1997 Mercedes-Benz C230 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 Mercedes-Benz C230, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags228.6%
- Driver assistance114.3%
- Suspension114.3%
- Tires & wheels114.3%
- Transmission114.3%
- Visibility114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A GUARDRAIL HEAD ON. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES AS A RESULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY OTHER DETAILS. *JB
FRONT CRASH AT 35 MPH, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUFFERED NECK AND ARM INJURIES, DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS $ 17000.00.*JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE FIRST TIME WE NOTICED A PROBLEM WAS IN MT. PLEASENT, SC. WE WERE DROPPING THE CHILDREN OFF TO VISIT THEIR DAD. AS SOON AS WE RETURNED TO THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. WE BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY BUT THAT DID NOT DO IT EITHER. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE CAR TO START IT WOULD TAKE OFF AS IF IT WERE DRIVING ITSELF. SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS WOULD HAPPEN. EITHER IT WOULD STALL WHILE IDLING OR IT WOULD REV UP THE MOTOR TILL YOU COULD HARDLY STOP IYOU WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE TO PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS. ANOTHER TIME IT DID THE SAME THING EXCEPT IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS A JACK HAMMER IN THE ENGINE. THEY SAID IT WAS A BROKEN AC COMORESSOR AND ADJUSTED THE TIMING BELT AND REPLACED A AIR FLOW SENSOR. ANOTHER TIME IT HAPPENED MODERN CLASIC MOTORS (WHERE I USUALLY TAKE IT) SAID IT WAS A DEFECTIVE AIRFLOW SENSER AND REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE. I ALSO GOT A NEW AIRCOMPRESSOR AND FIXED THE AC. THE NEXT TIME WAS JULY 21, 2001. ON MY WAY HOME FROM COLUMBIA THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC A BYSTANDER AND POLICEMAN PUSHED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, A LOUD CLANGING NOISE WAS HEARD. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAD FALLEN DOWNWARD ONTO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FACTORY WELDS OF THE STRUT FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 1/19/2007 -*NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONTI PRO CONTACT TIRES PUT ON RIMS AND BALANCED FOR SUMMER DRIVING. 195/65 R15 91H DOT#65PCAXH61610 2 MILES AWAY FROM GARAGE TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED. INSPECTION SHOWED BUBBLE CAUSED BY MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN GOOGLE- SUBSTANTIAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES I.E. BUBBLES, BLOW OUTS ETC. -DANGEROUS! *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
CHILD WAS IN VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE AND ROLLED BACKWARDS WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION OR MOTOR RUNNING. VEHICLE ROLLED BACK, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER HAD NO RESPONSE. STATED IT SHOULD HAVE ONLY DONE THAT IF KEY WAS IN IGNITION. *AK *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE VEHICLES WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AND AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .