RoadVitals

1997 Mercedes-Benz C Class

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
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Latest May 12, 2012
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz C Class, most frequently naming the driver assistance, electrical and engine categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance120.0%
  • Electrical120.0%
  • Engine120.0%
  • Fuel system120.0%
  • Suspension120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed May 12, 2012
Fire reported

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEEDS. ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR BEGAN BACKFIRING AND SPEED DROPPED FROM 65 MPH TO 30 MPH. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND BEGAN TO BACKFIRE MORE. TEMP WENT UP AND CAR STARTED SMOKING. PULLED OVER TO CHECK ON CAR AND IT NEVER RESTARTED AGAIN. CONTACTED MB ASSIST AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A JUMP WITH THICK GAUGE CABLES AND THEY COULD SEND A TECH BUT THE CHARGES WOULD BE AT MINIMUM $100. ITS BEEN OVER A WEEK AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. I'VE PUT BATTERIES IN FOB (THEY NEVER HAD ANY BEFORE) , CHARGED CAR BATTERY , CHECKED ALL FUSES, JUMPED CAR BATTERY AND NOW AM BEING GIVEN A P1570 IMMOBILIZER CODE . THE CAR ALARM HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED. . THIS CAR IS MAKING ABSOLUTE NO SENSE WITH THE ERRORS AND NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT NEARLY CAUGHT FIRE AND WONT START NOW... *TR

NHTSA ID
10458187
Incident
May 4, 2012
Mileage
249,800 mi
Suspension
Filed Feb 9, 2010

MY MERCEDES 1997 C-280, PURCHASED FROM THE MERCEDES DEALER, HAS EXHIBITED SEVERAL INHERENT DESIGN ISSUES. THE ISSUE THAT IS THE GREATEST SAFETY ISSUE IS THE CONSTANT DETERIORATION/DESTRUCTION UNDER NORMAL USE OF THE UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, EVERY 50,000 MILES OR SO, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL FOR ANY MODERN CAR. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A CAR AT THAT FREQUENCY (AT $1000/ REPAIR), AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL FAIL. MOST PEOPLE EVENTUALLY GIVE UP. WHEN THESE BUSHINGS SUDDENLY FAIL, THE STEERING AND BRAKING ARE AFFECTED. IT IS ESPECIALLY NOTICED IN SHARP TURNING SITUATIONS, SUCH AS PARKING AND EMERGENCY ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS. PARTIAL CONTROL OF THE STEERING IS LOST AND WHEN THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ARE APPLIED IT BECOMES SEVERELY ERRATIC. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MERCEDES BENZ USA AND BOTH HAVE DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT MUST BE EITHER A DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT OR SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR THAT I HAVE, PURCHASED USED AS A 'STAR MARK' CAR FROM THE DEALER. THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM ONCE UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEN IT FAILED ABOUT 50,000 MILES LATER. THE PROBLEM IS EXACERBATED WHEN IT IS RAINING. TODAY I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR IN THE RAIN AT 45MPH WHEN I ENCOUNTERED A SEAM IN THE PAVEMENT, TRIED TO CORRECT AND APPLIED THE ABS BRAKES. THREE WAS NO COLLISION OR INJURIES, LUCKILY, BUT IT IS TIME THAT MERCEDES TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR A PROBLEM THAT THEY CREATED AND FIX IT PROPERLY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT I HAVE ASKED FOR A PERMANENT FIX AND THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, AND SEEM TO BE AWARE OF AN INHERENT DESIGN PROBLEM IN THESE CARS. ALSO, IF IT HAD FAILED ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN ROAD SUCH AS OUR LOCAL HWY 154, WITH NO RAILING, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT AND INVOLVED OTHER CARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10307908
Incident
Feb 8, 2010
Mileage
144,431 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 5, 2002

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL POWER. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER 80000 MILES. *AK *TS

NHTSA ID
8005050
Mileage
80,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LI68.05-P-059193

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ANTI-THEFT DEVICES

SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink

PB-61-10-07

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING; FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING

MERCEDES: REPLACING THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBER (LEFT AND RIGHT) BELOW THE MAIN FLOOR PANEL ON ALL MY 204 UP TO 12/31/07. (C300, C350, C300 4-MATIC, C63 AME). *PE

PSIMBNA4020M

TIRES

UPDATED INFORMATION TO REFLECT ADDITON OF APPROVED TIRES. *YC

02/972

EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE ACC PUSHBUTTON MODULE AND NEWLY INTRODUCED REFRIGERANT PRESSURE SENSOR CAUSING THE EC LAMP TO ILLUMINATE. *TW

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz C Class by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023000—
2012100—
2008131251.4
2006920—
2005520—
2004151045.1
2003900—
2002310033.1
2001140233.2
2000803—
1999712—
1998612—
1997Viewing300—
1996610—
1995490041.4
1994150046.1
1991100—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.