2017 Mercedes-Benz C 300 Electrical Problems

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. While driving at approximately 15 mph, the contact observed smoke emanating from under the hood. The vehicle was driven to her work location and parked. Upon exiting the vehicle and opening the hood, she observed orange flames coming from the engine compartment. A parking attendant extinguished the fire, and a police and/or fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and diagnosed with a fuel line leak that caused the engine harness to come apart. The leaking fuel hose from the high-pressure fuel pump caused damage to the high-pressure pump, engine harness, vacuum transducer, and coolant feed line from the thermostat to the firewall. The following components needed replacement: high-pressure fuel pump, rubber fuel hose, engine harness, pressure transducer, and intake manifold. The vehicle was repaired. Five months later, the contact experienced another failure she believes was associated with the engine fire. While parked and attempting to start the vehicle, it did not start. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and diagnosed with a faulty starter that needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,422.

NHTSA ID

11738037

Incident

Oct 29, 2025

Mileage

65,422 mi

I am reporting a serious vehicle safety hazard caused by improper and unsafe repair work performed by USA Platinum Motor, located at 1221 California Lane #126B, Arlington, TX. I brought my 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 in for a cold start rattle with no warning lights or prior issues. The shop diagnosed a loose timing chain and I authorized the repair. After the repairs, the vehicle was returned with critical safety defects, including a loose fuel pump, unsecured fuel line, missing bolts, and improperly reassembled engine components. Shortly after pickup, the car experienced loss of acceleration on the interstate, a strong odor of fuel, and a sudden loss of power, creating a dangerous and life-threatening situation. The vehicle had to be towed back to the shop. The manager, who is not a certified mechanic, admitted he personally “fixed” the issue by tightening the fuel pump himself. A Mercedes-Benz diagnostic inspection later confirmed multiple severe assembly errors, including missing fasteners, unsecured oil cooler, disconnected vent lines, and other safety-related defects in the fuel and cooling systems. These unsafe and negligent repairs created an extreme fire hazard, engine instability, and risk of sudden failure while driving. I am requesting a formal NHTSA investigation into this matter to ensure vehicle safety compliance and to prevent similar incidents affecting other consumers.

NHTSA ID

11696497

Incident

Oct 24, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11693851

Incident

Sep 17, 2025

The sunroof is very glitchy and this is common in all Benz I have had a few different Benz and they all eventually have this same issue with their panoramic sunroof. Sometimes it opens half way life one side is up and the other side is closed and other times it will open fully but not close and other times it won’t open at all. This is a common problem that many Benz owners have stated this in the Benz forums all over. This is a safety issue due to unexpected weather conditions if it rains and it’s stuck inside gets damage and owners get wet which is also a distraction and may cause accidents. Please investigate this issue thoroughly. Their sunroofs should be recalled and extended warranties placed on them automatically by Mercedes Benz due to this being a very common issue in all model’s panorama sunroofs particularly C300s year 2017 thank you for looking into this matter.

NHTSA ID

11665836

Incident

Mar 29, 2025

ESP control unit software Recall 2016090002 Recall 2017110002 Recall 2020080016 And my car shows there’s cero recall active but is giving me problem showing code: U0121 u1110 U0122 B227d U0423 B227d

NHTSA ID

11654348

Incident

Mar 5, 2025

When i scan my vehicle there are Mercedes Benz fault codes pertaining to the electrical system but also recalls that haven’t been done but when looking Mercedes Benz web site and NHTSA WEBSITE these are aren’t showing up as my particular chassis being included as part of the campaign

NHTSA ID

11621666

Incident

Oct 23, 2024

Check engine light came up for a PCV valve error. Car was driving fine with no recent changes and the repair is going to cost over 2000$.

NHTSA ID

11547526

Incident

Sep 19, 2023

Hey good morning. There’s been a been a system failure. P052E Positive Crankcase Ventilation Regulator Valve Performance. Warning message I got was the engine light showed

NHTSA ID

11500059

Incident

Dec 1, 2022

I was reversing my vehicle when I heard a snap, and the inside dash panel warning sign came on…later I google it and found out it has happened to many other people. the clock spring behind the steering wheel snapped and airbags warning signs came on with possibility of deploying at any moment.

NHTSA ID

11492300

Incident

May 27, 2022

When I started my car, the dash did not reveal park, drive, or reverse. It illuminated with a warning light indicating an Electronic Stability Problem (ESP). Research revealed this to be an important safety feature and that the Mercedes-warning-lights-electric-stability-control may have problems with traction control requiring attention. The ESP light was NOT flashing for the system to intervene – as the car was parked in my garage. It did not light up with the word ‘OFF’ to assess whether it may have been inadvertently deactivated. The light stayed on indicating a suddenly improperly working ESP system. The light remained on after stopping and restarting the engine several times as the dealer maintenance technician suggested concluding with my vehicle being towed to Mercedes Benz of Augusta for service. I am not sure if the MB mechanic reproduced the issue as they discussed several other potential failure points before resolving to replace an item in the steering control module. Experiencing this alert, I became more concerned that a safety inspection may not have been part of the last maintenance service. This is my third Mercedes and I make sure to keep up with all my maintenance. I had never seen this warning light before. Up until this time the only warning light I had seen in my car was for low air in my tires. My safety was not at immediate risk. I am glad my car was not able to be driven, as I would have hated for it to stop while I was out and about. I am a proud Mercedes Benz owner as they are world renown for the safest cars on the road. My car has just over 25,000 miles and it was unimaginable that it would have this kind of failure. I should not be held accountable to pay for a safety failure that I should be part of required maintenance checks. An additional periodic Mercedes required safety inspection could prevent this potential breakdown while providing another measure to protect the life of Mercedes Benz owners.

NHTSA ID

11490679

Incident

Oct 8, 2022

Light came on tonight and stayed on, Collinsion prevention assist inoperable. Car has been involved in any collision for this system to quit out of the blue

NHTSA ID

11429955

Incident

Aug 20, 2021

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V058000 (Communication, Electrical System) 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 local dealer claimed that the manufacturer was responsible for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11419197

Incident

May 17, 2021

SO I JUST GOT MY MERCEDES BENZ C300 4MATIC I ONLY HAVE 44,711 MILES ON IT AND I BARELY DRIVE IT, SO TODAY I WAS DRIVING AND THE WHOLE DAY THINGS WERE GREAT AND I STOPPED AT A STORE GOT BACK IN AND IT SAYS 'POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION' I WAS ON A STREET IN THE CITY, I'M ON CONFUSED ON HOW THIS IS HAPPENING TO A CAR I JUST GOT FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT IS PRACTICALLY NEW, NOW LET ME MENTION THAT THIS IS A ON AND OFF ISSUE THROUGH OUT THIS WHOLE DAY IT HAS CAME ON AND OFF TWICE

NHTSA ID

11415611

Incident

May 7, 2021

Mileage

44,771 mi

WHEN THE CAR IS IN THE A FEATURE, WHERE IT TURNS ON AND OFF WHEN NOT IN MOTION, IT GETS STUCK IN THAT MODE AS IF A MAGNET IS HOLDING IT IN THAT POSITION. IT WILL NOT MOVE, IT STALLS. I TURN IT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON AND SOMETIMES IT STILL WILL NOT MOVE, SOMETIMES, IT WILL NOT TURN BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ONCE, I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF MY MAILBOX TO PICK UP MAIL, AND ANOTHER OCCASION I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE, AND IT STOPPED, AND WOULD NOT TURN ON. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, I WOULD HATE TO BE IN TRAFFIC, RAILWAY CROSSING, IR STOP SIGN AND THIS OCCURRED. PEOPLES LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST DUE TO THIS ISSUE. ONE LADY WAS HIT BY A TRAIN WHEN THIS SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AND LOST HER LIFE. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND OF MY GRANDKIDS WHOM I TRANSPORT IN THIS CAR. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE GEARS. SOMETIMES, I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND IT SITS THERE. I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT WILL NOT MOVE. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ID

11402743

Incident

Jan 15, 2021

Mileage

36,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THEY WERE INFORMED THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE'S CONSOLE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED DUE TO THE ENTIRE INSIDE BEING COMPLETELY BURNED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A REPORT WAS FILED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATING THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF STEVENS CREEK 4500 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SAN JOSE, CA 95129; (408) 641-4610) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY, TWO MONTHS AGO A FUSE LINE UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALER MENTIONED ABOVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED REGARDING THE MATTER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

NHTSA ID

11373777

Incident

Nov 8, 2020

Mileage

53,000 mi

PISTON 1 CRACKED AT 48,000 MILES. MB TOLD OWNER THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED BUT WHEN FINDING OUT THAT THE WARRANTY WAS UP AT 50,000 THEY REPLACED THE PISTON INSTEAD. CAR IS STILL SHAKING AT IDLE AND ROUGH RIDE. ENGINE SHAKES AND JERKS.

