10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 15
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
51,907 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.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #89

Jul 012015

C300

  • 61,000 miles
Rear lighting consuls failing while in motion causing right turn blinker, reverse light, brake lights, and safety lights to not function.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #88

Aug 012015

C300 6-cyl

  • 25 miles
Front parking lamps poor connection wires insulation come off very easy from the frame plug, plus wires are to short to make correction(splice) inside the head light housing. All this happened after the car was repair from recall on tail lights. I saw on the internet and a lot of people has this problem for this problem, I was driving on the dark street and all lights went off like for 5 seconds, that why I got scare, I was with my wife and my 5 months old daughter, Mercedes Benz should report this as recall, in order to correct the problem I need to change the whole housing, I took the car to downt town la service department, for another problem with the ignition lock switch, I looked on the internet and also a lot of people had this problem. I hope some one will do something about these C300 models. Thank you

- Norwalk, CA, USA

problem #87

Oct 042015

C300

  • miles
The car won't start when you turn the key. I have taken it to a Mercedes mechanic and he can't find anything wrong after being looked at for a B1 service. We thought this would fix it. Now it won't start again. When turn the key, everything lights up as if the car is going to start but it won't. it had been starting after turning the key a few times and eventually it would catch. The problem started 2 weeks ago, now it won't start at all.

- Smyrna, GA, USA

problem #86

Jun 052014

C300

  • miles
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that the rear tail lights shorted out repeatedly. The dealer stated that they repaired the vehicle according to NHTSA campaign number: 14V177000 (exterior lighting), but the contact did not receive any confirmation of the repair and the failure was recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for further inspection and diagnostic testing. The contact also stated that the interior and exterior lighting continued to illuminate without warning, which drained the power and battery source to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and provided no remedy. The failure mileage was not available.

- Shannon, NC, USA

problem #85

Jun 092013

C300

  • miles
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign number: 14V177000 (exterior lighting) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for repair. The dealer stated that the parts were not available. The contact experienced the failure prior to receiving the recall notice. The contact stated that the tail lights failed to properly illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring connectors to the bulb holders burned and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Modesto , CA, USA

problem #84

May 012015

C300

  • 89,000 miles
Front lights socket over heat and melting. Manufacture and dealership refuse to replace, however car still in full extended warranty safety issue and can cause fire

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #83

Dec 122014

C300 6-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
Intermittently my low beam headlights will go on, gas gauge slowly goes to empty, rear break and blinkers no longer work, interior lighting, and sun roof do not work. I can not lock my car sometimes after for about 5 mins. If it happens right when I turn my car on, I can try to turn it off and restart and it may or may not happen again. Sometimes it happens right when I turn my car on or sometimes it never happens.

- Fort Lauderdale , FL, USA

problem #82

Jan 062015

C300

  • 68,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. While driving at approximately 25 mph, the check signal warning indicator illuminated. The contact observed that the rear driver side tail light was not illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V177000 (exterior lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 68,000. The VIN was unvailable.

- Bronx, NY, USA

problem #81

Jun 202012

C300 6-cyl

  • 36,378 miles
I came to a stop because my car was giving me error codes for certain parts of the right tail lights not working(turn& reverse) and then the functioning lights were dimmed. I took a look at the assembly where the lights were placed and noticed where the car's electrical wires were plugged in to the bulb assembly that it burned through the assembly. I took the car to the dealership and they fixed the right side but neglected to check the left because at the time it was not malfunctioning (at that time I was still under warranty). Now, on March 8, 2015 (my car is no longer under warranty) I contacted the dealership as well mbusa because the left side is now beginning to act erratically, and although there is no burning (yet) I would like to resolve the issue. I checked the bulbs which were giving me errors and none of the bulbs were burned out. I begun to do research and I found there to be a recall from the NHTSA campaign number: 14V-177, but my VIN number is not included in this recall yet I had reported the very same issue much earlier than 2014. As I contacted both the dealership and mbusa they both said that my car was no longer under warranty and that my VIN was not included in the recall refusing to accept that they made an error in their wiring and neglecting to fix both sides the first time I took the car in.

