Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-benz e350c. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 18v043000 (air bags) and 16v081000 (air bags). The contact stated that no one contacted him regarding part availability as indicated in the recall notice. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not…
2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class airbags problems
severe Owners of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class have filed 94 NHTSA complaints about the airbags, typically surfacing around 59,956 miles at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
94
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2006 E-Class | 22 |
| 2008 E-Class | 8 |
| 2009 E-Class | 5 |
| 2010 E-Class (this page) | 94 |
| 2011 E-Class | 137 |
| 2012 E-Class | 91 |
| 2013 E-Class | 55 |
| 2014 E-Class | 54 |
3crashes
2injuries
What stands out
Airbags accounts for 37% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 11 categories tracked.
Owners have filed 94 airbags complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class report two distinct airbag issues. The most prevalent is the Takata recall (NHTSA 16V081, 16V363, 18V043) issued starting February 2016 for faulty airbag initiators or driver-side modules. Despite recall notices, replacement parts have remained unavailable for years—owners contacted dealers and the manufacturer repeatedly between 2016 and 2018, receiving no parts and no credible timeline for repair. Takata's supplier (TK Holdings) filed bankruptcy. Mercedes-Benz told owners the recall was "precautionary" and cited no reported failures, but also offered no loaner vehicles or alternative solutions. One owner reported a dealer conditioning recall work on unrelated repairs.
A separate defect involved one vehicle whose driver's headrest airbag exploded multiple times in 2013–2014, accompanied by SRS faults and wiring damage from foreign intrusion requiring $9,000 in repairs. The vehicle had an undisclosed prior headrest replacement before purchase.
Two owners reported airbag non-deployment in frontal collisions—one at 59,956 miles during a snow plow impact (manufacturer claimed insufficient severity), and one recent head-on collision at high speed. Both resulted in occupant injury.
Same Mercedes-Benz E-Class airbags reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2013
Failure modes owners describe
Headrest airbag explosive failure
Driver's headrest airbag module ruptured or exploded multiple times in same vehicle, with SRS fault messages appearing for left and right headrest airbags. Secondary finding: wiring damaged due to foreign intrusion inside vehicle.
When: 2013-2014; multiple incidents after 30,000-mile service on recently purchased CPO vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: Physical explosion of headrest; Odor emission during event; SRS failure messages on dashboard for left and right headrests; Wiring damage from foreign intrusion
Codes mentioned: SRS left headrest fault, SRS right headrest fault
Repairs/costs cited: First attempt: headrest replacement. Second attempt: complete wiring replacement at $9,000 after foreign intrusion found. CPO history showed prior headrest replacement in October 2013 not disclosed at sale.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mercedes-Benz warranty denied coverage. Dealer (Valley Motors) refused responsibility, claiming consumer caused damage. No recall issued.
Takata airbag recall—parts unavailability extended delay
Owners received NHTSA recall notifications (16V081000, 16V363000, 18V043000) for Takata airbag initiators / driver-side airbag modules but replacement parts remained unavailable for years. Manufacturer (Mercedes-Benz USA and dealers) repeatedly stated no parts available and could not estimate when availability would occur. Takata supplier (TK Holdings) filed for bankruptcy. Recalls issued February 2016 and May 2016 with repair delays extending through 2018 and beyond.
When: Recall notifications issued Feb 2016 (16V081), May 2016 (16V363), and Jan 2018 (18V043). Owners reported part unavailability 1–4+ years after notification.
Symptoms owners cite: No active airbag failure; owners reported concern about safety risk driving unrepaired recalled vehicle; Passenger-side airbag warning indicator illuminated in some vehicles; SRS indicator illuminated and vehicle immobilized in at least one case
Codes mentioned: NHTSA 16V081000, NHTSA 16V363000, NHTSA 18V043000, Passenger-side airbag warning light
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple owners reported dealers and manufacturer stating replacement parts unavailable. Owners cited 1–4+ year waits; no parts supplied. No loaner vehicles offered by manufacturer or dealers. One owner reported dealer (Mercedes-Benz of Chicago) refusing recall work unless unrelated seatbelt repair ($600) was also completed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Mercedes-Benz issued official recall notice 16V081 (Feb 2016) and 16V363 (May 2016), citing Takata failure risk. Status remained 'remedy not yet available' through 2018. Manufacturer told owners recall was 'precautionary' and no failures had occurred, implying low urgency. Repeated estimates (March 2018, June 2018, December 2018) proved inaccurate. Manufacturer offered no alternative remedy or timeline.
Airbag non-deployment in frontal crash
In two documented incidents, airbags failed to deploy during head-on or frontal collisions. One collision involved snow plow striking driver-side; manufacturer later claimed impact 'not severe enough' to trigger deployment. Second incident involved head-on collision with wrong-way motorist at high impact.
When: 2014 (approx. 59,956 miles); 2024 (recent)
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag did not deploy during frontal/head-on collision; Driver sustained injuries requiring medical attention in first incident; Driver struck chest and knees against steering wheel and dashboard in second incident
Codes mentioned: Airbag non-deployment
Repairs/costs cited: First vehicle was destroyed in crash; no repair attempted. Manufacturer diagnostic stated impact insufficient for deployment. Second incident: vehicle totaled; no repair information provided.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer examined first vehicle post-crash and stated collision was not severe enough to warrant airbag deployment, suggesting threshold or sensor issue but no recall or service action issued.
Synthesized from 94 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
Safety recall on drivers side air bags has not been remedied yet
Waiting for 2 years now for airbags to be replaced Mercedes where bought it told me it could take up to 10 years to replace don't know what I should do.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-benz e550. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v081000 (air bags). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (Mercedes-benz of virginia beach, 4949 virginia beach blvd, virginia beach, va 23462 (757)…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-benz e350. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16v081000 (air bags) and 16v363000 (air bags). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Mercedes-benz of reno (11500 s virginia st, reno, nv 89511, (855) 661-9151) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for…
Takata recall
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-benz e350. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v081000 (air bags). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Mercedes-benz of south bay (3311 pacific coast hwy, torrance, ca) was contacted and confirmed that the parts…
2010 Mercedes benz. Consumer writes in regards to driver side and front passenger side airbag. *ld *js
Had airbags trouble with your 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
It's a meaningful issue. 94 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Across the 12 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 38,000 and 95,000 miles, with the median around 59,956. A quarter of owners report trouble before 38,000; a quarter make it past 95,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2010/Mercedes-Benz/E-Class.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.