2013 Mercedes-Benz C 300 Body & structure Problems

The interior door handle of the driver's side door snapped, which does not allow the driver to open the door at all. In the event of a crash, fire, or emergency, the door can only be opened from the exterior. This is a widespread issue with this model of car, which Mercedes-Benz is very aware of. There are hundreds of videos and online discussions of this common saferty issue that Mercedes refuses to make right. This is a risk for the safety of all drivers of these vehicles. The car has been inspected and confirmed by a MB dealer. There were no warning indications before or after this happened. Mercedes Benz wants $1200 to fix this obvious defect.

NHTSA ID

11681819

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

On several instances of breaking, my 2013 Mercedes Benz C300 pulls hard to the right and becomes very unstable. I assumed it was a brake problem by the way the car drove. I took it to my mechanic, who immediately identified the rear subframe had rusted so much that a control arm had broken loose from the subframe. The rear subframe acts as a foundation for the rear suspension and holds the backend together. Fortunately I was able to get this diagnosed prior to a serious accident. The car gets very unstable, especially at higher speeds, when braking. There are no warning lights that will catch this. This problem absolutely places both passengers and other cars on the road at risk of a collision when braking, especially on the highway at higher speeds. I am going to contact a local Mercedes Benz dealer to evaluate replacement of the damaged parts to ensure the car is safe to drive following repair. Based on the links below, it sounds like a known issue at Mercedes Benz. I was never notified of any issues or from prior service visits, or via mail notice from the manufacturer. My mechanic was shocked, to say the least. Hoping MB will take care of this dangerous problem without hassle. See: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11614928

Incident

Sep 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle pulled to the left before coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the subframe was rusted and needed to be replaced; however, the Salvage Title voided the extended warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ID

11607610

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

Mileage

82,000 mi

The driver side indoor handle keeps breaking. I have repaired mine 4 times but still keep breaking. The connector attached to the handle is so fragile it cant withstand regular use. why hasnt this been recalled by mercedes? One repair costs 1400 dollars.

NHTSA ID

11591772

Incident

May 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle pulled to the left aggressively. The vehicle was driven to the residence; however, while driving, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a severely corroded rear subframe and that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

NHTSA ID

11577135

Incident

Mar 7, 2024

Mileage

134,000 mi

Broke rear subframe while driving. Made it home discovered the left rear suspension is almost completely detached from the vehicle. Researched the problem and discovered it’s a known issue and a warranty extension has been provided for some vehicles including some models of my particular year and model but after contacting Mercedes is seems mine is not.

NHTSA ID

11574281

Incident

Feb 27, 2024

Rear right side Subframe rusted and broke off. Vehicle pulled to the right while braking.

NHTSA ID

11567552

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Rear Control Arm Broke off of the rusted Rear Sub Frame assembly which was confirmed and inspected by my mechanic.

NHTSA ID

11528405

Incident

Jun 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the subframe was corroded. The independent mechanic replaced the subframe; however, the failure recurred with the vehicle making an abnormal sound while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where the vehicle remained but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11525564

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Mileage

80,000 mi

The car was all over the road when braking and making banging sound. Had towed to 3 repair shops and all said Subframe was rotted out beyond repair. Mercedes Benz in golden bridge will replace subframe, but my cost is towing, labor and renting a car until it’s fixed which can take up to 1 month.

NHTSA ID

11522485

Incident

Apr 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered that the rear suspension cross member was fractured due to severe rust. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who confirmed the failure, but no repair was performed. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11507201

Incident

Oct 15, 2022

Mileage

160,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for routine service, he was informed that the subframe was corroded. The contact also stated that while driving at highway speeds, the rear of the vehicle was shaking while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11504374

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

Mileage

80,000 mi

When breaking at high speeds, the car feels like I will lose control of it. Has happened a few times and I thought I was going to hit the neighboring car. Took it to a repair shop and found out that the rear driver side subframe Is completely rotted out and the rear control arm is hanging. The car only has about 97,500 miles on it, has not been driven in high salt areas, and doesn’t have any other signs of rust. Two auto body shops have told me this shouldn’t happen on a car with that low mileage, and these cars, Mercedes c300s, are known to have this defect.

NHTSA ID

11504245

Incident

Jan 28, 2023

This 2013 Mercedes C300 with 88,xxx miles has significant subframe rust. This is unacceptable and is a safety hazard because the rust and corrosion will continue to spread and cause additional safety issues. This will cost over $4,000 to repair, but it is a manufacturer defect. There are a ton of similar complaints online, so this is clearly a systemic issue with this model that needs to be investigated.

NHTSA ID

11502630

Incident

Jan 16, 2023

There is a defect in the subframe of the vehicle which causes it to corrode and rust out. Apparently, this is a known issue with certain years and models, and has already been recalled in Europe, but not the US.

NHTSA ID

11502562

Incident

Dec 14, 2022

Rear subframe rotted. Common issue, needs a recall. Control arm broke off on both sides of the rear subframe. Rear passenger lower control arm close to gas tank, can cause a fire if punctures through tank as well. Lots of swaying in rear as well

NHTSA ID

11501164

Incident

Jan 9, 2023

The subframe has rotted from insufficient protection . This car is unsafe to drive , many US consumers having same problem with this model where the subframe is rusted out. This is a major issue effecting thousands of cars of this model or maybe more

NHTSA ID

11500968

Incident

Jan 3, 2023

while driving in an emergency braking situation the car went left...so much so i lost control and spun 360 degrees. i thought that wasnt rite...upon investigation it turns out the right rear torque arm was no longer connected..the cradle or sub frame. it was rotted thru causing the arm to break off !!....car is not drivable and mercedes wont repair it... someone is going to get killed if it hasnt happened already !!

NHTSA ID

11500752

Incident

Jul 30, 2022

1. The component that failed was the rear subframe for the rear transaxle and wheel suspension system. It was inspected by a licensed MB service department and determined the drivers side of the rear subframe had rusted completely through and was separated from the frame. The passenger side of the rear subframe was also severely rusted and at risk of breaking. The subframe is currently being replaced. 2. The subframe to this vehicle holds the transaxle and rear wheel suspension in place, I noticed with a hard breaking the rear of the car swerved, slightly fishtailing. I immediately drove home and parked it until I could drive it to a service/repair facility. If this subframe had completely broken free the entire rear drivetrain would have been severely damaged or completely destroyed or worse, break free from the vehicle and cause a crash. 3. The problem is well known in the auto industry. My service center who inspected my vehicle described it and said it is a well known problem and they have replaced other subframes due to the same issue. I even spoke to an AUDI salesman today and they know of it and send these MB vehicles as a trade-in to auction and do not even attempt to replace the subframe. A recall for this problem of the subframe failure due to rust has already been issued for MB in Europe for quite some time but no recall in the USA. 4. This vehicle and component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance rep. 5. no warning lamps or any other messages were illuminated to give any warning of a subframe failure due to rust. The first symptom of the problem is the loose rear end with hard breaking causing a slight fishtail of the rear of the car. I experienced this on my drive home from work and afterwards only drove it to my service center.

NHTSA ID

11500347

Incident

Dec 19, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the vehicle and then lost control of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over safety and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that the rear subframe of the vehicle was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 49,000.

NHTSA ID

11498026

Incident

Dec 1, 2022

Mileage

49,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon depression of the brake pedal, the vehicle independently swayed to the left without warning. The contact notified the independent mechanic who instructed her to bring the vehicle in for an inspection. The mechanic discovered severe corrosion on the subframe; however, the part to repair the vehicle was on backorder. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a second independent mechanic who kept the vehicle for three weeks before the vehicle was repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,026.

NHTSA ID

11494459

Incident

Oct 17, 2022

Mileage

68,026 mi

Rear sub frame failure due to corrosion. Failed part causes vehicle to lose control when applying breaks. Further broke sub frame has high risk of fire due fuel tank breach. Vehicle was inspected by Mercedes Benz technicians several times up to the point of failure, no advanced warning. Technician stated no lights, no warning signs until total failure occurs.

NHTSA ID

11494104

Incident

Nov 1, 2022

While returning from a long trip with my entire family, I initially lost control of the vehicle on a normal curve at 70 mph speed on a highway. We managed to stop without getting in an accident. After determining that it is not because of any tire damage and not understanding the problem, we continued with the journey driving at reduced speeds. From then on, vehicle was losing control whenever I try to brake. After narrowly missing few accidents, I realized the stopping distance also increased a lot. I almost hit several vehicles whenever I try to come to stop all of a sudden. Unsure of the weirdly behavior all of a sudden, I decided to stop at a nearby autoshop and get a quick check. Surprisingly the mechanic heard about these issues earlier and pointed us directly at the cause of this behavior. The issue is a ROTTEN REAR SUBFRAME. A part which is supposed to last for the entirety of its life, rusted from inside out prematurely. Learning this, I sent my family home in a different vehicle and brought mine towed. Mercedes Service center gave me an initial estimate of $8860 to repair and might increase once they start removing things for repair. After further research, I found out this is a very common issue. In other countries, Mercedes is replacing this free of charge to customers who report it as this is a safety issue. So I tried to reach out to Mercedes Corporate office and they declined to repair it Free of charge as there is no official recall on this issue. I am only glad that my entire family didn't end up in an unfortunate incident due a a cheaply made part. I urge NHTSA to look into this issue as soon as possible and help avoid lots of accidents due to this issue.

NHTSA ID

11494009

Incident

Oct 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle veered to the left. The contact depressed the brake pedal again and the vehicle was difficult to control. The vehicle then veered to the right. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that the subframe was rusted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with frame rust. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11492867

Incident

Oct 1, 2022

Mileage

66,000 mi

I was driving on the highway i hit the brakes as traffic was starting to build up and the car veered into the right lane and all of a sudden and almost got hit by a tractor trailer. It felt so scary, weird when hitting the brakes after that. I took it to my mechanic immediately and he said the rear subframe is rotted out and DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR!!!!!!!!! I asked please get me an estimate on how much to fix. He called me later in the day and said it was a 8 month wait for the part and the Mercedes dealer said it is a VERY VERY VERY common problem on these cars. There are Thousands and thousands. There is a defect when manufactured and MERCEDES does not want to do a recall or step up to the plate in the United States. There is a recall in Canada and Europe that replaces the part. What are they waiting for till some gets hurt seriously or killed. Now i do not have a car to use for who knows how long and Mercedes should be ashamed. Please advise. This is a real scary safety issue. Please advise. Thank you [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11491585

Incident

Oct 27, 2022