Mercedes-Benz C-Class Complaints

3,817 consumer complaints on file.

#11466113May 25, 2022
SUSPENSION
My rear sub frame is rusted and unsafe to drive.. There seems to be a recall in Canada (I think) but not in the US. this is an unsafe issue that needs to be fixed. All local repair shops are aware of these and have several that need repaired as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465794May 23, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When I go to put my car in reverse, or drive the gear control is malfunctioning and I’m afraid this can be deadly or cause serious injury.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465799May 23, 2022
SUSPENSION
I noticed that when using the brakes the car would pull to the side. The front brake rotors and pads were completely replaced but the pulling behavior remained unchanged. When the mechanic specifically looked for reasons for the pulling he found the rear driver's side stabilizer completely rusted through and the passenger side one showing signs of similar impending failure. I took pictures of both. The driver's side arm that was broken was also rubbing against the gas tank. The company, Mercedes, is only allowing replacement parts to be delivered when ordered by VIN, so I can't get a part already in the US (it has to be ordered directly from Germany and specifically for my car's VIN - they KNOW there's a problem).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465567May 21, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Started noticing strange chassis behavior when braking. Braking hard would result in car leaning left, then leaning right when foot taken off the brake. Car appeared to "sway" on braking. Hard to control direction of vehicle on braking. Consulted local mechanic who put the car up on a lift. Discovered rotten rear subframe on left side. No substantial rust or rot on any other structural components. Looked into this issue online; no recall discovered. Found multiple instances of this rear subframe rot occurring to other owners of similar-year C300s who were then also quoted thousands of dollars in repairs. Car is not safe to drive until the subframe is replaced. The wrong pothole could cause the rotten rear subframe to snap and potentially cause more damage to the vehicle and injury to the driver and others. No warning lamps or other system messages to warn of this problem. A safety inspection performed at an authorized Mercedes-Benz service center on February 22, 2021 found no issues with the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465535May 20, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
I brought my car into the dealer to have my annual state required inspection, and was told by the dealer that the rear subframe had severe rot and corrosion, to an extent that they would not allow the car to pass inspection as it was hazardous to drive, and if the subframe cracked, for instance, by driving over a bump or pothole, I would endanger myself, passengers, and other cars on the road. I was stunned to find out that my Mercedes, a premium automobile, by a marquee manufacturer, which has a reputation for engineering/manufacturing excellence and had such significant corrosion. I was equally stunned because I have consistently maintained my car and done all the recommended maintenance. I asked the dealer service manager to hoist the car on a lift so I could inspect and verify the corrosion on the subframe. While I saw the significant corrosion on the subframe, all other parts of the underside of the car were in excellent shape and drive-able condition. This leads me to believe that there is a design/manufacturing flaw in the subframe. I researched this issue online and discovered that this exact Mercedes subframe has been recalled in other countries, but not in the U.S. It is a known and dangerous defect, Mercedes clearly knows it's a dangerous defect, and yet they have not recalled it. This has put me, my family, passengers and potentially other drivers at risk of serious harm and injury had the subframe broke while being driven. Additionally, it unfairly shifts the burden of repair onto the consumer rather than Mercedes for fixing a known and dangerous defect. Does a tragedy need to occur before this defective part is recalled? I hope not.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465364May 20, 2022
AIR BAGS
Air bags did not deploy on car accident and also traction control was not working, steering wheel will go to the side when driving under 40 MPH which is dangerous and car will slide when driving on puddle of water whenever it rained.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465331May 19, 2022
ENGINE
Check engine light came on and gave code P052E PCV Regulator Valve Performance
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464793May 16, 2022
SUSPENSION
2013 Mercedes Benz C300 4dr AWD. Corrosion of Rear Sub-Frame (aka "Rear Axle Carrier" or "Suspension Cross Member") (New Part #: 207-350-97-02. Old Part #: 204-350-01-41 + other numbers). Car experienced erratic behavior under all braking scenarios. Extremely dangerous behavior under heavy breaking (65 mph to 25 mph). Life threatening severity of issue. 2 personal experiences. 1: Stopping at a yellow light in a quick fashion (55-0 mph, no abs required), car pulled hard to left and almost pulled me into curbing on left hand side. It felt like the rear end was on ice and was going to do a 180 partial spin. 2: Pulling off a highway into a turning lane and braked hard to slow down for right hand turn (65-15 mph). Car pulled about 8 feet left and almost put me back into full speed traffic. Same uncontrollable "on ice" feeling. I was on a road trip and had car towed to independent mechanic in the town I was visiting. He found holes throughout rear sub-frame member on drivers side and passenger side. Mounting points for suspension components were not structurally sound. He said I was lucky the control arm didn't break loose and puncture the gas tank. Corrosion was limited to sub-frame. The rest of car was "Nearly Perfect" in the words of the mechanic. Called Mercedes Corporate and they advised towing car to local MB dealer for inspection. MB Lancaster determined car was unsafe to drive. I am currently pursuing a good will repair case that has been initially denied. Parts are back ordered for 10+ weeks. I've called several dealers to source the part and nearly dealers have orders placed to Germany for these sub frames. Repair + alignment is approximately 4k USD. In 2018, Mercedes has issued Official Service Information Supplemental Notes (SI35.00-P0009A) to technicians to look for premature corrosion issues. This is free of charge replacement in UK and Germany already and a recall in Canada. US needs to catch up quick before death occurs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464848May 16, 2022
