2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 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 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63, 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
- Electrical233.3%
- Exterior lighting233.3%
- Fuel system116.7%
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL LOCK MODULE WENT OUT ON MY CAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REOCCURRING ISSUE WITH ANY "W204" 2008/2009 MERCEDES BENZ MODEL CAR. I'VE DOCUMENTED OVER A FEW HUNDRED CASES ALONE ON THE FORUMS ONLINE. THIS IS A DEALERSHIP ONLY FIX AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. BASICALLY, SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE CAR THAT LETS THE KEY COMMUNICATE WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEM GOES OUT AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. IT'S A $1200 FIX MINIMUM..
REAR TAILLIGHTS STARTED SMOKING. IT WAS ALL BURNED OUT CAUSING REAR RIGHT TAILLIGHT TO MALFUNCTION. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE PASSENGER TAIL LAMP BULB CARRIER, GROUND WIRE, AND CONNECTING PLASTIC HARNESS ALL MELTED CAUSING MY TAIL LAMPS TO APPEAR DIM AND EVENTUALLY MELTED TO THE POINT THE PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHTS, REAR RUNNING LAMPS, REAR PASSENGER TURN SIGNAL AND REAR FOG LAMP ALL COMPLETELY QUIT FUNCTIONING. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY OR GOOD WILL EVEN KNOWING IT TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THE PARTS THAT THEY CLAIMED HAVE BEEN UPDATED (ALTHOUGH THEY APPEAR TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME) AND HAD THEM REPLACED. TIME WILL TELL WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A PERMANENT FIX TO THE PROBLEM. *TR
REAR TAILLIGHTS STARTED SMOKING. IT WAS ALL BURNED OUT CAUSING REAR RIGHT TAILLIGHT TO MALFUNCTION. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
2008 C63 AMG-EVERY TIME FILL UP TANK THERE VERY STRONG GAS SMELL EVEN OUT DOOR. I TRACKED DOWN SMELL FROM UNDER BACK SEAT WHERE GAS TANK IS. OPEN BACK SEAT YOU WILL SEE WET SPOT FROM GAS LEAK. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THAT CAR CAN GET CAUGHT ON FIRE. I RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND MANY MERCEDES HAS SAME ISSUE AND BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT TEAR AND WEAR, AND USER RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR. MY CAR IS 2008 C63 AMG, ONE OF TOP C CLASS MODEL, WITH 50,000 MILES. THE GAS TANK SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER THAN 50,000 MILE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR MERCEDES OR EVEN ANY BRAND. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY 2008 MERCEDES AMG C63 HAD BEEN OPERATING WITHOUT FLAWS UNTIL RECENTLY, I PARKED, WENT IN THE GYM TO WORK OUT FOR 45 MINS. WHEN I CAME OUT AND TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, WOULDN'T COME OUT OF PARK. LEFT ME STRANDED. I HAVE READ DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE MERCEDES-BENZ FORUMS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE HAPPENING TO OTHER OWNERS OF 2008-2009 MERCEDES C63 SEDANS. MERCEDES HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN LISTING THIS AS A COMMON OCCURRENCE, AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN LOCK HAS TO BE REPLACED(USUALLY BETWEEN $1200-1500). THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER RECALL, AS IT DRASTICALLY EFFECTS THE RELIABILITY AS WELL AS SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE, EVEN WHEN NOT MOVING. AT NO FAULT OF THE OWNER, OWNER WILL BE LEFT STRANDED ANYWHERE WITHOUT WARNING, AS NO MALFUNCTION INDICATOR DISPLAYS, VEHICLE JUST DIES SUDDENLY.
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 .