33 of the
669 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz C 300
are about the steering —
5% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
Over the past month, my 2020 Mercedes-Benz C300 has been experiencing unexpected and increasingly concerning issues with the steering. These problems began suddenly and without any prior warning signs. Initially, the steering has been making grinding sounds more usual, particularly at lower speeds and when making tight turns. Over the following weeks, the issue became more pronounced, with occasional instances of the steering wheel resisting movement or feeling delayed in its response. At times, it feels as if the power steering system is intermittently failing or underperforming. There have been no warning lights on the dashboard, and I have not been involved in any recent accidents or incidents that could have caused physical damage to the steering system. I have maintained the vehicle in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines, including regular servicing. but there the person before me had been in a accident and it may have been the dealership i bought it off of failed to fix it
NHTSA complaint #11667088 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Mercedes-Benz C300. While driving at various speeds, the contact could hear an abnormal sound from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer for diagnosis, but the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
NHTSA complaint #11610269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while starting and driving the vehicle, the electric power steering was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V243000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11571637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the freeway car pool lane with my wife, a sudden vibration in the front tires was observed, the car felt like it was pushed to the right then to the left even though it was in the center of the lane. Told my wife, "something is wrong with the car!" Thinking that I may have had a flat tire, I slowed down, the car went into a violent flat spin until the right rear end of the car hit the center lane divider. Airbags deployed. 911 was called, we were assisted by Highway patrol to the other side of the freeway. As the car was put on a flatbed tow truck, the tow truck driver commented that one of the front wheel was not turning. We found out that the right rack and pinion broke. The car was declared a Total Loss.
NHTSA complaint #11570166 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Tuesday, the steering wheel failed to operate while making a left turn. While making a left turn the steering wheel locked and the brakes did not function to stop the vehicle. The vehicle continued to steer to the left and I almost hit another vehicle head on. What stopped my vehicle was the emergency brake system activated by almost hitting the other vehicle head on. They luckily saw me head on and tried to quickly move out the way. This happened two times the second time Thursday, there was a school bus to the left of me my car. I was not making a left turn but on a road that the curve went left and the steering wheel locked in that position. My wheel was locked and failed to stop for about 45 seconds with no car in front to trigger the emergency brakes. Immediately to my left was a school bus. The school Bus was not expecting my vehicle to cut them off in this manor, the bus had to make a hard stop to not crash into me. I feel my life and the life of the individuals in the other vehicle and school bus were all put at risk. I towed my car to the dealer and was advised that they did not see any recalls for my vehicle. They also advised me that based on the inspection and the incident details that they would need to replace the steering rack and pinion. My vehicle was operating as it normally did and did not have any system warning prior.
NHTSA complaint #11559214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? NHTSA Recall ID: 23V445, Fuel Pump Delivery Module How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle at risk to lose drive power, increasing the chance of crashing while operating. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Mercedes dealership states they will not repair recalls on the weekends only M-F. I work at the hospital M-F 0800-1700. The dealership will not make any accommodations in assisting me with my schedule to get car fixed. They refuse to let me make apt on Sat/Sundays and they will not have car towed to and from Mercedes dealership to my work. They have suggested for me to leave work around 1400 to drop car off and pick up a loaner for repairs M-F. This is not feasible.
NHTSA complaint #11545779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving normally one day, the vehicle randomly lost power steering. There were messages for the brake assist and the rear sensors displayed. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V850000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not cover the repair because the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
NHTSA complaint #11541866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and making a left turn, the steering made an abnormal sound. The contact pulled into the nearest parking lot, where the steering wheel locked. There were messages for the brake assist and the rear sensors displayed. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V850000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not cover the repair because the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
NHTSA complaint #11531402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on highway I95, all the sudden, the vehicle shows, Power Steering Malfunctioning See Owner's Manual. I've lost the power steering in the middle of the highway. The steering was so hard and not safe. The next day, I've started the car and the issue isn't there anymore! Now the car is driving fine!!! Please, this need to be fixed, cause it may happen again, and that happens on a sharp curve, it may lead to a crash!
NHTSA complaint #11499694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I started my car, the dash did not reveal park, drive, or reverse. It illuminated with a warning light indicating an Electronic Stability Problem (ESP). Research revealed this to be an important safety feature and that the Mercedes-warning-lights-electric-stability-control may have problems with traction control requiring attention. The ESP light was NOT flashing for the system to intervene – as the car was parked in my garage. It did not light up with the word ‘OFF’ to assess whether it may have been inadvertently deactivated. The light stayed on indicating a suddenly improperly working ESP system. The light remained on after stopping and restarting the engine several times as the dealer maintenance technician suggested concluding with my vehicle being towed to Mercedes Benz of Augusta for service. I am not sure if the MB mechanic reproduced the issue as they discussed several other potential failure points before resolving to replace an item in the steering control module. Experiencing this alert, I became more concerned that a safety inspection may not have been part of the last maintenance service. This is my third Mercedes and I make sure to keep up with all my maintenance. I had never seen this warning light before. Up until this time the only warning light I had seen in my car was for low air in my tires. My safety was not at immediate risk. I am glad my car was not able to be driven, as I would have hated for it to stop while I was out and about. I am a proud Mercedes Benz owner as they are world renown for the safest cars on the road. My car has just over 25,000 miles and it was unimaginable that it would have this kind of failure. I should not be held accountable to pay for a safety failure that I should be part of required maintenance checks. An additional periodic Mercedes required safety inspection could prevent this potential breakdown while providing another measure to protect the life of Mercedes Benz owners.
