Mercedes E-Class hybrid reliability & safety rating
The Mercedes E-Class hybrid's excellent safety score and the company’s reputation for reliability should give buyers confidence
| Euro NCAP | Adult protection | Child protection | Safety assist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 stars (2016) | 95% | 90% | 62% |
Mercedes went through a bit of a wobble with its reliability in the late '90s and early '00s, but seems to have gotten back on track of late. It has always been at the forefront of automotive technology, too – and nowhere is this more true than with the latest Mercedes E-Class hybrid.
Mercedes E-Class plug-in hybrid reliability & problems
The E-Class finished in a decent 42nd place in the 2021 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, so it has clearly impressed owners so far. Mercedes itself finished 13th out of 29 manufacturers – a middling result, but quite a bit better than the previous year. Mercedes fared better than rivals BMW (21st) and Audi (23rd).
Safety
The E-Class is unquestionably a safe car, with a five-star overall rating, plus adult and child-protection scores of 95% and 90% respectively from crash-testing experts Euro NCAP. The safety assistance score of 62% isn't quite as stellar, but that's most likely down to the fact that a good deal of active safety systems are optional (see below). It’s worth noting that these ratings specifically apply to the pre-facelift model (tested in 2016), though the scores should largely apply to the newer models as well.
As standard, you get a parking assistance system, an 'active bonnet' to protect pedestrians, active braking assistance, a full complement of airbags, blind-spot monitoring and driver drowsiness monitoring and ISOFIX child-seat anchors on the two outer rear seats.
Additional safety systems can be added as optional extras. The lane tracking package includes lane-keeping assistance, while the more comprehensive (and more expensive) driving assistance package adds braking assistance, adaptive cruise control, speed-limit assistance, lane-changing assistance, evasive steering assistance and a 'Pre-Safe' system that prepares the car for impact if it detects an imminent collision.
