29 of the
669 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz C 300
are about the seat belts —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
My 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe’s front driver seat belt will not fully retract to its stowed position. This creates THREE safety hazards: 1.Passenger Trip Hazard: The extended belt causes difficulty when exiting from the rear seat — passengers can easily trip over the non-retracting belt 2.Door Damage Risk: Belt gets stuck in the door, preventing proper closure and potentially damaging the door or wearing down the seat belt webbing 3.Safety System Failure: A belt that doesn’t retract properly may not fully restrain occupants in a crash, compromising the seat belt safety system Dealer Response: My dealership told me this is “out of pocket” repair cost, even though the identical retraction issue exists in 2017–2021 C-Class Cabriolet (A205 platform) vehicles that ARE covered under Safety Recall 21V-032000. Mercedes fixed this with damping foam adjustment in the recalled Cabriolets but is refusing the same repair on C300 Coupes. Defect Pattern: This is the same design flaw in the front seat belt retractor geometry that caused the recall. The distance between the retractor and damping foam within the B-pillar doesn’t meet production specifications. Safety Risk: If occupants find the belt inconvenient due to poor retraction, they may not wear it — increasing crash injury risk. No advance warning of retractor failure exists. Request: NHTSA should investigate whether the C300 Coupe should be included in this recall or if a separate recall is needed for the same defect. Vehicle Info: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe
NHTSA complaint #11742426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Case already called in 11699173 - Stuck Seatbelt in B Pillar of 2017 Mercedes Benz 2 door hard top coupe. Seat belt will not come out of A pillar rendering seatbelt totally inoperable This VIN comes up negative under recall 21V03200 Case filed with MBUSA 18991593 still unresolved. Dealership is claiming a $2,200 Seatbelt Assembly is needed. now warning lights. The seatbelt was " lazy " and didn't smoothly retract prior to this incident when parked, door closed, the belt retracted with a loud motorized noise and now will not retract at all from A Pillar - Please follow up with on this Case # already called in over a week ago
NHTSA complaint #11701042 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon arriving at his destination and exiting the vehicle, the driver’s side seat belt retracted and became stuck in the retracted position. As a result, the contact was unable to use the driver's side seat belt. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 67,000.
NHTSA complaint #11699173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have noticed the driver seat belt not retracting after usage. Upon looking online I saw a post about a recall. Called local Benz dealership and BenzUSA customer service both said my Vin is not part of the specified recall.
NHTSA complaint #11689895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's husband owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger's side seat belts failed to retract as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the seat belt assemblies needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts). The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11681509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that both the front driver’s side seat belt and front passenger's side seat belt had failed to retract as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the seat belts buckles would unintendedly lodge under the seats. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000(Seat Belts); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11666563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-032 Manufacturer Name : Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC NHTSA Recall No. : Manufacturer Recall No. : JAN 29, 2021 21V-032 NR Manufacturer Information : Manufacturer Name : Address : Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC Company phone : 1-877-496-3691 13470 International Parkway Jacksonville FL 32218 Population : Number of potentially involved : Estimated percentage with defect : Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2017-2021 Mercedes-Benz C300 Vehicle Type : LIGHT VEHICLES Body Style : Descriptive Information : Power Train : GAS 2-DOOR Production Dates : Mercedes-Benz MY2017-2021 C300 18,589 vehicles. The recall population was determined through production JAN 19, 2016 - JUL 17, 2020 records. I was told this was not under recall when I found it is. The seat belt won’t retract. Please advise.
NHTSA complaint #11600665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s and front passenger’s side seat belts malfunctioned and failed to properly retract. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 48,956.
NHTSA complaint #11591521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while making a left turn at 40 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact and the seat belt also failed to restrain the contact during the crash. Due to both failures, the contact's head and chest hit the steering wheel. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance and given an X-ray exam. The contact was treated for lacerations to the forehead and suffered pain to the head, neck, back, and chest. The whereabouts of the other driver were unknown. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic and later back to the contact's home where it remained in the contact's possession. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11588668 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the recall repair was performed; however, upon retrieving the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated upon starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and remained in the dealer possession. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
NHTSA complaint #11575740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Our vehicle, VIN [XXX] , is a 2019 Mercedes C300 2 door coupe. We purchased it as a certified preowned vehicle from Mercedes of Bellevue in Washington State last March 2023. We noticed soon after taking possession of the vehicle that the front driver and passenger seat belts were not retracting into the resting place when not in use. We took it to the service department. The service team there told us that it was an "inherent" problem with a series of vehicles including ours and the there was nothing they could do to fix it. We didn't accept this explanation and returned the car to the dealer service department with the demand that it be fixed. In the meantime, I found a NHTSA recall # 21V-032 that addresses the exact issue for this car model within the production dates that it falls. However, a search of the vehicle VIN [XXX] comes up with zero Unrepaired Recalls. This must be an error. As stated above, the symptom that the vehicle is demonstrating is exactly that described in the recall notice. Given this data, we have pause about driving the vehicle until the seat belt is repaired. The dealer is working on a repair with assistance from Mercedes Engineering. According to them, the prescribed repair in the recall notice does not apply since this vehicle doesn't have the mentioned "damping foam". I am requesting support from the NHTSA to make sure all Mercedes vehicles that suffer this deficiency are included in the recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11564415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the driver’s side seat belt failed to retract as designed. The contact stated that the seat belt was loose. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts) as a possible cause for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
NHTSA complaint #11552711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated the seat belt retraction failed. The contact stated the seat belt got stuck between the driver's door and the vehicle and she was unable to open the vehicle, so contacted the manufacturer's roadside service for assistance. The roadside service unjammed the door. The contact was unaware of the warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V032000 (Seat Belts). The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.
NHTSA complaint #11478823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated the seat belt retraction failed. The contact stated the seat belt got stuck between the driver's door and the vehicle and she was unable to open the vehicle, so contacted the manufacturer's roadside service for assistance. The roadside service unjammed the door. The contact was unaware of the warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 21V032000 (Seat Belts). The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.
NHTSA complaint #11478823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Issue: Front driver and passenger seat belts do not fully retract despite completed recall service. The seatbelts often "puddle" behind the seats when unbuckled, and sometimes get trapped between their seat and adjacent door. My car was recalled and serviced under Mercedes Campaign 2021020010 to fix this in October 2021. Also, the right front seatbelt was replaced in October, 2018 under Campaign 2017050023. The first paragraph of the Mercedes Recall Campaign Bulletin states, "...certain C-Class Cabriolet vehicles (A205 platform) with PRE-SAFE might not meet the requirements of FMVSS 208, S7.4.5., as the front seat belts might not fully retract to its stowed position. In this case, certain regulatory requirements under FMVSS 208 might not be fulfilled. If the seatbelt webbing does not fully retract into its stowed position, the consumer may find the operation of the seatbelt inconvenient and not wear it, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash." In its step 1, the bulletin states, "The seat belt strap must retract into its final position automatically. Provide manual assistance with rolling up the seat belt strap if necessary." Having to provide manual assistance to retract the seat belt does not meet the definition of "must retract into its final position automatically". Further, it does not meet the aim stated in the bulletin's first paragraph about the importance of the seat belt fully retracting. The labor time spent on campaign was only 0.10 hours (6 minutes), so nothing more than a cursory inspection was done, and not any actual service work. I spoke with my local Mercedes dealer and the Mercedes USA customer service rep. They are both Ok with manually feeding the seatbelt into its slot. This is unacceptable and does not meet FMVSS 208. Both the dealer and the Mercedes USA say I can pursue proper fix at my expense. This is a failed recall service and I should not have to pay to explore a proper remedy.
NHTSA complaint #11472915 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the seat belt latch plate failed to latch securely into the buckle of the seat belt while the contact was attempting to exit the vehicle. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts). The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the latch needed to be replaced. The seat belt was repaired but failed to operate as needed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 22,000.
NHTSA complaint #11459104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.