2004 Mercedes-Benz 230 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 Mercedes-Benz 230, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine228.6%
- Airbags114.3%
- Heating & air conditioning114.3%
- Electrical114.3%
- Powertrain (other)114.3%
- Transmission114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY TODAY 2/27/1980 WHEN MY 2004 MERCEDES 230 WENT FROM 65 TO 35MPH ALMOST WAS KILLED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME!!!! LOOKED ONLINE TODAY TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WELL I WENT TO ONE SITE OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THEIR IS ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY BY MY OWN CAR!!!!! 2/27/1980 130PM THIS HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY NOW IAM HAVING IT TOWED AND REPAIRED AND I HAVE SORE NECK ALSO. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE. I SEE ONE SITE ALONE HAD OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR IS CLASSACTION LAWSUIT ALREADY PENDING FROM OCT 2010 ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY AND INJURED MY NECK!!!!!!! PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS THEIR HAD TO BE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME KILLED TODAY AND OTHERS INJURED 65-70 MPH TO 35 MPH IN A SECOND ON THE HIGHWAY ISN'T SAFE. *TR
TL*- CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HER 2004 MERCEDES BENZ C230 THERE WERE EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF FROM AN UNKNOWN AREA. THE FUMES CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HAVE A HEADACHE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AT 25,000 MILES ,AND SHE WANTED THE DEALER TO CHANGE THE AIR RECIRCULATION, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T CHANGE IT DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THE DEALER BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: THE CONTACT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT LIKE IN THE CENTER OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS, AND NEITHER ONE OF THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HE SAID THE VEHICLE WAS HIT PRETTY HARD AND THEY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THE AIR BAGS COULD DEPLOY IF HIT IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS, AND THAT MAYBE WAS THE REASON WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER SAID PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, AND THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. ALSO, MANUFACTURER SAID THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE AIR BAGS MESSED UP, AND THEY WERE GOING TO DO AN INVESTIGATION. THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE SINCE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT: CONTACT STATES THERE IS A CHEMICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER BOX TWICE AFTER A WEEK THE ODOR RETURNED. THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAPPENED THE SERVICE DEALER FINALLY STATED IT WAS CORROSION IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE PADDING UNDERNEATH THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS REPLACED.*AK *SB *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. REPAIR DONE TO FIX ISSUE FOUND AS STATED BY MERCEDES PARK PLACE TECH IN DALLAS TX - 'FOUND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE SENDING INCORRECT SIGNALS DUE TO OIL DAMAGE. ALSO FOUND AIR INTAKE TEMP SENSOR WITH OIL DAMAGE. NECESSARY TO REPLACE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND INTAKE TEMP SENSOR. REPLACED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS AND BOTH O2 SENSORS. THE TOTAL CHARGE WAS $3432.12. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM DUE TO MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT HAD SUBSEQUENT RECALL 2009100001. THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY CAR ON 7/25/2011. BY THIS TIME I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIR AND THEREFORE NO ISSUE WAS FOUND OR REPAIR REQUIRED.. I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD BE REFUNDED FOR THE THIS REPAIR SINCE IT WAS A RECALL. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY TODAY 2/27/1980 WHEN MY 2004 MERCEDES 230 WENT FROM 65 TO 35MPH ALMOST WAS KILLED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME!!!! LOOKED ONLINE TODAY TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WELL I WENT TO ONE SITE OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THEIR IS ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY BY MY OWN CAR!!!!! 2/27/1980 130PM THIS HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY NOW IAM HAVING IT TOWED AND REPAIRED AND I HAVE SORE NECK ALSO. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE. I SEE ONE SITE ALONE HAD OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR IS CLASSACTION LAWSUIT ALREADY PENDING FROM OCT 2010 ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY AND INJURED MY NECK!!!!!!! PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS THEIR HAD TO BE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME KILLED TODAY AND OTHERS INJURED 65-70 MPH TO 35 MPH IN A SECOND ON THE HIGHWAY ISN'T SAFE. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT; THE CONTACT STATED TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. ON THREE OCCASIONS THE CAR REVVED WITHOUT GEARING DOWN BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. ON ALL OCCASIONS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .