2014 Mercedes-Benz C250 Steering Problems

The electronic steering lock (ESL) system on my 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250 failed without warning, leaving the vehicle completely unable to start. When attempting to start the vehicle, the key would insert but the vehicle would not crank or start, and the steering lock malfunction prevented normal operation of the vehicle. The vehicle became stranded and inoperable. This failure created a safety risk because the vehicle could not be moved and left me stranded unexpectedly. If this failure were to occur in an unsafe area or emergency situation, it could place the driver and passengers at risk. After researching the issue, I found numerous reports online from other owners of similar Mercedes-Benz C-Class models experiencing the same ESL/EIS failure. This appears to be a common issue affecting these vehicles. At this time, the problem has not yet been repaired. UNKNOWN if the manufacturer has inspected the vehicle. No warning lights or prior symptoms appeared before the failure. The malfunction happened suddenly and without warning.

NHTSA ID

11736140

Incident

May 5, 2026

The "ESL Module" in this model is designed to unlock the steering and ignition when the vehicle key's passcode matches, using a small, mechanical motor with significantly poor durability. The problem is that this motor's failure is unpredictable, and many users of this model have been stranded and unable to start their vehicles due to the motor's lifespan ending. Even when the car is painstakingly brought to a dealership, repairs cost approximately $1,800 to $2,000, or owners are resorting to unofficial bypasses using a device called an ESL Emulator from the aftermarket. I'd like to request NHTSA to start a thorough investigation into this issue and a RECALL order for the affected models to be issued to MBUSA. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11688424

Incident

Sep 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-250. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V252000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the recall repair was completed in 2018. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. After several attempts, the vehicle failed to start. The contact deactivated the push start button and attempted to start the vehicle with the key whoever, but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering wheel had seized due to the steering coupling connecting bolt. The vehicle remained at the dealer pending the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer was contacted prior to the dealer repairing the vehicle in 2018. The contact was advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer, where the repair was completed in 2018, to have the vehicle inspected, and if the part that failed was the part replaced under the recall, the manufacturer would pay for the additional repair. The contact stated that the vehicle was not drivable and that the dealer was three hours away. The failure mileage was approximately 70,664.

NHTSA ID

11681703

Incident

Aug 12, 2025

Mileage

70,664 mi

The ESL has failed and it has happened in a lot of these cars.i was unable to move my steering wheel.

NHTSA ID

11671505

Incident

Jul 6, 2025

A known issue by many mB owners related to Steering Wheel Lock or ESL system. Car will not start due to a known defect related to a part installed inside the steering wheel preventing owners from starting car safely and to get to destination safely.

NHTSA ID

11626338

Incident

Nov 17, 2024

Mercedes has a convenience easy enter/exit feature that lifts the steering and slides the driver's seat back for easy exit and restores the seat and steering when the driver sits down and places the key in the ignition. The safety issue is the steering often gets locked in the up position and doesn't lower, making it unsafe to drive the car. This is happened 5 times since I bought the car. I had to drive home with the steering wheel locked above the dashboard. The car has been towed to the dealership 4 times under warranty and now I have to get it towed myself. There are approximately 54000 miles on the car.

NHTSA ID

11545542

Incident

Sep 19, 2023

Steering lock mechanism fails without warning and leaves vehicle and occupants stranded in potentially dangerous location. No onsite repair possible. Vehicle must be towed to authorized dealer for repair. > Safety of car occupants was at risk. > No warning prior to failure. > Repair cost ~!500. Unsure of reliability of replacement unit > My dealer says this is a frequent occurrence. 6+ repairs / month for this model car at this dealer, Expects same frequency at others > Dealer service agent stated he personally believes it should be covered by a recall or free repair. > Filed formal complaint with Company (Mercedes-Benz) but reimbursement was refused. > Similar stranding incident on same car occurred in 05/2021 and car require tow to same dealer who suspected same problem but was unable to duplicate and/or repair the failing component at that time

NHTSA ID

11486036

Incident

Sep 6, 2022

THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. DASH BOARD DISPLAYS LEFT AIRBAG MALFUNCTION, HORN NO LONGER WORKS, DISPLAY CAN NOT BE CLEARED. STEERING MAKE LOTS OF OF CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNED ON EITHER DIRECTION. TOOK THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE INITIAL RESPONSE WAS THAT THE STEERING MODULE FAILED AND MY ASSESSMENT WAS IT IS PROBABLY DUE TO RECALL NO GROUND WIRE RECALL NUMBER 17V627000.. UPON FURTHER INQUIRY THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE STEERING MODULE BROKE AND CAME APART. I SUSPECT THIS EITHER DUE TO DEFECTIVE STEERING MODULE OR RECALL # 17V252000 STEERING BOLT. I HAD COMMUNICATED THIS ISSUE TO MBUSA VIA EMAILS AND SEVERAL PHONE CALLS. THEY STILL HAVEN'T AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO THE DEALER, THEY FINALLY SHARED THE PICTURE OF THE STEERING MODULE AS YOU CAN SEE IT ATTACHED. OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE SEE PICTURE OF INSTALLED AND NEW MODULE

NHTSA ID

11221523

Incident

Apr 10, 2019

STEERING WHILE CONDUCTING

NHTSA ID

11162861

Incident

Oct 16, 2017

Mileage

5 mi

MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO CLICK WHEN I TURNED IT, DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. I WAS RECENTLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT AND MY STEERING WHEEL MADE A LOUD POP AND GOT STUCK, THEN A LOUD CRACK AGAIN AND STARTED TO WORK. IT STILL CLICKS AND NOW MY PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON PERMANENTLY. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN OXNARD AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE 175 TO CHECK ABOUT THE AIRBAGS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A RECALL. THEY ALSO SAID THEY DON'T HAVE THE PARTS NEEDED TO MY STEERING WHEEL. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE AT ALL DRIVING THIS CAR. THE HORN DOESN'T WORK AND NEITHER DO ANY OF THE BUTTONS ON MY STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA ID

11098013

Incident

May 16, 2018

Mileage

60,000 mi

I PURCHASED MY USED CAR AT JERRY DAMSON 3/17/18 AND THIS CAR HAS BEEN AT THE MERCEDES DEALER STATING THIS IS UNABLE TO DRIVE, THEY RESET A LIGHT THAT DAMSON DESCRIBED FROM REMOVING THE SEAT, IT APPEAR THAT IT HAS CAME BACK ON. IT WAS HERE THE ENTIRE 30DAYS WARRANTY I HAD. IM UPSET! IT WAS SMOKING AND CRACKING AND MAKING ALL SORTS OF NOISE ALONG WITH THE HORN AND BUTTONS DO NOT WORK. MERCEDES SAYS NO WAY TO FIX THIS AND CAN NOT DRIVE THIS UNSAFE CAR. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS CAR 10 FULL DAYS!! ITS STILL THERE. THEY ARE SAYING I SHOULD PAY FOR THIS AND IT CLEARLY STATES THAT MERCEDES WILL. HELP!!!!! MY CAR WAS IN MOTION. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALER FOR THIS ISSUE HELP!!

NHTSA ID

11089646

Incident

Apr 5, 2018

I PURCHASED MY USED CAR AT JERRY DAMSON 3/17/18 AND THIS CAR HAS BEEN AT THE MERCEDES DEALER STATING THIS IS UNABLE TO DRIVE, THEY RESET A LIGHT THAT DAMSON DESCRIBED FROM REMOVING THE SEAT, IT APPEAR THAT IT HAS CAME BACK ON. IT WAS HERE THE ENTIRE 30DAYS WARRANTY I HAD. IM UPSET! IT WAS SMOKING AND CRACKING AND MAKING ALL SORTS OF NOISE ALONG WITH THE HORN AND BUTTONS DO NOT WORK. MERCEDES SAYS NO WAY TO FIX THIS AND CAN NOT DRIVE THIS UNSAFE CAR. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS CAR 10 FULL DAYS!! ITS STILL THERE. THEY ARE SAYING I SHOULD PAY FOR THIS AND IT CLEARLY STATES THAT MERCEDES WILL. HELP!!!!! MY CAR WAS IN MOTION. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALER FOR THIS ISSUE HELP!!

NHTSA ID

11089644

Incident

Apr 5, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C250. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V627000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED (MERCEDES-BENZ OF ARCADIA, 626-701-8904, 101 N SANTA ANITA AVE, ARCADIA, CA 91006) AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11088500

Incident

Nov 8, 2017

I NEED TO HAVE THE RECALL TAKEN CARE OF. NOTHING HAPPEN YET!

NHTSA ID

11074566

Incident

Feb 23, 2018

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE TAKATA AIRBAG INFLATORS. MY MERCEDES IS AFFECTED; HOWEVER, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FIX PROVIDED

NHTSA ID

11065040

Incident

Nov 2, 2017

TAKATA RECALL: TO DATE NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. HOWEVER, MY AUTO IS LISTED IN THE AIRBAG RECALL NOTICE AS HAVING DEFECTIVE GROUNDING IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH COULD LEAD TO A PREMATURE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG.

NHTSA ID

11045150

Incident

Nov 9, 2017

I WAS DRIVING ON GLADES ROAD, BOCA RATON, FL. I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, SAW SMOKE AND LOST MY POWER STEERING. I MANAGED TO PULL INTO TOWN CENTER MALL, GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE BOCA RATON POLICE CAME, #5 FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MERCEDES OF DELRAY.

NHTSA ID

11022435

Incident

Jul 17, 2017

Mileage

18,000 mi

DRIVING ON A FOUR-LANE STREET (TWO LANES ON EACH SIDE) WITH MY TWO KIDS. THE 2014 C250 HAD A MALFUNCTION WITH THE ELECTRIC STEERING: AUTOMATICALLY JERKING THE CAR TO THE RIGHT. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HIT THE CURB. IT FELT LIKE WE WENT AIRBORNE. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT TO TRY TO STABILIZE THE CAR, QUICKLY REALIZING THERE WAS TRUCK TO THE LEFT I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID HITTING THE TRUCK. THIS CAUSED ME TO HIT THE CURB AGAIN. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST IT WAS HARD TO STABILIZE THE CAR. MERCEDES-BENZ (EXPRESSED AS MBUSA) HAD MY CAR FOR OVER A MONTH. IN THEIR INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE THEY ASKED TO GRANT PERMISSION TO IMAGE THE DATA CONTAINED IN THE VEHICLE'S EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR). I SENT THE QUESTIONNAIRE TO MY INSURANCE, AND WE DIDN'T NOT GRANT MBUSA PERMISSION AS THE LESSEE. MBUSA BROKE THE LAW AND WENT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND IMAGED THE DATA. THAN CAME BACK AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE, AS THE EDR STATED THAT I HIT THE CURB. MBUSA EXPRESSED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THEIR MALFUNCTION. I ASKED FOR A COPY OF THE RECORDED CONVERSATION AND I WANT THE REPORT. IT WAS EXPRESSED BY MBUSA THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET A COURT SUBPOENA FOR THEM TO GIVE ME THE INFORMATION. I CALLED A ATTORNEY AND THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW; AND IS ALL TACTICS/STRATEGIES ON MBUSA PART TO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THEY WOULD BY LAW HAVE TO REPORT IT TO NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). ALL I WANTED WAS TO KEEP MY FAMILY SAFE, AND FOR MBUSA TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AS IT WAS AROUND 3 MONTHS OLD WHEN THE ACCIDENT ACCUSED. IF I FIGHT THIS: JUST TO GET SOMEONE TO REVIEW THE EDR WILL COST AROUND $10,000. GREAT BUSINESS STRATEGY MBUSA IN KEEPING YOUR CUSTOMERS SAFE UNTIL SOMEONE DIES BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK OF HUMILITY! *TR

NHTSA ID

10671406

Incident

Dec 5, 2014

Mileage

3,000 mi