RoadVitals

2013 Mercedes-Benz C204

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.
4
Latest Mar 2, 2020
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 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C204, most frequently naming the airbags, driver assistance and electrical categories. 62 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

  • Airbags350.0%
  • Driver assistance116.7%
  • Electrical116.7%
  • Steering116.7%

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 assistanceElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 2, 2020

MY ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAILED. LUCKILY, I WAS PARKED BUT NOW THE CAR WILL NOT START, OR UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. IF THIS FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT WOULD BE A DANGER. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THAT MERCEDES HAS SINCE FIXED IN ITS LATER MODELS, BUT CONTINUES TO CHARGE $2000 FOR A FIX THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS A BAD DESIGN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR.

NHTSA ID
11315645
Incident
Feb 21, 2020
Mileage
118,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 17, 2020

TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL NOT REPAIRED BY MANUFACTURER OR DEALER

NHTSA ID
11309637
Incident
Feb 17, 2020
Airbags
Filed Dec 4, 2019

THIS RECALL HAS BEEN OPEN 11 MONTHS WITH NO REMEDY YET AVAILABLE. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE WITH PASSENGERS IN THE FRONT SEAT DUE TO THE FAULTY AIR BAG THAT EXISTS IN MY CAR. PLEASE MAKE THE MANUFACTURER REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG SO THAT MY CAR IS SAFE ONCE AGAIN.

NHTSA ID
11286829
Incident
Dec 3, 2019
Airbags
Filed Nov 19, 2018

MERCEDES-BENZ CONTACTED ME ABOUT THE RECALL TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE RECALL STATES 'RECALL INCOMPLETE REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE'. IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN WHY DID THEY CONTACT ME TO SUPPOSEDLY FIX THE ISSUE?

NHTSA ID
11152372
Incident
Nov 15, 2018
Mileage
119,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

LI40 15-P-070175

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

Various fault codes present in TPM Control Unit, vehicles with code 475 and code B03

LI91 18-P-049463

EQUIPMENT; SEATS

Seat cushion fore/aft adjuster seat cushion cover becomes detached

LI91 45-P-066075

SEAT BELTS

Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises

LI42.47-P-068271

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

"Tire pressure loss detection system inoperative" message in instrument cluster in yellow.

LI42.47-P-068270

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC); EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Road test cannot be started after exchanging the ESP control unit or after successfully updating the software.

LI46.10-P-067941

STEERING; STEERING:COLUMN

Noise in area of steering column after conducting service measure 1709P46C60 "Check mechanical steering column, rework if necessary"

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 C204 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2014500—
2013Viewing400—
2012400—
2011200—

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.