Mercedes-Benz C-Class Complaints
3,817 consumer complaints on file.
- #11617349September 30, 2024VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear window glass which was not properly bonded had become loosened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V608000 (VISIBILITY). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11616106September 24, 2024POWER TRAIN
Known/ common issue with the positive crankcase ventilation regularly valve on my 2015 c300.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11615780September 21, 2024STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
For the 2011 Mercedes Benz C300, the following is a general description of the issue: The component that failed is the "internally faulty" electronic steering column lock control unit which doesn't allow the car to start its ignition. The technician at the Mercedes Benz car dealership noted on the invoice "found the electronic steering lock is internally faulty." Technician provided two specific codes and recommended to replace the steering lock control unit. Yes, this car is available for inspection upon request. Car is not reliable. After running errands, car did not start. I was stranded and could not get back home. Car had to be towed to the Mercedes Benz dealer service center. Yes, problem was reproduced in another Mercedes-Benz C300 car that I own. This other vehicle is a 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300. The failure of the "internally faulty steering lock control unit resulting in a no crank/no start condition" was confirmed on the invoice from the Mercedes Benz dealer service center. The car was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. The car was inspected by the Mercedes Benz dealer service center. Prior to complete failure, car would occasionally not start. This issue first appeared on or around August 2024. This steering lock failure is a critical issue as I had the same problem with another Mercedes Benz C300 that I own. Both steering lock failures for both cars occurred around the same time period and were separately diagnosed and fixed at different Mercedes Benz dealer service centers.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11615786September 21, 2024ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
For the 2010 Mercedes Benz C300, the failure of the steering lock control unit resulted in the vehicle being unable to start its engine. Vehicle was disabled, and I was left stranded. Car had to be towed to my house and separately had to be towed to the Mercedes Benz car dealership service center. The technician at the Mercedes Benz car dealership service center recommended replacement of the steering lock. Yes, this car is available for inspection upon request. This same problem was reproduced in another Mercedes-Benz C300 car that I own. This other vehicle is a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The car was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. The car was inspected by the Mercedes Benz dealer service center. No warnings or messages prior to the complete failure. This issue first appeared in August 2024. This steering lock failure is a critical issue as I had the same problem with another Mercedes Benz C300 that I own. Both steering lock failures for both cars resulted in the car being unable to start occurred around the same time period and were separately diagnosed and fixed at different Mercedes Benz dealer service centers.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11615637September 20, 2024VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was a loud banging sound coming from the roof of the vehicle, prior to the glass sunroof panel being ejected from the roof panel and landed on the roadway. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11615020September 17, 2024TIRES:SIDEWALL
The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes Benz C300 equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tire Line: P Zero, Tire Size: 255/35/VR19, DOT Number: [XXX] . The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an unknown bumping sound heard. The contact pulled over and noticed that the passenger's side front tire was flat. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The infotainment screen showed a reading of the tire 0 PSI. The contact noticed there was a hole in the tire and the side wall was damaged, and the rim was damaged. The contact depressed the SOS button but received no assistance. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a tire center, but no assistance was provided. The contact called the local dealer and was provided information for the tire replacement. The dealer informed the contact that the tires on the vehicle were not correct for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle and tire failure mileages were 16,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11615115September 17, 2024SERVICE BRAKES
The right rear brake line had rusted out and caused complete brake failure while driving. If this occured at highway speeds it could have resulted in serious injuries. A search has shown this is widespread with the C300 and other mercedes vehicles and although mercedes has acknowledged this in other vehicles it has not done so for the C300. This is a potential for serious bodily injury and should be addressed.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11614928September 16, 2024STRUCTURE:BODY, SERVICE BRAKES, SUSPENSION
On several instances of breaking, my 2013 Mercedes Benz C300 pulls hard to the right and becomes very unstable. I assumed it was a brake problem by the way the car drove. I took it to my mechanic, who immediately identified the rear subframe had rusted so much that a control arm had broken loose from the subframe. The rear subframe acts as a foundation for the rear suspension and holds the backend together. Fortunately I was able to get this diagnosed prior to a serious accident. The car gets very unstable, especially at higher speeds, when braking. There are no warning lights that will catch this. This problem absolutely places both passengers and other cars on the road at risk of a collision when braking, especially on the highway at higher speeds. I am going to contact a local Mercedes Benz dealer to evaluate replacement of the damaged parts to ensure the car is safe to drive following repair. Based on the links below, it sounds like a known issue at Mercedes Benz. I was never notified of any issues or from prior service visits, or via mail notice from the manufacturer. My mechanic was shocked, to say the least. Hoping MB will take care of this dangerous problem without hassle. See: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11614170September 12, 2024STRUCTURE:BODY
Problem a recall was done on certain Mercedes vehicles where the front panel of the roof between the panoramic sunroof and windshield has defects in gluing or bonding agent from the manufacture. I believe my vehicle is showing possible premature bonding agent issues below the surface of panel. Where the manufacture bonding glue is causing interior flaking and cracking and lifting from the stress of the wrong/incorrect specified bonding material not used during the manufacturing process . I am afraid that while driving my vehicle at highway speed has the opportunity / potential for my panel to eventually break off and cause damage of flying panel pieces to harm myself or other vehicles traveling on the road. I believe the wrong bonding material is also causing other issues with the panel and the workmanship material used. My vehicle falls under the year, make, W222 and I am already seeing issues with my panel that by being proactive on my vehicle then reactive. I don’t want to wait for my panel to fly off when early detection and rectification is the safest way/option. My second concern is that there has already been changing dates on this recall information sent out in 2017, 2019 and now 2021. I am worried!!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11614193September 12, 2024VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the sunroof glass detached. There was a roaring sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V087000 (Visibility). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who added plastic to the vehicle. The dealer determined that the sunroof glass needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11614222September 12, 2024STEERING
The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and turning the steering wheel, the contact became aware that the vehicle had lost power steering functionality. The contact drove around for a while before driving back to the garage. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering had failed, and a software update was needed. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 30,810.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11613466September 9, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Error Code: P052E Crankcase Ventilation Valve Malfunction. Part was changed before and Engine Light still comes on. Vehicle is available for inspection. Vehicle was inspected by Mercedes Dealership several times. Part is on Backorder Nationwide. Car Does not pass emissions inspection, therefore cannot renew registration either for several months.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11613280September 8, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased my 2017 Mercedes c class coupe in 2020, used. Around 2021, I started hear noise from the sunroof when driving on the highway. I went to get it repaired and they mentioned they needed to tighten the screws. This week, I was closing my sunroof and then I heard a crack. I went to a shop to get it manually closed for now on calis 105 degree heat. I am now learning there has been recalls for Mercedes 2017+ coupes but it’s not stated for my specific car to get it fixed. How do I go about this? I feel the sunroof is faulty and has been faulty.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11612912September 5, 2024FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
This car has the driver assistance package including Active Speed Limit Assist which is supposed to automatically adjust the speed of the vehicle based on detected speed limits. However, it gets the speed limit wrong an excessive amount of the time sometimes resulting in the car suddenly decelerating which I consider to be a serious safety issue that could result in collisions. In my situation, I have experienced the car suddenly slowing to 40 mph for no reason in an area where the speed limit was 65 mph. I have also seen this problem documented on a number of blogs related to Mercedes-Benz vehicles. When I reported the problem to the dealership, I was told that it was a known issue and was encouraged to turn this feature off. I think Mercedes-Benz needs to fix this known issue for those of us who have cars with Active Speed Limit Assist.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11612421September 3, 2024ENGINE
Check Engine light...P052E positive crankcase ventilation regulatory valve
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11612294September 3, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rear subframe rusted and needed complete replacement. The service department would not pass the car for inspection without replacement. My brother, who also has a Mercedes C300 model but from the prior year, reported that he had the exact same issue. However, Mercedes issued an extended warranty on his model. In researching this issue, I have discovered that this rusted subframe issue is prevalent in C300 models in all years, not just the model years before mine. I compared the service notes from my invoice with my brother's invoice. It is the exact same issue. I contacted both the Mercedes dealership and Mercedes corporate about this issue, seeking resolution. I provided them with all the documentation. Their answer is simply that my VIN does not qualify under their extended warranty and refused to look into it further, despite my pointing out that it is the exact same problem.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11612144September 2, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The glass on the panoramic sunroof exploded/shattered under normal driving conditions. It was raining but not too heavy. It didn’t appear that anything hit the glass and no potholes were hit. It seemed to be due to pressure or temperature which caused the explosion which sounded like a loud gunshot and the glass was in pieces. There were no injuries as the sunroof shade was closed and thus the glass fell on the shade. It has not been inspected by dealership or insurance as closed on Sunday and today due to Labor Day, but yes it is available for inspection upon request. However, as it was raining and I needed to get home, I covered the entire sunroof with Duct Tape.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11612045September 1, 2024SUSPENSION, SERVICE BRAKES
The subframe has developed extensive rust and corrosion, which I believe is a result of faulty manufacturing. This corrosion has severely compromised the structural integrity of the subframe, posing a serious safety risk. The corrosion appears to be inherent to the materials or design used in the manufacturing process, leading to the rapid deterioration of the subframe. There are also no warning lights or failure indicators for this issue. As a result, the subframe is at risk of collapsing, which could cause catastrophic failure of the vehicle's suspension and steering systems. This situation creates an immediate danger to both the occupants of the vehicle and others on the road.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11611955August 31, 2024SUSPENSION
The defect is a rusted rear subframe with large holes that will break and cause wheels to become detached and lost control of the vehicle. The issue was identified and repaired by an authorized Mercedes dealership. Additionally, an authorized Mercedes mechanic provided video of my vehicle showing a rusted rear subframe with huge holes on both sides of the vehicle. He also stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive. Mercedes has issued an extended warranty on this same exact issue but only to certain VINs.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11611601August 29, 2024FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Gas smell coming from engine area when car has been sitting overnight. Smell comes from driver's side of engine compartment. Gas smell does not happen when car is running. Smell fills up our 2-car garage causing concern when we start the car in the morning.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0