NHTSA ID

11337524

Incident

May 1, 2020

Mileage

48,000 mi

THE 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 VEHICLE SUFFERED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER/ELECTRICS WHILE IN MOTION AT SPEED AND IN TRAFFIC, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO UNEXPECTEDLY STOP ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LEAVES THE VEHICLE IMMOBILE, WITHOUT WARNING INDICATORS AND CANNOT BE MOVED. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AROUND 5PM IN A BUSY ROAD JUNCTION IN THE DARK, WITH LIMITED LIGHTING. AS THE VEHICLE IS BLACK COLORED IT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS AT ANOTHER BUSY ROAD JUNCTION IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, AT MIDDAY ON A SATURDAY. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE POLICE HAD TO ATTEND AS THE IMMOBILIZED VEHICLE POSED A SERIOUS HAZARD WITH A RISK OF CAUSING A COLLISION TO OTHER ROAD USERS. THE APPROXIMATE TIMES TO GET THE VEHICLE REMOVED FROM THE ROAD IN THESE TWO INCIDENTS WERE BETWEEN 45 - 60 MINUTES. THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE TWO INCIDENTS WAS 11 DAYS. THE DAY FOLLOWING THEN FIRST INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP, WHO HAD THE VEHICLE IN THEIR POSSESSION FOR FIVE DAYS. INITIALLY THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD NOT FOUND A CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE VEHICLE. SUBSEQUENTLY WHEN PRESSED ON THE MATTER, THEY STATED THE CAUSE WAS A CONNECTION PROBLEM TO THE POSITIVE TERMINAL ON THE BATTERY. IN GOOD FAITH THE VEHICLE WAS COLLECTED BY ME AND DRIVEN WITHOUT ANY APPARENT PROBLEM FOR FOUR DAYS, PRIOR TO THE SECOND INCIDENT. THE MILEAGE DRIVEN IN THAT PERIOD WAS LESS THAN 100 MILES IN TOTAL. THIS VEHICLE POSES A SERIOUS RISK TO THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND OTHER ROAD USERS.

NHTSA ID

11282140

Incident

Nov 23, 2019

Mileage

20,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE WITH THE MOBILE APP, SHE NOTICED A FUEL ODOR EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED MANUALLY, THE ODOR WAS NOT PRESENT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PARK PLACE MOTORCARS DALLAS (LOCATED AT 6113 LEMMON AVE, DALLAS, TX 75209, 877-475-5033) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL HOSE WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11279530

Incident

Oct 7, 2019

Mileage

55,000 mi

ON 7/30/18 I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AFTER THE COOLANT MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR BEGAN OVERHEATING, AND THERE WAS NO AC. I WAITED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE MORE THAN 3 HOURS. I WAS INFORMED OF THE INCORRECT POSITIONING OF THE ALTERNATOR FROM MANUFACTURING, WHICH RESULTED IN MULTIPLE LIGHTS ON CLUSTER. THEY FOUND THE ENGINE BELT FELL OFF & REPLACED THE V-BELT. THEY PERFORMED LI13.22-P-060187, AND RELEASED STRESS OF ALTERNATOR AND CORRECTED TORQUE. THEY ALSO WORKED ON A CAMPAIGN/RECALL (#2018070005) I HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF. ON 3/15/19 DURING THE SCHEDULED 20K SERVICE, THEY TESTED BATTERY TEST CODE WITH CABIN FILTERS WIPERS AND BRAKE FLUID SERVICE AND PERFORMED A VEHICLE INSPECTION. ON 3/19/19, 4 DAYS AFTER THE SCHEDULED 20K SERVICE, I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF US1 DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON MY WAY TO WORK. THE COOLANT LIGHT CAME AGAIN. THANKFULLY, I SAFELY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT AFTER THE CAR TURNED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE REPORT SHOWED A WEAK CRANK & BATTERY MESSAGE ON THE CLUSTER DISPLAY. THEY TESTED THE BATTERY AND FOUND CODE HR250BT-DAD4LFB STATING, 'REPLACE BATTERY'. THEY REMOVED A0019820208 DATE 45/16 AND INSTALLED A0019829108 DATE 03/18. THE DRIVE BELT HAD COME OFF THE DRIVE SYSTEM & FOUND LI13.22-P-060187, WHICH STATED THEY NEEDED TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT PROCEDURE OF THE ALTERNATOR AND INSTALLED A NEW BELT FOR THE 2ND TIME. THE BELT ACTUALLY CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TENSIONING DEVICE, WHICH RESULTED IN THEM REPLACING THE TENSIONER, AND PERFORMING THE INSTRUCTION FOR LI. THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR & SAID IT WAS FIXED. ON 4/4/19, JUST 3 DAYS AFTER PICKING UP MY CAR, IT TURNED OFF ON MY AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF US1. THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND A MESSAGE POPPED UP STATING THAT THE SYSTEM WOULD SHUT DOWN IN 3 MINUTES. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT ON A CONGESTED ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11203356

