Mercedes has refused to replace defective takata airbag since february of 2019 making different excuses why they can't replace the passenger side airbag with knowledge that if accident can be life threatening.
2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class airbags problems
severe Owners of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class have filed 54 NHTSA complaints about the airbags 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 →
Complaints
54
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 E-Class | 94 |
| 2011 E-Class | 137 |
| 2012 E-Class | 91 |
| 2013 E-Class | 55 |
| 2014 E-Class (this page) | 54 |
| 2015 E-Class | 11 |
| 2016 E-Class | 28 |
| 2017 E-Class | 19 |
3crashes
3injuries
What stands out
Owners have filed 54 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.
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 5 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
The dominant complaint across 54 reports is the Takata inflator recall parts shortage. Starting in 2019, owners received NHTSA Campaign 19V010000 notices but could not get repairs completed—dealers nationwide reported parts unavailable, with Mercedes-Benz offering no timeline for resolution. Many owners waited 2–3+ years with no progress, some well into 2021 and later. Owners expressed anger that a safety-critical component acknowledged to pose a risk of inflator explosion and metal fragmentation through the airbag cushion could not be replaced under a recall.
Separate from the recall backlog, owners reported two types of airbag deployment failures: one driver experienced spontaneous dual headrest airbag deployment twice over 9+ years without any collision, suggesting internal electrical or sensor defects. More concerning, two separate incidents involved actual collisions—a T-bone impact and a rear-end collision—where airbags failed to deploy entirely, leaving occupants with head injuries and broken bones despite no warning lights beforehand. One case involved CAN bus failure traced to a corroded radar sensor, which disabled the entire SRS system along with other safety functions in wet conditions.
Same Mercedes-Benz E-Class airbags reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Takata Inflator Recall Parts Unavailability
Owners received NHTSA Campaign 19V010000 recall notices for Takata airbag inflators but were unable to get the recall completed because replacement parts were not available from Mercedes-Benz dealers. This created a multi-year delay between recall notification and actual repair capability.
When: Recall notices issued starting February 2019; complaints filed through 2021 or later reporting parts still unavailable
Symptoms owners cite: Unable to schedule recall repair at dealership; Parts listed as unavailable across multiple dealers nationwide; No clear timeline given for parts availability; Manufacturer acknowledged parts shortage but did not provide resolution timeframe
Codes mentioned: 19V010000
Repairs/costs cited: Takata inflator replacement required per recall; parts unavailable from all contacted dealers. Owners cited 2-3+ year waits without resolution.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 19V010000 (Takata airbag inflator recall); Mercedes-Benz initially told owners parts would be available in 2021, but many reports show parts remained unavailable well past that date.
Headrest Airbag Spontaneous Deployment
Driver and front passenger headrest airbags deployed without any collision or accident. The failure occurred twice on the same vehicle over a 9+ year period, with no impact event preceding either deployment.
When: Multiple incidents over 9+ years of ownership; first incident under warranty, second incident after warranty expiration
Symptoms owners cite: Both driver and front passenger headrest airbags deployed simultaneously with no collision; No impact or accident event occurred; Recurrence of the same failure mode on the same vehicle
Repairs/costs cited: First deployment repaired under warranty; second deployment occurred out of warranty with no repair information provided. Owner expressed concern this is a recurring problem with the model.
Airbag Non-Deployment in Collision
During actual traffic collisions, airbags failed to deploy. In one T-bone accident at low speed on the driver's side, airbags did not deploy and the occupants sustained injuries. In another rear-end collision at 40 mph, airbags also failed to deploy.
When: At time of collision; first incident at 49,000 miles, second incident mileage not available
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment during side-impact collision; No airbag deployment during rear-end collision; No warning indicators illuminated prior to collision; Seat belt pretensioner also failed to activate in at least one incident
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles were totaled and towed; not diagnosed. In the T-bone incident, occupants required emergency room treatment for head injury and broken bones.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer was made aware of both non-deployment failures.
CAN Bus Short Circuit from Corroded Radar Sensor
A corroded rear blind spot radar sensor caused a short circuit in the CAN bus, disabling all or nearly all safety systems including SRS, ABS, seatbelt pretensioner, and preventing engine shutdown or gear shifting.
When: In stop-and-go traffic approaching an intersection on wet road conditions
Symptoms owners cite: CAN bus failure disabling multiple safety systems; Numerous warning messages and lights for SRS, ABS, seatbelt pretensioner; Engine would not turn off using start-stop button; Vehicle would not shift out of drive; Failure occurred in wet road conditions
Codes mentioned: CAN bus failure messages (extended printout available per owner)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer identified corroded rear blind spot radar sensor as root cause; sensor was replaced to restore CAN bus function.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None documented; owner noted this exact failure has been documented on at least one other vehicle on BenzWorld forum.
Airbag Warning Light with Unclear Cause
Airbag warning indicator illuminated on the dashboard indicating a fault in the system, but the issue remained undiagnosed and unresolved.
When: Not specified in narrative
Symptoms owners cite: Front left panel airbag warning light illuminated; Dealer stated need for more information to cover repair cost
Repairs/costs cited: No repair performed; dealer requested additional information from owner before covering repair costs.
Synthesized from 54 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-benz e350. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) and stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to repair the vehicle. Mercedes-benz of delray (1001 linton blvd, delray beach, fl 33444) confirmed that parts were not available to perform the recall repair. The…
Had airbags trouble with your 2014 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 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
It's a meaningful issue. 54 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?
Based on the 54 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 38,625 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
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/2014/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.