2.1

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
76,259 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #17

Sep 242020

C300

  • miles
Noticed a recall for this part

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #16

Apr 012020

C300

  • 124,000 miles
Took car in for airbag recall, week later the car wont unlock, had to pay $50 to get in, was told battery had 12.4 amps, car wont turn over, electronic systems not engaging, alarm goes off, replaced battery $160checked fuses and bought $25, nothing now having to tow back to Mercedes Benz of chandler that did my "recalls" out of pocket. The recall service messed it up. The exact thing as in complaint 212.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #15

Dec 262019

C300

  • 112,000 miles
I have a mb C300 2008 the car never had an issue until I brought it in for a airbag recall 2 weeks later I get an SRS malfunction, esp and ABS failure car doesnt turn on next day the car turns on and engine light goes on, then lights stayed on even after car was off next day lights went off while driving in dark making for hazardous and quite scary situation mb is doing these recalls but jeopardizing the overall integrity of car I even replaced battery but this still occurred car was rendered undrivable and stuck in my driveway and had to have it towed and pay $380 just to look at it even though I told them they caused damage there is no way a perfectly running car coincidentally has major electrical issues post recall (they replaced entire stash board and steering wheel cover)

- Brooklyn , NY, USA

problem #14

Mar 272018

C300

  • 120,000 miles
Takata recall, eis, esl seized up and car won't start anymore, common problem with this car and repair is costly should be recalled since it's a manufactured defect and not caused by the user, this problem can leave anyone stranded in the worst of situations and it can seize up while vehicle is in motion causing accidents and danger to the driver and passenger

- Casa Grande, AZ, USA

problem #13

Dec 162017

C300

  • 128,908 miles
The power steering suddenly stop working while I am driving.

- Manchester, CT, USA

problem #12

Jul 262017

C300

  • 117 miles
My Mercedes was running good all day then when I went to the mall and came back back to start my car it had no power. We try jumping the car nothing. Use a different key nothing.. it won't start I had to call a tow truck. I took it to Mercedes dealer just to look at it $300.. now they say it's the key ingotion that needs to replace cost me $1200+.. I just bought the car 7 months ago I have no warrant.. I google the problem and it's a common problem that ppl have plz investigate this problem cuz it cost a lot of money to fix and I'm out of a car for a week. Thank you

- Perth Amboy, NJ, USA

problem #11

Jul 142017

C300

  • 80,000 miles
Check engine light came on after vehicle inspection I returned to the dealership. Mercedes Benz houston-greenway plaza did cam shaft solenoid work cost $500. Roughly a week later I got stranded at work. I was able to take to get it to start again and took it to repair shop now its $1,346.29 for engine computer work.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #10

Apr 222017

C300

  • 76,000 miles
Esp control module as I was driving on the highway, specifically getting off the interstate on a curved road, all of a sudden the following message/code illuminated across my dashboard, "brake" ebr ABS esp inoperative. I wasn't sure what this meant and I was extremely alarmed and nervous. As soon as I could I brought it into the shop and the technician told me it wasn't a brake issue, it was a faulty electronic stability control panel that needed to be replaced. The technician told me that he had just replaced these in about 4 other vehicles. Same exact problem. After doing research, it is a major safety concern because it reads the wheel data from the sensors as well as the ABS module which prevents traction and slippage when driving on the road, when making sharp turns, or even turning left or right. The car seems to fishtail. It also prevents stability on the road in the event of a crash. I've also noticed it has affected other areas of the car such as the turn signal, cruise control mechanism, steering column and starting up the car has also been an issue. I've had to turn the ignition switch a couple of times to get the car started. The car is also driving rougher than usual. This is a major concern for us because I am a single mother and I have a nine year old son who drives with me frequently. I'm worried about our safety. Not to mention our front driver and passenger takata airbags still have a recall that have yet to be dealt with. It has been well over a year and the problem still hasn't been resolved. This esp control module costs $1,500 to replace and I cannot afford this. I'm driving around in a ticking time bomb just waiting for something to happen. It is a major concern and needs to be addressed immediately. Thank you for your time and I certainly hope you take this seriously and place this on the recall list to avoid a bad situation.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

problem #9

Apr 162017

C300

  • 104,000 miles
Esl/eis failure. When the key is inserted the car will not start. Lights work but windows and dash message are not working.

- Richmond, TX, USA

problem #8

Mar 032017

C300

  • 122,000 miles
Last week I drove my daughter to school. Then I went to the gas station and turned the car off. When I tried to start the car to leave, it would not start. It did not do anything. I could not even roll the windows up. The car did nothing other than say "remove ignition key." The battery was tested and fine. It had just been replaced 1 month ago. The tow truck driver brought it to my mechanic who then said it had to be brought to the dealer. The Mercedes dealer said it was the eis/steering switch. The cost will be $1900. I've called other mechanics. No-one can fix it because Mercedes has the parts and coding exclusively. This is a lot of money and with the amount of complaints it should be a recall. Last year my car also experienced the SRS light malfunction. I brought it to the dealer and this was also another huge expense. The dealer did not take the responsibility of a recall. They acted like it was a big surprise.

- Santa Rosa Beach, FL, USA

problem #7

Sep 022016

C300

  • 130,000 miles
Eis issue/steering wheel lock module. Vehicle was disabled and would not start due to eis/steering wheel lock module complication. Very common in C300 mbz

- Laughlin, NV, USA

problem #6

Apr 152014

C300

  • 68,000 miles
Still not fixed ----2 years later they say (M/B) "the best or nothing " and I have nothing but un- safety and danger, and plenty of letters that do nothing again, but they said that. Lets put a date to it.!!!!!!!!

- Miami Gardens, FL, USA

problem #5

Feb 152015

C300

  • miles
Air bag not working03.

- Miami Gardens, FL, USA

problem #4

Mar 192016

C300

  • 118,000 miles
Could not start my car while stationary. Put key in the ignition and got a message on the dash to remove key from ignition. No dash lights came on. There was no clicking or noise...it was just dead. The alarm system and headlight and interior lights were all working so it was not the battery. I called roadside and the gave me a jump, but confirmed that my battery was not the problem. My car had to be towed to the dealership on Saturday night after waiting for 5 hours. The dealership did not even conduct the diagnostics on the car until Tuesday afternoon. They determined that the steering lock was defective and needed to be replaced at the cost of $1000. They did not even offer to loan me a car, or ask if I needed transportation. So essentially they left their customer stranded! this is not the service that is expected from Mercedes! I have had cars (Acura and BMW) longer than my 2008 C300 with more miles which did not require a replacement of the steering lock. This is a common problem among all Mercedes and should be recalled by the manufacturer.

- Narberth, PA, USA

problem #3

Aug 052015

C300

  • 42,000 miles
A few months back, my wife was stranded in her office parking lot as the car won't start. When she put the key in the ignition it would simply make clicking sounds but will not start. She was able to lock and unlock the car. We called aaa who checked the battery and said it was working fine. The aaa rep said that he had seen this problem quite a few times before in the mb cars and we would have to call mb or they can tow it to the dealership. We then called Mercedes Benz (mb) road side assistance who came and checked the car. The mb rep said that there is an issue with the electronic steering lock and it will need to be replaced. They gave me a quote of around $1500 over phone. Finally I had aaa tow my car to my mechanic and got it repaired for around $800. While researching this problem, I was shocked to see that there were 1000S of threads online where the owners of 2008 and 2009 C class were complaining about the same issue and how each one had to shell out anywhere from $1200 to $1600 at the dealership to get it repaired. I called mb and they admitted that this is a common issue but cannot do anything about it. I was quite appalled at this situation where this being a known issue faced by 1000S of mb customers but mb would not fix it. Here is a sample of google search where you will find multiple people reporting this problem - https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=utf-8#Q=2008%20mercedes%20C300%20electronic%20steering%20lock even youtube has multiple videos where customers have recorded this issue. Electronic steering lock, electronic ignition lock and electronic stability control are known and very prevalent issues related to C class of year 2008 and 2009. As I customer, I would appreciate if the nha can look into this and help customers recover the money they have spent towards the repair of these issues.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #2

Jan 022015

C300

  • 71,370 miles
On January 2,2015 went from home to a retail store with no issues. After a few minutes at he store went back to the car, open de door, lights on, control panel on, car will not start. Put key on ignition switch, dead, will not make any sound. Used different set of keys, nothing, car dead. Call the dealer for advice, was told to replace the battery or jump start the battery. Called my tow, did jump start and nothing, call dealer was advise to replace the battery. Got new battery $200 and the car still need it to be towed home. Car does not start, per a mechanic possible esl/eis. Called dealer asking about recall due to multiple complains on same issue and they said no recalls has been issue gave an estimate of $1200 to repair. Please help, this is a Mercedes-Benz 2008 71 000 miles, should not be having this issue, same as others Mercedes-Benz owner am really disappointed about the cust service and repairs of this expensive car.

- Lehigh Acrez, FL, USA

problem #1

Dec 052013

C300 6-cyl

  • miles
Approximately a year ago my C300 locked up on me would not start. I had it towed to the Mercedes dealership and when they check it they stated that eis was out on it. The cost of the repair was over $2000. About two weeks ago, as I started the car in the morning for work I noticed that the start was a little hesitant, so I replaced the battery and things got back to normal. Today leaving for lunch I placed the key in the ignition and turned it to get the "slient click" again. It is doing the same thing it did about a year ago after Mercedes "so called fixed the eis". according the mb forums this is an ongoing issue for multiple 2008 C300's. I am getting ready to tow the vehicle back to the dealership but not going to pay for the same issue that they supposedly fixed about a year ago.

- Las Cruces, NM, USA