NHTSA complaint #11490679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle however, an extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local Pep Boys who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V850000 (Steering). The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
NHTSA complaint #11477465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on a straight away doing the speed limit which is reported seconds before the car crash. The steering wheel turned to the left really hard out of no where and wouldn’t let me gain control over the car again. I was sober it was 9am and I was aware of my driving. I ended up spinning out and landed in the ditch feet away from the light pole. I made it know to everyone what happened, but they looked at me crazy. I stopped driving that car and sent it back to Mercedes to get a detailed inspection. Which lasted about 30 days for them to get back to me about what happened. When I received the call to get my car they didn’t provide any information about the incident. Instead they just sent it to corporate and left me in the dark. I was in pain during this whole time. I was couldn’t find a lawyer that was willing to help. It’s been three years since the incident and I will have to live with pain for the rest of my life. It’s not fair that we need thousands of dollars to be heard. I have all communication and documentation that was given during the time of incident.
NHTSA complaint #11438296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving in a curved onramp connecting from one street to another the vehicle experienced a complete loss of steering ability which resulted in the vehicle continuing to move straight, off the pavement, and into a wall. The vehicle bounced off of the wall and loss of steering ability continued and the vehicle could not be controlled, crossed the road, went over a guardrail, and down an embankment until it came to a stop (approx 100ft). The vehicle engine never turned off until it came to a stop at which point the vehicle was manually turned off. No airbags deployed. There were no warning lights or signals of failing components prior to the loss of steering. An initial review by the body shop states that the vehicle is a total loss. The vehicle has been meticulously dealer maintained since the time of delivery as a new vehicle. The vehicle is pending inspection by Mercedes-Benz and by the insurance representative. The issue appears to be the same as those recalls described by NHTSA campaign number 18V872000 and/or 18V850000. The vehicle was never included in either of those recall campaigns. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request, but Mercedes-Benz is picking up the vehicle to perform its inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11423998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SO I JUST GOT MY MERCEDES BENZ C300 4MATIC I ONLY HAVE 44,711 MILES ON IT AND I BARELY DRIVE IT, SO TODAY I WAS DRIVING AND THE WHOLE DAY THINGS WERE GREAT AND I STOPPED AT A STORE GOT BACK IN AND IT SAYS 'POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION' I WAS ON A STREET IN THE CITY, I'M ON CONFUSED ON HOW THIS IS HAPPENING TO A CAR I JUST GOT FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT IS PRACTICALLY NEW, NOW LET ME MENTION THAT THIS IS A ON AND OFF ISSUE THROUGH OUT THIS WHOLE DAY IT HAS CAME ON AND OFF TWICE
NHTSA complaint #11415611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ OF BROOKLYN (1800 SHORE PKWY BROOKLYN NY 11214; (718) 258-5100) WHO STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF SIMILAR ISSUES HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS TYPICALLY CAUSED BY AN IMPACT. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,506.
NHTSA complaint #11360247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC IN JANUARY 2019 REGARDING A RECALL INVOLVING A LOCKNUT IN THE STEERING RACK WHICH MIGHT HAVE INTERNAL MATERIAL CRACKS AFFECTING MY MAKE/MODEL/YEAR OF CAR. I HAVE SINCE PERIODICALLY CHECKED THE WEBSITE (WWW.MBUSA.COM/RECALL) FOR A SOLUTION TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE, BUT TO DATE (7/16/19) IT IS STILL LISTED AS AN ON-GOING SAFETY RECALL: "RECALL INCOMPLETE. REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE." AS THE RECALL LETTER STATES, "IN CERTAIN DRIVING SITUATIONS INVOLVING LOW-SPEED MANEUVERS, LARGE LATERAL FORCES COULD CAUSE THE LOCKNUT TO BREAK. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING COULD FAIL WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH." IT IS QUITE DISCONCERTING THAT A RECALL WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE SAID AFFECT HAS STILL NOT BEEN REMEDIED IN OVER 7 MONTHS.
NHTSA complaint #11232247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V850000 (STEERING). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. MERCEDES-BENZ OF SAN DIEGO (4750 KEARNY MESA RD, SAN DIEGO, CA 92111, (858) 295-3136) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT
NHTSA complaint #11210854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.