Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest Feb 18, 2011
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Sep 22, 2004
What this page shows
Our database holds 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 230. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaints, most recent first
Showing 1–5 of 5
Interior & seats
Filed Feb 18, 2011
1 injury reported1 death reported
MERCEDES 230 C KOMPRESSOR. LIFTED HOOD AFTER 'CHECK ENGINE' LIT UP. AS HOOD WAS BEING LIFTED THE SPRING LOADED PASSENGER SIDE HOOD LATCH RELEASE FLEW OUT WITH TREMENDOUS FORCE - STRIKING NOSE AND EYEGLASSES - DROPPED HOOD INSTANTLY - YANKING RIGHT SHOULDER CAUSING INJURY REQUIRING ONGOING MEDICAL TREATMENT ALONG WITH PERMANENT SCAR ON NOSE. MERCEDES INSPECTED PART BUT NEVER PROVIDED ;TECHNICAL REPORT REGARDING DEFECTIVE PART WHICH UTILIZED PLASTIC INSERT. *LN
NHTSA ID
10383219
Incident
Jun 4, 2007
Mileage
30,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 29, 2009
MY 2003 MERCEDES C230 MOONROOF BROKE COMPLETELY BY SUMMER 2009. I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE MOONROOF SQUEAKING/RATTLING FROM THE FIRST DAY I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS SERVICED A NUMBER OF TIMES AND OTHER TIMES THE MECHANIC WOULD SAY THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE NOISE AND THEN IT FINALLY WOULDN'T OPEN ANYMORE. MERCEDES WANTS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT TO REPAIR IT (APPROX. $4,500). *TR
NHTSA ID
10297349
Incident
Aug 9, 2009
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Mar 17, 2009
I HAVE A 2003 MERCEDES C230 WITH 80K MILES, THE CAR WOULD STOP RUNNING EITHER WHILE IDOL OR DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, REPLACED O2 SENSOR, NEXT WEEK SAME PROBLEM, REPLACED 02 SENSOR AGAIN, IT DIED AGAIN WHILE AT THE DEALER, DEALER THEN EXPLAINED THE OIL HARNESS LEAKED INTO THE 02 SENSOR AND KNOCKED OUT THE CAM SENSORS AND CRANK SENSOR AS WELL, SO THEY REPLACED THOSE PARTS PLU THE HARNESS AND SUBHARNESS. I UNDERSTAND FROM 2007-2008 MERCEDES SERVICE BLOGS THAT "SEEMS TO HAPPENING ON THE M271 MOTOR'S (2003-2005 C230); THE CAM SENSORS LEAK OIL WERE THE WIRE GOES INTO THE SENSOR, THEN THE OIL TRAVELS DOWN TO THE O2 SENSOR AND KILLS IT; IF OIL GETS IN THE HARNESS AND DAMAGES THE O2 SENSORS, NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE O2 SENSOR BUT THAT ENTIRE SECTION OF WIRING HARNESS; PREVENTION IS THE KEY...ALSO, MB HAS A HARNESS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THE OIL FROM GETTING IN THE REST OF THE HARNESS..." SO MY QUESTION IS WHY HASN'T MERCEDES (MB) BEEN REQUIRED TO RECALL THIS PART BEFORE IT CAUSES MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS, SUCH AS AN ACCIDENT FROM STALLING OR AN AUTO FIRE? *TR
NHTSA ID
10262164
Incident
Mar 17, 2009
Mileage
83,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 16, 2005
1 injury reported
GAS CAP COVER CENTRAL SYSTEM DID NOT RELEASE ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS . THE MANUAL PROVIDES EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE BUT NONE EXISTS NOTWITHSTANDING GOUGING OF ARM ON EXPOSED SHARP INTERNAL FENDER-TRUNK SCREWS . MERCEDES COMPLAINT OFFICE INSISTS TRUNK RELEASE EXISTS. FINALLY NEW COUNTRY MB DEALER, HARTFORD, CT SERVICE MGR AND CHIEF MECHANIC ADMIT TO ERRONEOUS INFO IN MANUAL AS DID ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PREVIOUSLY - EVEN AFTER CONTACTING MB ENGINEERING I WAS ABLE TO PROVE THIS DEFECT EXISTS. CAUSING LIKELIHOOD OF INJURY TO ANYONE FOLLOWING MANUAL INSTRUCTION RE REACHING INTO TRUNK PANEL COVERING WHERE EXPOSED 1 INCH SCREWS EXIST IN PRECISE AREA OF INSTRUCTION INFO - WHICH CAUSED MY INJURY. THERE WAS NO EMERGENCY RELEASE PROVIDED NOR DID ONE EXIST ON A REPLACED ACTUATOR - WHICH I RETAINED . EVEN IF ONE EXISTED - THE OPERATOR MUST REACH IN ABOUT 2-3 FEET ENTIRE LENGTH OF ARM BEFORE REACHING ACTUATOR - INHERENT DANGEROUS MANUFACTURE DEFECT. *NM
NHTSA ID
10133002
Incident
Aug 10, 2005
Mileage
19,139 mi
Airbags
Filed Sep 22, 2004
THE AIR BAGS ARE DEPLOYING. SO FAR NO INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS HAVE DEPLOYED ON TWO SERVICE TECHS. AND ONE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. DEPLOYMENT IS DO TO A DEFECT. *AK
NHTSA ID
10093016
Incident
Aug 26, 2004
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.