2.3
hardly worth mentioning- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 65,129 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.
Suspension Cross-Member - Mercedes-Benz (204-350-01-41) Driving regularly suddenly fill like the rear passenger side tire moved unevenly, then went to the tire shop, and when they take out the tire see how the rear frame was rusted and broken in a straight line exactly in the middle of the tire hole area. Then start to check used cars to donate that part and All of them have the same trouble in that piece, so I decided to review the frame and discover that the rust begins to damage the opposite side too, so I'm pretty sure is a component failure in metal and materials more than simple rust.
- Des Moines, IA, USA
Steering Wheel locked due to ESL Module's motor failure making the car won't turn on, not drivable. Stuck, stranded.
- San Jose, CA, USA
2009 C300 at 120k miles car won-??t start. Dashboard indicates -??remove key from ignition-?? key was not in ignition, had car towed to the dealership, they said car needs a new steering lock and ignition switch due to malfunction. Total cost $1923. Thankfully car was not in motion when this happened. Please do a recall on steering lock and ignition switch for the safety of everyone!!!!
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
Steering lock malfunction and unable to start car. Vehicle has completely shut down.
- Las Vegas, NV, USA
electrical ignition switch and electronic steering lock the component malfunctioned with no symptoms. i got stranded for 5 hours past midnight car has been inspected by a shop and Mb dealer no warning lights and no symptoms
- Rowland Heights, CA, USA
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" One day my car did not crank or start. Had it towed to dealer and they seemed to be familiar with everything they needed to order to fix it without blinking. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? As much as not being able to drive your car Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, See attached invoice Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear"
- Omaha, NE, USA
Rear subframe assembly rusting, creating safety issue. Discovered 04-22=2021
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
My vehicle continuously gives me warning/alert messages of headlight/signal/parking lamp issues. Upon inspection and taken to certified, reliable Mercedes repair shops, lights are fully functioning, yet alerts continue on my display/dash. More importantly the electronic steering lock (esl) has failed on more than once costing very considrable amounts of repair bills, and it has happened without warning, I parked the car which has been perfectly maintained and with low mileage, and the steering wheel locks, making it almost impossible to even have it towed to be repaired.
- Studio City, CA, USA
The car was stationary. Ignition switch locks the car does not start and the lights on the dashboard does not come on, it has been doing this for several years until it has gotten worse, it wont start at all had to get it towed to Mercedes
- Boca Raton, FL, USA
Car was parked by side walk next to my house. Inserted the key in the ignition and turned it. The car did not start, and the steering wheel was locked. No lights flashed on the dashboard. Car had to be towed on truck bed since it's rear-wheel drive. Dealer told me it's the ignition switch lock cylinder. Cost $1500 to fix. This is a manufacturer's defect. Not fair.
- Oxnard/Ventura, CA, USA
Eis steering lock battery fail. $12 battery dies and eis stays in lock position key doesn't respond to ignition switch or car unlocking doors.
- Newark, NJ, USA
My car every so often won"T start battery is good starter is good just does nothing happened over 10X had it towed to 5 mechanics shops and Mercedes can"T diagnose problem because after a day maybe two sometimes 4 or 5 the car will just start up on its own and then a few weeks or months we go through it all over again researched and other Mercedes C300 drivers have the same problem for months and its the steering lock module.
- Cape Coral, FL, USA
Turned ignition key to start vehicle. Nothing happened. No cranking or clicking. Complete silence. Steering wheel and transmission shifter were both locked into position and could not be moved even though ignition was in the 'on' position. Apparently this is a common problem associated with a defect in the 'electrical ignition system/electronic steering lock (eis/esl)' and is the subject of a technical service bulletin from the manufacturer. This condition occurred on one previous occasion within the last 45 days. On both occasions vehicle was stationary however if it were occur while moving the steering wheel would lock and driver would be unable to avoid a collision. This is a well documented and widely known safety defect for which the manufacturer should bear the cost of correcting (at the current time vehicle owners are charged between $1200-$1700 to perform the defect correction outlined in the manufacturer's technical service bulletin).
- St Albans, VT, USA
Problem with the ignition switch. The whole car shut down after being inspected. It said to be a interlock switch problem I'll have to have the car towed because it will not turn on it is shut down.
- Blakeslee, PA, USA
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the ignition or the steering column control lock failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to hoy family auto (1122 airway blvd, el paso, tx 79925, (915) 706-2200) where it was diagnosed that the steering column control mechanism failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,169. Consumer stated oil change was done 1,000 miles prior to failure.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
Steering wheel stuck in locked position. Car will not start. Lots of research on the issue has shown many people have this problem. This issues happens when the car is stationary. Many times at night when I am getting off work.
- San Jose, CA, USA
Safety issue regarding failure of rear subframe. I am the original owner of a 2009 C300 4matic sport. This vehicle has been garage kept its entire life and is not in a high salt or snow environment. My wife was extremely lucky to have avoided an accident in this car due to the rear subframe rusting through and separating. We bought this car brand new and paid a premium for Mercedes quality because we thought it was the safest vehicle made. I am extremely dismayed to learn that when my wife came home and said the car was driving weird, that in fact she was driving a car that was falling apart with my 7 yr old daughter in the back and could have resulted in a very serious accident. When she arrived at the alignment shop the manager there informed her the car was unsafe to drive and he had never seen anything like this type of failure of the frame before. My wife had the car towed to the Mercedes dealership for repair because it was not safe to drive. This certainly should be a safety recall due to a manufacturing defect or use of poor materials and Mercedes should cover the repairs
- Lexington, KY, USA
Pulled into parking space and locked car. 'the car was in a stationary position in a parking lot.' Did shopping 1/2 hour. When I came back the car did unlock, but when I attempted to start it, the key wouldn't turn to start the car. I was unable to move the gear shift, unable to turn the steering wheel, no radio, the car was totally locked and shut down. I contacted my Mercedes certified mechanic and he had a tow company come to retrieve my car. When the tow got there, the wheels were turned to the left as I had pulled into the parking space and they were still turned from pulling into the space to the left. It took them over an hour to load the car on their truck because the wheels were locked in a turn position. They took the car to my mechanic and he realized the car was in a steering lock. He "removed and replaced -all." The invoice states replaced "steering lock" [xxx] I will have a copy of the invoice faxed to you by ups. I don't know how to fax. There was virtually no reason for the car to lock as it did. There was no indication of an issue while driving the car until I attempted to start it and it was completely locked. Had this happened while I was driving, I am certain it would have been a disaster. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- Spring Hill, FL, USA
The car stopped on me while I was driving pn the highway, because of faulty esl unit. I did some research and it us very common issue with all mercerdes W204.
- Edmond, OK, USA
- Niskayuna , NY, USA