Incident

Apr 4, 2019

SINCE I BOUGHT IN FEBRUARY 2017 BRAND NEW 2017 MERCEDES BENZ C300 CONVERTIBLE IN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP I HAD TO BRING MY CAR SEVERAL TIMES FOR SERVICES LIKE, THE CONVERTIBLE TOP WOULD NOT WORK, THE MIRRORS WOULD NOT FOLD, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT ADJUST, ELECTRONICAL ISSUES LIKE CONNECTING MY CELL PHONE TO THE CAR. ( I HAD THE TOP GOT REPLACED ONLY AFTER COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR.) TODAY APRIL 27 2018 I COULD NOT START THE CAR IN THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK, THE DISPLAY WAS SHOWING THE KEY IS NOT DETECTED( HAD TO EXIT THE CAR COUPLE OF TIMES, WITH THE KEY AND TRY AGAIN TO START THE CAR UNTIL IT FINALLY WORKED).HAD MY TOP OPEN WHILE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND ONCE PARKED THE TOP WOULD NOT CLOSE, AND AGAIN HAD TO EXIT THE CAR LOCK UNLOCK AN TRY AGAIN COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE IF FINALLY CLOSED. I DID RECEIVE A LETTER SAYING THAT THE CAR WAS DEFEFECTED, AND THAT THE AIRBAG ON THE DRIVERS SEET MAY NOT WORK, I'LL ATTACH THE LETTER ( BROUGHT FOR SERVICES) BUT IT'S SEEMS THAT THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. ALSO THE TIRE PRESSURE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS IT'S LOW, AND THE DISPLAY WOULD SHOW SOMETIMES THAT THE SEET IS NOT FIRM OR STEADY. I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW CAR TO FEEL SAFE AND DO NOT FEEL THAT WAY.

NHTSA ID

11090429

Incident

Apr 27, 2018

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE THREE RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE AIR BAGS AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS REMEDIED FOR AN AIR BAG RECALL; HOWEVER, THE PARTS HAD NOT BEEN AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF WEST HOUSTON, 1025 HWY 6, HOUSTON, TX 77079, (281) 492-5800) WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE SUPPLIED FOR THE OTHER TWO RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN INFORMATION. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11078686

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300W. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF BEVERLY HILLS AT (310) 659-2980 (9250 BEVERLY BLVD, BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *TT *TR

NHTSA ID

11062422

Incident

Feb 8, 2017

TAKATA RECALL SEATBELT ISSUES WARRANTY ITEMS /ELECTRICAL NO RESPONSE FROM DEALER AFTER REPEATED EMAILS

NHTSA ID

11053814

Incident

Nov 8, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE PUSH TO START FEATURE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT VIBRATED ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HENDRICK MOTORS OF CHARLOTTE-MERCEDES BENZ (5201 E INDEPENDENCE BLVD, CHARLOTTE, NC 28212, (704) 909-6941). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40.

NHTSA ID

11022984

Incident

Nov 15, 2016

Mileage

40 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V114000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH KEYES EUROPEAN (5400 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401) WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION AND THAT THE CONTACT SHOULD CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THERE WAS NO TIME ESTIMATE REGARDING PART AVAILABILITY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11019384

Incident

Feb 16, 2017