# 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ E300 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
> NHTSA complaint `2245813` · 2026-09-12 · Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** MERCEDES-BENZ
- **Model:** E300
- **Year:** 2017
- **Manufacturer:** Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
## Narrative
The Starting Current Limiter Recall (NHTSA Campaign 16V831000 / 17V114000): If your E-Class failed to start or struggled to crank initially, a defective starting current limiter can severely overheat the electrical lines to the starter, causing nearby components-including the battery assembly and main wiring—to melt and smoke.  The above is exactly what happened. I was sitting at a red light and the car shut off and I tried to start it again and smoke started coming out of the right air vent in front of the battery. The wires to the battery were destroyed and part of the battery was melted. This is a certified pre-owned 2017 Mercedes E-300 4-matic. I just had the 100k mile maintenance done 2 months ago. The car is in perfect condition. New battery installed August 2025
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · MORVS · CC0 1.0*