RoadVitals

2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300 Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure reportsComplaints 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.
58
Latest Aug 5, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
15%
of 379 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 58 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.

Owner reports naming body or structure

The 25 most recent of 58, in the owner's own words

Body & structure
Filed Aug 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle fishtailed on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was raised on a lift, and the mechanic discovered that the rear subframe was severely corroded. The mechanic determined that the failure was associated with Manufacturer Communication Number: MC-10232321 (Structure); and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed, and it was discovered that the rear subframe had separated. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair and was informed that goodwill assistance would not be provided. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer was unreachable. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ID
11754977
Incident
Jul 15, 2026
Mileage
120,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Apr 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact inspected the exterior of the vehicle and became aware that the moon roof panel had detached, and the moon roof panel flew off the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (Structure) in 2021. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,612.

NHTSA ID
11733048
Incident
Apr 17, 2026
Mileage
62,612 mi
Body & structure
Filed Mar 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the body of the vehicle shifted to one side. The vehicle was drivable after the failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence and parked. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle was unsafe to drive. An independent mechanic was contacted, and it was determined that the rear subframe was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ID
11722220
Incident
Feb 16, 2026
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Nov 7, 2025

Rear subframe rusted out, car is not safe to drive

NHTSA ID
11698179
Incident
Oct 23, 2025
Body & structure
Filed Oct 23, 2025

I’m the owner of a Mercedes Benz C- Class Sedan 2015. My Rear Sub Frame Rusted Through at The right trailing arm - Fails state inspection. Mercedes Benz has issued a extended 20 year warranty on all vehicles from 2008 - 2015 C - Class Sedan for Rear Sub Frame that rusted out. Mercedes Benz service advisor stated that my vehicle was not under that extended warranty when he run my vehicle Vin number. My vehicle should be under that warranty, I have the same problem with the same vehicles on the list. Please help. Thank you

NHTSA ID
11695279
Incident
Oct 23, 2025
Body & structure
Filed Aug 19, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle for the State Inspection, the contact was informed that the rear subframe was rusted, and there was a hole on each side of the rear subframe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was made, and the dealer ordered an unknown part to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID
11681594
Incident
Aug 19, 2025
Mileage
60,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Jul 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for a routine maintenance check, the contact was informed that there was severe corrosion on the subframe of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and that several failures might occur due to the failure. The contact stated that recently, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle swerved, and the contact lost control of the vehicle. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that there was a warranty on the vehicle related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ID
11671701
Incident
Apr 2, 2025
Mileage
110,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jun 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the roof panel detached from the vehicle and fractured. The contact stated that the roof panel had previously been replaced, but the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the front roof panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V854000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID
11669469
Incident
Jun 26, 2025
Mileage
70,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Apr 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH and attempting to decelerate, the front end of the vehicle began to drift to the right while the rear drifted to the left. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the rear subframe. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 136,000.

NHTSA ID
11653394
Incident
Apr 4, 2025
Mileage
136,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Mar 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud clicking sound coming from the panoramic sunroof. The contact stated that the sunroof then became inoperable. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V854000 (Structure) and 21V197000 (Structure). The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ID
11648819
Incident
Mar 12, 2025
Mileage
115,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Mar 14, 2025

I took my vehicle to an independent repair shop for routine maintenance and while there I was advised that the vehicle is suffering from the subframe corrosion issue. I called the manufacturer service center and they took my VIN and said I was not covered under the bulletin. The independent contractor gave me an estimate to get it repaired, however Mercedes doesn’t even have the parts needed in stock as they are backed ordered nation wide. This is our only car and it now I am forced to drive an unsafe vehicle.

NHTSA ID
11648255
Incident
Mar 13, 2025
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Mar 5, 2025

I had the sunroof opened and it almost blew off, if I didn’t pull over it would have. I took it to the shop and was told it is a manufacturers issue.

NHTSA ID
11646561
Incident
Sep 12, 2024
Body & structure
Filed Dec 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a sound of air entering the vehicle from the sunroof. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the entire roof lining needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V854000 (STUCTURE), and 21V197000 (STRUCTURE); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ID
11629702
Incident
Feb 9, 2022
Mileage
50,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Oct 2, 2024

I believe my car was missed on the panoramic roof issue. I have been hearing a lot of wind and road noise coming into my car from the roof and now my roof is having issues completely closing. A few guys with c300 I know were recalled for the same issue and they had theirs repaired from the dealer under recall and after a few trips to different dealers they told me to try and add it here through the website.

NHTSA ID
11617653
Incident
Aug 5, 2024
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Aug 26, 2024

My car (vin [XXX] ) a 2015 Mercedes C300 is experiencing the same premature rusting on the subframe. I was told that while a lot of Mercedes are covered, mine is not for some reason but I'm at the same risk for the subframe getting holes in it and wheels breaking off. I only have 78,000 miles on my car, only have it serviced at the dealer and it has been garaged parked. This type of damage is not typical for a car that has been this well cared for and for the amount it has been driven. I called Mercedes to honor the $5600 or to extend the warranty should it have to be replaced and they said to file a claim here. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11610913
Incident
Aug 26, 2024
Body & structure
Filed Aug 16, 2024

The rear subframe is rusted through. It is a known manufacturing defect where water sits and rusts through the subframe. This was a recall on various Mercedes up through 2014. Multiple 2015 models have the same issue, including my Mercedes 2015 C300 4MATIC. I have a 2009 SLK with the same issue, which Mercedes previously fixed and acknowledged the manufacturing defect. The part number under the recall through 2014 is "212 250 3805" My 2015 car has part number "212 350 3605" that is not covered but still has rust issues. See attached picture The subframe can result in the back wheels falling off. My subframe is severely rusted through and a risk as a driver. A certified Mercedes dealer has inspected this issue and confirmed the safety but Mercedes will not cover the repairs for the known defect. There are no warning lights or indicators to this issue.

NHTSA ID
11608926
Incident
Aug 16, 2024
Body & structure
Filed Jul 2, 2024

SUNROOF SLIDE AND SHOE REPAIR. SLIDES HAVE MELTED DUE TO HIGH TEMPERTURES OWNER OPERATIOR DID NOT CAUSE ISSUE. Opened sunroof and sunroof would not closed. Discovered melted slides inside to sunroof tracks. It was a Rainy day and could not get sunroof to closed. Would have interfered with the visibility to drive due to water getting inside vehicle. Cost to repair is extremely high for this repair and when contacting repair shops they are seeing a large number of Mercedes with the same problem.

NHTSA ID
11598380
Incident
Jun 23, 2024
Body & structure
Filed Jun 11, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while washing the vehicle, he observed that the roof panel had become detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (Structure), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ID
11593757
Incident
Jun 11, 2024
Mileage
90,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jun 5, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V854000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the panoramic plastic piece suddenly detached from the vehicle. The location where the piece was attached was fractured allowing wind and water to leak inside the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11592633
Incident
Mar 4, 2024
Mileage
103,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Mar 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle independently pulled to the left and crossed the yellow line into the direction of oncoming traffic. The vehicle was almost involved in a head-on collision due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the repair would not be covered under warranty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a fractured subframe and that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ID
11580056
Incident
Jul 1, 2023
Mileage
103,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Mar 10, 2024

My wife and I were driving our 2015 C-Class Mercedes on a highway, traveling at roughly 55MPH on 2/25/24, at approximately 2pm, conditions were sunny but windy, when suddenly we heard a loud noise above our heads. The noise sounded like it came from around our sunroof, and it sounded as if maybe the car had been hit by a piece of debris, although neither of us saw anything. We looked in our mirrors but didn't see anything, and I also tried opening and closing the sunroof and it worked fine. I also looked in my rear view mirror and didn't see any cars behind me swerve, or in any way adjust their driving. Because there was no safe shoulder on that part of the road, we continued a mile or so further up the road and then pulled over to see if we could visibly see anything wrong with the car. To our disbelief, a section of the body of the car that is just above the front windshield and just before the sunroof, a piece I believe called the "front stationary sunroof panel" , was completely missing! We were unsuccessful at finding the piece. After some research in recent days, I believe this issue is related to MB recall campaign #2021070010, 22V-954 / 2023010004/5/6. If this is however related to the recall, the Mercedes dealership we took our car to on 3/1/24 told us it would cost us over $2,000.00 to repair. As I thought about a piece of the car simply flying off while driving, I realized how much of a safety hazard this could pose to others, hence this written report.

NHTSA ID
11576462
Incident
Feb 25, 2024
Body & structure
Filed Mar 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for routine maintenance and was informed that the rear sub frame was rusted and needed to be replaced. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA ID
11574879
Incident
Jan 26, 2024
Mileage
93,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jan 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine service, a corrosion inspection was performed. The contact was informed of a rust hole in the sub frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA ID
11567800
Incident
Sep 25, 2023
Mileage
76,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Dec 7, 2023

I have a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic got a letter from the company car had few recalls to address. Dropped the at Mercedes-Benz Hampton VA dealership on 12/06/2023 at 8:30 AM EST. After few hours got a call from the dealership that rear subframe of the has bad corrosion and because of the rust it got holes in it which is a bad safety risk. Risk is so great that it cant pass Virginia state inspection. I did a good online research and found it is a common issue in Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the company issued safety recall on some years and models but not on all the affected vehicles. Like my car has the exact same safety issue rear subframe got rust from inside so it was hard to notice till it became unsafe to drive the car. The dealer is asking almost $5000.00 to replace it. The Mercedes-Benz customer support center is unable to explain why some cars are covered with extended warranty offered by the factory and some doesn't for exact same issue. There are bunch of more people with same complaint but they don't know where to go.

NHTSA ID
11559001
Incident
Dec 6, 2023
Body & structure
Filed Aug 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, she heard a rushing air sound as if the sunroof was opened; however, the sunroof was not open. The contact stated that when she reached her destination, she noticed there was a panel missing from the roof between the sunroof and the windshield. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (Structure). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11537283
Incident
Aug 7, 2023
Mileage
100,000 mi

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.

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