ENGINE
Cracked cylinder #1. Causes rough idle, loss of power and lots of white smoke out the tail pipe. This is dangerous for anyone behind the car trying to see through the smoke then loosing power and other vehicles almost hitting me. Mercedes know they are defective but because of the large cost associated with repairing them they will not fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464700May 15, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Problem with Panoramic Moonroof. One side will not close. Mercedes is aware of the issue. Price to fix is $2,500. Roof will not close or seal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464414May 12, 2022
ENGINE
CODE PO052E71 crankcase vent solenoid causing check engine light
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464415May 12, 2022
ENGINE
P06DA00 CODE oil pump vale circuit open
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464212May 11, 2022
SUSPENSION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a 2011 C300 Sport that I purchased end of the lease (3yr.). The car was never driven in the winter for 4 seasons and most recently just the last 3 winters. Complete frame rot on the rear driver's side. Rot was noticed by my mechanic at the last oil change. He said he is replacing three rear frames for customers as soon as he can get parts. Parts are limited and only in Germany. I want it repaired with genuine parts. If the frame separates while the vehicle is at highway speeds, operator control can be compromised. The brake line which attaches to the frame has ruptured in many cases from what I have read. I called MB customer service and there is no recall at this time. I called the local dealer and they have been replacing quite a few frames with the same issue. This is a dangerous failure and if I remeber correctly about 8-10 years ago Toyota recalled trucks and SUVs for frame replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464082May 10, 2022
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving a routine maintenance, she was informed that the rear sub frame was rusted and had two holes. The vehicle was diagnosed that there was a transmission leak and the rear sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11464102May 10, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
The rear sub-frame of my car has almost rusted in half. While driving on 95 I had to brake rather quickly and it felt as if the whole car was twisting. I called my mechanic the next day, drove in and put it on the lift only to find out that the sub-frame was almost detached from the car. Had this happened at 70 MPH it could have been disastrous. Mercedes knows about the design flaw but refuses to take any action.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463883May 9, 2022
SUSPENSION
Major rust in the welded joints of the Steel subframe. Long crack development along the seams, could have led to catastrophic lost of control of vehicle if the breaks were not found. This is an apparent flaw with the C-Class Mercedes Benz and quite surprising to the Service Reps at my dealership that this has not been a recall issue, as they’ve replaced many. The repair is quite costly, over $5,000. There were no symptoms, warnings or messages. This was found when the vehicle was in for a 10k service. I have a video sent by the technician that show the inspection of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463800May 8, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving my 2016 MB C300 on a clear sunny day (approx 85 degrees outside) going around 50 mph when out of nowhere my pano sunroof exploded (extremely terrifying sound might I add!)! I never open my sunroof and it did not have any chips or cracks at all so there is no explanation. Almost the entire sunroof shattered! Mind you I was driving on an open road (no trees, overpasses, bridges, etc). No cars in front of me and closest car was around 1/4 behind me. Shards of glass fell on top of me and went all over the interior of my car. I almost drove off the road and could have gotten glass in my eyes! After inspecting, it almost appears as if the glass exploded outwards. This is a major safety concern and needs to be addressed ASAP by Mercedes Benz before someone gets killed!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463615May 6, 2022
ENGINE
Check engine light and error code P052E - Positive Crankcase Ventilation regulator Valve Performance. Within a year of having the same error code repaired using warranty, I'm again getting the same error code. This is a very expensive repair costing upwards of $2000 as per dealer and I'm having to do this repair again. This should be some kind of manufacturing defect and needs to be recalled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463364May 4, 2022
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact indicated that while driving at various speeds, a knocking noise was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, while abruptly braking the vehicle would pull to the left. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear subframe was fractured. The cause of the subframe failure was not determined and no further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11463118May 2, 2022
SUSPENSION, STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, he heard abnormal clicking sounds coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the vehicle swerved while stopping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear driver's side subframe was severely corroded and fractured and needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at his own expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Mercedes-Benz C-Class