- Yonkers, NY, USA

problem #80

Jul 172014

C300 6-cyl

  • 58,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that the key failed to turn from the off to on position. The contact had to make several attempts to start the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. The technician stated that the chip in the steering column needed to be replaced and the keys needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000. Updated 10/22/2014 the consumer stated the manufacturer was contaced and offered assistance with the cost of repair only if the repair had not been paid previously for. Updated 4/1/15

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #79

Jul 082014

C300 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 14V177000 (exterior lighting). The dealer was contacted indicated that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the delay however, the manufacturer was not able to provide a specific date of when the parts would become available. The contact was waiting to schedule the appointment and remedy the problem specified on the recall. Updated 08/19/14

- Decatur, GA, USA

problem #78

Aug 022012

C300 6-cyl

  • 61,999 miles
Prior to pulling into my garage, I smelled burning electrical wiring. All warning lights on the dash panel for the left rear lights came on. I opened the trunk to see if a light bulb burned out, and smelled the burning wires. Opening the panel covering the left rear lights, I saw a burn through scorched circuit board. On closer examination, I noticed the ground wire was thin and the cause of the severally overheated and partially melted area on the left rear lamp assembly. Since then, the Mercedes dealer replaced the circuit at my expense. About six months ago, the same thing happened on the right rear tail light assembly. It was also a thin ground wire that had overheated and partially melted the circuit board.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #77

Jun 022014

C300 6-cyl

  • 60,100 miles
I received a warning on my dashboard that my right rear tail light, right turn signal and back light needed to be checked and malfunctioning. The message came and went for several days. When I opened the compartment where the tail bulb carriers and assembly were, I saw that some of the lights were very dim. The carrier itself was piping hot. So my first reaction was to replace the bulbs. I did. Same problems, nothing was fixed. The next day, everything cleared up...so I thought it might be fine. A week later, it came back. When I opened up the compartment again, it was super hot, and I noticed that the wiring was browning and it burnt my finger. I immediately stopped driving the car. I went to the dealership and they said it will cost hundreds to replace and not covered.

- Geneva, IL, USA

problem #76

May 262014

C300

  • 69,234 miles
I received a message to check the rear right (passenger) lights and turn signal. I just purchased the car used on May 20, 2014, and began getting the dashboard warning a few days later, but it was intermittent. On May 26, 2014, I inspected of the bulb carrier and pin connector and noticed that the connection involving the brown wire on the pin connector was burned and the corresponding connection on the bulb carrier was also burned/disintegrated and the area around the brown wire was very hot. It is difficult to know when the failure actually happened.

- Florence, MA, USA

problem #75

Apr 222014

C300 6-cyl

  • miles
I was driving the vehicle and a message light came on saying check rear right brake lamp, turn lamp, and tail lamp so I stopped by the auto part store to have them replace the bulbs and they found the light holder and the wiring harness to the lights had melted.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #74

Apr 232014

C300 6-cyl

  • 70,140 miles
Right rear passenger lighting assembly caught fire. Wiring harness and light bulb carrier were burned. Right rear turn and brake lights are inoperable.

- Oak Park, IL, USA

problem #73

Jan 062012

C300 6-cyl

  • 50,400 miles
My exterior tail lights all went out, this includes fog lights, tail lights and indicator lights. Put in new bulbs as well as made sure the wires were connected well but it remains out.

- Greenfield, WI, USA

problem #72

Mar 062014

C300 6-cyl

  • 31,000 miles
March 1 2014 I notice my wife dash was lighting up with rear brake lights needed to be replaced. I opened the trunk and hit the brake compartment and it came back on. April 11 2014 the light came back on and I tried doing the same thing but nothing. Opened the brake compartment and disconnected everything on that side awaiting a response from the dealership. Don't want another melt down back there in the trunk. If this is the best company out there just announce a recall and fix your customers faulty equipment.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #71

Mar 192014

C300 6-cyl

  • 84,000 miles
The dash warned me that my rear tail lights were malfunctioning. The message came and went for several days until it was on continuously. I accessed the electrical compartment and the ground side of plug, the socket and the wire was melted and has been on fire. I have pictures on dropbox: Link attached https://www.dropbox.com/SC/W4tm7B28phh9lal/-dz3htmls-.

- Wilkinson, IN, USA

problem #70

Apr 052014

C300 6-cyl

  • 58,000 miles
Rear lighting does not always work, I have gotten error codes one day and the lights work the next. I have read plenty of complaints on the lighting issue. One time its a bulb on the right and next its a bulb on the left. Today they all work..

- Baldwinsville, NY, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »