Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C350 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE LIGHTING ISSUES WITH FRONT, REAR, AND SIGNAL LIGHTING. I AM CONSTANTLY HAVING TO PAY TO REPLACE THESE LIGHTS EVERY YEAR. NOW MY POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION EBS LIGHT HAS COME ON. THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH. I JUST PAID $1300 FOR SERVICE B AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I AM TIRED OF ALWAYS HAVING TO PAY TO REPLACE LIGHTS.
"TAKATA RECALL" THERE ARE TWO RECALLS ON THE FRONT AIRBAGS ONE ISSUES IN FEBRUARY 11, 2016 AND THE OTHER MAY 25, 2016. I'VE TAKEN MY CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES FOR SERVICE AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE RECALL. AS OF TODAY THE REMEDY IS NOT AVAILABLE. THERE IS A FAULT SWITCH WITH THE HEADLIGHTS IN OFF POSITION THE LEFT RIGHT TURN SIGNAL FLASH WHEN THE KEYS ARE NOT IN THE VEHICLE. IT DRAINS THE BATTERY WHICH HAVE REPLACED TWICE. WE DETERMINED THAT IF WE KEEP THE LIGHT SWITCH IN AUTOMATIC POSITION IT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
2 YEARS AGO MANAGER TOLD ME THE WIRING OF THE HEAD LAMPS WAS MELTING BUT HE CAN ONLY REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT( BOTH). I TOLD HIM THAT A CAR WITH 30000 MILS THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. NOTHING HE CAN DO. THE CAR HAS STARTED TO BURN ON THE INSIDE , SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE ENGINE. CAR TRANSPORTS CHILDREN. TO AND FROM SCHOOL. EERY OTHER ONTH LAMPS BURN OUT, HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. FINALLY WENT TO SHOP AGAIN TODAY AND THEY PUT IT ON PAPER. WIRE COATING FALLING APART, CAUSES BURN OUT OF LAMPS. THIS IS A HUGE DANGER AND SHOULD BE RECALLED NOT PAID BY USER. HAVE SENT 2 OTHER COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA WITH NO RESOLUTION. WHY????? ADDITIONALLY CAR HAS HAD TAIL LAMP PROBLEMS SINCE THE BEGINNING WITH ONE RECALL. ADDITIONALLY THE SEAT COVER OF THE DRIVER SIDE IS COMING APART IN PIECES SINCE YEAR 2. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN?
SECOND WARNING REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL WIRING REGARDING THE FRONT HEAD LAMPS. THE WIRING IS BURNING UP AND IT WILL CAUSE A FIRE WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. THIS CAR HAS HAD A RECALL BEFORE REGARDING THE WIRING OF THE BACK STOP LIGHTS, IF NOTHING IS DONE THERE WILL BE A FIRE. THE SEAT (FRONT) COVERING IS PEELING OFF, CO. SAYS ITS NORMAL. THIS IS MY 2ND REPORT AND THE SMOKE IS GETTING HEAVIER ALL THE TIME AND IT IS AFFECTING THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE IS ALWAYS PICKING UP CHILDREN WITH MY WIFE. VERY DIFFICULT TO GET PHOTO, BUT IS VISIBLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT HEAD LIGHTS. THERE HAS BEEN NO FIRE YET BUT THERE IS SMOKE.
THE WIRING TO THE HEAD LAMBS (BOTH) ARE BURNING UP, CAUSING A BURNT SMELL IN THE CAR, COMPANY SAYS TO BUY NEW HEAD LAMPS. THE ELECTRIC WIRE SYSTEM IN THE CAR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE BEGINNING. EVIDENTLY THE HEAT IN THE MOTOR AREA IS TO MUCH FOR THE QUALITY OF THE WIRING COVERS AND THEY CAUSE LAMP BURN OUT,AND BURN THE PLASTIC WIRE COVERING. CAR IS USED FOR PLEASURE HAS VERY FEW MILES. VERY HARD TO TAKE A PICTURE , TECH HAD A HARD TIME GETTING TO IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C350. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO WORK AND VARIOUS INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V177000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) IN 2013, BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT FAILED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED CAUSING THE BATTERY TO FAIL. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE WIRE THAT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,700.
REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILURE DUE TO A MELTED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. *TR
COMPLAINT: C-CLASS REAR LIGHT MELTING ISSUE. REAR BULB LIGHT FAIL ERROR. REPORTING A BURNING SMELL OF MELTING PLASTIC AND FAILURE OF REAR TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKE LIGHTS. I WENT OUT ON THE INTERNET AND SAW I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THIS HAPPENED TO AND THAT THE U.S. SAFETY REGULATORS HAVE OPENED A PROBE OF AN ESTIMATED 218,000 MERCEDES C-CLASS SEDANS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. I CALLED THE MERCEDES-BENZ OF SEATTLE AND EVERYONE THAT I TRIED TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE IT AT ALL. OF COURSE I HAD THE IT REPAIRED AND IT COST $541.41 AGAIN TRYING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WHAT I HAD SEEN ON THE INTERNET NO ONE WAS SAYING ANYTHING WHICH SHOWED ME THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT. I CALLED MERCEDES CORPORATE OFFICE TO SEE IF THEY COULD TO A GOOD WILL GESTURE BUT I WAS TOLD "NO". ADD ME TO THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS. I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS AMOUNT SO I HOPE I SEE A RECALL COME THROUGH. *TR
REAR PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHTS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. STARTED GETTING A CONSTANT DISPLAY MESSAGE TO CHECK REAR BREAK, FOG, AND TURN SIGNAL. FIRST CHECKED FOR BAD FUSE. FINALLY WENT TO CHECK THE BULB HOUSING AND NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE WIRES WAS FRAYED. THE WIRE WAS EXPOSED AND THE WIRE HARNESS SEEM TO BE DAMAGED AS WELL FROM THE HEAT. THE WIRES ARE BAD AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
MY TAIL LIGHTS STARTED TO GOING IN AND OUT. WHEN I WENT TO CHECK THE BULBS ALL BULBS ARE GOOD AND THERE IS BURN MARKS ON THE CASING HOLD IN THE BULB AND WIRING FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHTS. THERE IS A SHORT IN THE TAIL LIGHT WIRING. *TR
A DASHBOARD WARNING INDICATOR CAME ON, INDICATING MY RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. I OPENED UP THE TRUNK, AND LOCATED THE HARNESS THAT HOLDS THE REAR TAIL LIGHT BULBS. THERE WAS A BURN MARK IN THE HARNESS THAT HOLDS THE LIGHT BULBS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME THE WIRING SHORTED OUT, AND IT NEEDS REPLACED. I HAVE THE PDF FILE THAT THE DEALER SENT ME INDICATING THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.... THERE IS AN OUTSTANDING NHTSB COMPLAINT FILED ALREADY... HTTP://BLOGS.AUTOMOTIVE.COM/NHTSA-PROBING-MERCEDES-BENZ-C-CLASS-FOR-TAIL-LIGHT-FAILURES-144659.HTML. *TR
PASSENGER SIDE REAR BRAKE LIGHT, DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL, SIDE MARKER, AND REAR LIGHT NOT OPERATIONAL. IT STARTED WITH THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL WORKING ON AND OFF, IT WOULD WORK FOR A WEEK OR TWO AND THEN ONCE IN A WHILE IT WOULD MALFUNCTION. NOW NONE OF THE LIGHTS ARE OPERATIONAL. UPON INSPECTING THE INSIDE OF THE SOCKET ASSEMBLY ONE OF THE WIRES LOOKED COMPLETELY CORRODED AND UPON TOUCHING IT WAS VERY HOT WHEN THE LIGHTS WERE ON. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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