Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz C 300 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The car is not starting. no dashboard no lights no window function no seat function no radio. nothing. Ignition lights are not turning on and the car is dead. Car batteries were newly replaced but understand this could be EIS and Steering lock issues which is common in Mercedes Benz models. Why is Manufacturer not compensating / correcting for common errors on his Models?
There is a crack in the flange causing a fuel leak in my C300 2011 Mercedes-Benz built March 2011. A strong gas smell fills the car. This situation is extremely dangerous and should be included in the recall that was approved for vehicles C300 manufactured from April 2011-July 2011. Please include my vehicle in this recall. There is only a one month difference.
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes C300. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH the check engine began flashing and the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle and smoke was observed emanating from the front driver's tire. The contact stated that the fire exploded from the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact stated that she was locked in the vehicle by the driver's seatbelt, but was able to get out of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire and a report was taken. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a salvage lot. The contact was not sure if the vehicle restarted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Electronic steering locks are failing in these cars at an alarming rate. When it fails, the car will be stranded or if driving the car will completely lock the steering and take away control from the driver. This is a safety issue that Mercedes should be recalling and fixing because it will take people's lives away. Mercedes is aware of this issue but is failing to recall it and considering it as non-safety. When manufacturing the Electronic Steering lock, Mercedes used cheap parts that are prone to failure. This issue affected many years and models of their cars but only recalled a few cars. Once failure occurs, the car will not start and it will be required to tow it to a dealership where repairs over $2000 will be needed to fix this SAFETY issue.
Went to work and came out and the vehicle says to remove key from ignition. Was stuck in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures and had no way to get anywhere. It’s a common problem that Mercedes knows about and is charging thousands of dollars to repair because it can only be done through them.
MY CAR SOUND LIKE THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE IT'S VERY LOUD. ALSO SECONDARY AIR FLOW JUST REPLACED AND NOW IT'S GOING TO NEED ANOTHER ONE AT 2000 A POP. FINALLY THE ELECTRICS IS VERY WEIRD. LIGHTS WILL GO OUT THEN COME BACK ON. MY DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS STAY ON DAY AND NIGHT NO MATTER WHERE I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH. THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHT IS ON EVEN WHEN I TURN ON HIGH BEAMS. NO MATTER IF IT'S MOVING OR NOT ALL THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
TAKATA INFLATORS THE FIRST RECALL WAS FEBRUARY 2016 FOR THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME IS PAST THE PARTS WERE PROMISED IN SEPTEMBER 2018 AND NO DELIVERY. NOW A NEW RECALL OF JANUARY 2019 FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INFLATOR HAS BEEN ISSUED I'M TOLD BY MERCEDES-BENZ USA THAT THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2019 . THIS IS AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME GIVEN THE THREE YEARS OF THE PREVIOUS RECALL NOT BEING REMEDIED. ALSO I'M TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS ARE COLLAPSED I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT THIS IS A DEFECT ALSO SUBJECT TO RECALL.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C300W. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V363000 (AIR BAGS) AND 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO JUMPSTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.
1. TAKATA RECALL: THIS RECALL OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW IS UNACCEPTABLE AND HAZARDOUS TO EM AND MY FAMILY. 2. LAW SUIT: GREG SUDDRETH AND PAUL DENTON V. MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. ON 10/30/17, I HAD TO PAY 3445.13 FOR A REPAIR MY BALANCE SHAFTS GEARS, WHICH WE'RE DEEMED DEFECTIVE IN ALL M272 ENGINES WHICH IS IN MY C300. HOWEVER, IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED LAW SUIT, THIS PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN CORRECTED. WHEN I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION TO THE MERCEDES-BENZ OF MODESTO TECHNICIANS, THEY SAID I MISSED THE CUT-OFF DATE BY ONE YEAR. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND CHECKED TO SEE IF I QUALIFIED FOR A FREE REPAIR, BUT LATER CLAIMED, THE ISSUE WITH THE DEFECTIVE BALANCE SHAFTS GEARS HAD BEEN ADDRESSED. HOW CAN THAT BE WHEN I INCURRED THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. I EVENTUALLY HAD TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT MERCEDES OF PLEASANTON BECAUSE MODESTO DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPEN APPOINTMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. 3. FAULTY ELECTRONIC STEARING LOCK: ENGINE WON'T TURN ON AND STEEARING WHEEL IS LOCKED. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. MERCEDES CLAIM NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER GETS STUCK AT MIDNIGHT AT AN AMUSEMENT PARK ON HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR NIGHT...THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER.
THE CAR WILL NOT START, NO POWER, NO LIGHTS, NO RADIO, NO RESPONSE AFTER INSERTING THE KEY. I TRIED BOTH KEYS AND SAME ISSUE EXISTS WITH BOTH KEYS. THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW IN 2011. AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTHS, STARTED NOTICING A ROTTEN EGG ODOR COMING FROM MY CAR. THE SMELL SEEMS TO COME FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN I'M GOING 45MPH OR MORE GOING UP A HILL ON A HIGHWAY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK, SO THEY TOOK THE CAR FOR A TEST DRIVE AND SAID THEY FOUND NO ODORS WHICH I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY? THEY SAID IT MIGHT BE THE TYPE OF FUEL I USE FOR THE CAR MAY AFFECT IT, BUT I USE PREMIUM GAS ONLY FROM CHEVRON. MERCEDES REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS, BECAUSE THE SMELL IS HORRIBLE! I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SMELL FOR ALMOST THREE YRS. NOW. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .