Mercedes-Benz E-Class Safety Ratings (2014-2023)
NHTSA has crash-tested the Mercedes-Benz E-Class across 10 model years from 2014 to 2023. Its overall safety rating averages 4.7 out of 5 stars, a strong four to five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Mercedes-Benz E-Class scored by model year.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon SW AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon SW 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon SW RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class SW 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class SW RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon SW 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class station wagon SW RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class SW 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class SW RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Hybrid 4 DR RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR AWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4 DR RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Hybrid 4 DR RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW 4WD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-CLASS SW RWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Mercedes-Benz E-Class recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about Mercedes-Benz E-Class safety
- Is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class averages 4.7 out of 5 stars overall across the 2014 to 2023 model years, a strong four to five-star result. 27 of the 41 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class crash test rating?
- The most recently rated Mercedes-Benz E-Class (2023) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 5 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.