Best Mercedes-Benz Years to Buy by Model
The best Mercedes-Benz years to buy: the 2013 Sprinter 2500, 2019 GLE 350, 2014 C 300 and 2020 E350 — the cleanest federal complaint records for each model. Years to skip include the 2008 C 300 and 2014 E350. Based on 9,323 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Mercedes-Benz models, rated model year by model year.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints, recall campaigns & service bulletins · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · How we rate model years
Best Mercedes-Benz years, model by model
| Model | Best years | Years to skip | Years on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 | 20112013 | 201920202021 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500 | No standout year yet | 20142016 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 | 2019 | 20202022 | 10 (2016–2025) |
| Mercedes-Benz C 300 | 2014202020222023 | 2008 | 18 (2008–2025) |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 | No standout year yet | 2023 | 10 (2016–2025) |
| Mercedes-Benz E350 | 20202022 | 2008201020112012201320142017 | 18 (2008–2025) |
Verdicts are each model’s own, rated against that model’s history; counts behind them are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
The cleanest year for each Mercedes-Benz model
2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500: 21 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2011 and 2013 · Best Sprinter 2500 years →
2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350: 32 NHTSA owner complaints on record · Best GLE 350 years →
2014 Mercedes-Benz C 300: 284 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2014, 2020, 2022 and 2023 · Best C 300 years →
2020 Mercedes-Benz E350: 20 NHTSA owner complaints on record · all best-rated years: 2020 and 2022 · Best E350 years →
Years to skip, in detail
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Mercedes-Benz years to buy?
By model: Sprinter 2500 2011 and 2013; GLE 350 2019; C 300 2014, 2020, 2022 and 2023; E350 2020 and 2022. Each matches that model's own best-years page, built from NHTSA owner-complaint and recall records.
Which Mercedes-Benz years should I skip?
By model: Sprinter 2500 2019, 2020 and 2021; Sprinter 3500 2014 and 2016; GLE 350 2020 and 2022; C 300 2008; GLC 300 2023; E350 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017. The full breakdown is on the Mercedes-Benz years-to-avoid page.
How are the best Mercedes-Benz years chosen?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity, converted to a rate per year on the road and compared with the rest of that model's own history; the lowest rates among years with enough road time earn "best". Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.