NHTSA complaint 11467661Coolant leaked into drive unit causing total failure. This is a known issue and should be subject to a recall of these cars. As a dealer we’ve had repeated issues with this.
NHTSA complaint 11467276I was on a busy street and my car failed to move. I got a message stating do not start the car until you contact the dealer. After getting the car to Mercedes Benz of Arrowhead they told me that "the drive motor is leaking coolant and is shorting itself out." This is an electric car - a 2017 Mercedes Benz B250e. After doing some research I found that this is a common issue with this model and that Mercedes knows about it.
NHTSA complaint 11465948WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL WITH NO WARNING OR NOTIFICATION. HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN AN HOUR DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC.
NHTSA complaint 11078964TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ B250. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND ACCELERATING, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT FAILED TO RESPOND. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL IRKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (KEYES EUROPEAN, 5400 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401), BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.
NHTSA complaint 11048875Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall.