at 56,000 miles
Plano, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DRIVERS POWER SEAT CONTROL MODULE DRAINS BATTERY WHEN AUTO IS PARKED.
NHTSA complaint #10512849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2002 Mercedes Benz C Class electrical problems
10 of the 46 complaints about the 2002 Mercedes Benz C Class are about the electrical system — 22% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 60,500 miles.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
Exactly what failed
Electrical System
7
70.0%
Wiring
1
10.0%
Alternator/Generator/Regulator
1
10.0%
Instrument Cluster/Panel
1
10.0%
Electrical System across every Mercedes Benz C Class year
What owners said
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
at 90,000 miles
Kissimmee, NJ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MERCEDES BENZ C240 ECU FAILURE. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE SOMETIMES RANDOM AT BEST AND SOMETIMES SHUTS OFF. THE CARS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALSO SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK, THE POWER STEERING LEAKS INTERMITTENTLY THE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE ON LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE . THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED SO WAS THE COIL PACK AND OTHER ITEMS BY MERCEDES BUT THEY ALWAYS TRIED TO JUSTIFY THAT PROBLEM WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR WHICH IS NOT TRUE.
NHTSA complaint #10404244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rittman, OH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SEAT CONTROLLER MODULES, THEY CONSTANTLY DRAIN THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. THIS IS A VERY VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES C CLASS. THE CONTROLLER DRAINS THE CAR BATTERY TO THE POINT WERE THE CAR CANNOT START, AND CONTINUES TO DO THIS IF THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN EVERYDAY. OBVIOUSLY HAVING A CAR BATTERY GET SUCKED BELOW 3V IS NOT HEALTHY FOR THE BATTERY, AND IN THE END EVERYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM HAS TO REPLACE THEIR BATTERY MANY MANY TIMES.
NHTSA complaint #10252301 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 110,000 miles
Severn, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C CLASS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH OR HIGHER, THE ESP INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND REPAIRED ONCE BEFORE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT ORDER THE PARTS AND MAKE THE REPAIR AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 09/23/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED IN BRAKING MODE.
NHTSA complaint #10239832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 65,000 miles
Matthews, NC
Fire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR IN THE MORNING, NO PROBLEM. EARLY AFTERNOON, SHE LEFT TO PICK UP OUR CHILD, WHILE LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE VEHICLE STARTING SENDING WARNING SIGNS CAME ON THE DASH THAT HAD NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. THEN THICK SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. MY WIFE HAD TO OPEN HER WINDOW. SHE THEN TURNED AROUND TO GO BACK HOME PRIOR TO LEAVING THE COMMUNITY. ON THE WAY BACK THE CAR SLAMMED ON BRAKES BY ITSELF AND CUT ITSELF OFF AND SAID THE VEHICLE HAD 7 FAULTS. RAN UP TO A NEIGHBORS HOME, UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND BECAME A TOTAL LOSS. POLICE AND FIRE MARSHAL CAME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD TO TRACK DOWN MERECEDES BENZ AND BASICALLY HAVE HAD NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT WHATSOEVER. WE LOCATED THE VEHICLE FOR MERCEDES AS THEY TOOK THEIR SWEET TIME. THEY DID GET AN INSPECTOR THERE TO VIEW THE VEHICLE BUT HAVE YET TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM THEM REGARDING THIS MATTER. WE HAVE CONTACTED AN ATTORNEY TO PROTECT US AND WANT MERCEDES TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS INCIDENT. SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG AND WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT NO ONE WAS HURT.
NHTSA complaint #10207484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brooklyn, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ON FEBRUARY 6, 2007, I TOOK MY MB TO SOVEREIGN MOTOR CARS LTD IN BROOKLYN, BECAUSE OF THE SRS LIGHT. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED IN 2005 AND THE ABOVE COMPANY TOLD ME THAT IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. IN THE MIST OF REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR VIA DRILLING, THE CAP (BOTTOM PART THAT HOLDS THE BOLT) BROKE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS COMMON BECAUSE OF THE MIXTURE OF ALUMINUM ENGINE AND STEEL CASING. I WAS TOLD MORE THAN 2% OF MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLE THAT ENTER THIS SHOP THE CAP BREAKS AS A RESULT OF OXIDATION AS TOLD BY MR. YELTKIN, SHOP STEWART. SOVEREIGN WANTED ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF THIS INCIDENT MORE THAN $2000 FOR A FAULTY CAPPING. OR $800 TO HAVE IT WELDED TOGETHER BUT THEN WAS TOLD IT MAY BREAK AGAIN. BOTH BOLTS WERE DAMAGED BUT SOVEREIGN REPLACED THEM WITH TEMPORARY BOLTS TO SHOO ME ON MY WAY.
NHTSA complaint #10181944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 18,000 miles
Reisterstown, MD
Crash
Fire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WHEN DRIVING 15 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. 15 SECONDS LATER, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DUE TO SEVERE FIRE DAMAGE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS.
NHTSA complaint #10049880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 6,670 miles
Bayside, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ESP & BAS WARNING MESSAGES APPEARED ON THE MESSAGE SCREEN TWICE, ONCE ON 1-20-03 & AGAIN ON 1-27-03, THE FIRST TIME DEALER SAID IT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU DIDN'T TIGHTEN THE GAS CAP. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE MESSAGES WERE GONE THE NEXT DAY. ON 1-27-03 I CALLED RALLYE MOTORS TO TELL THEM & I HAVE AN APPT FOR MARCH 10, 2003.
NHTSA complaint #10003576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Espanola, NM
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAIN OF THE VEHICLE HAD GIVEN OUT, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HAVE TO DRIVE 30-40 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, VEHICLE ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS BLINK, THE INTERIOR MIRROR LIGHTS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, THE RADIO WILL TURN ON WHEN THE KEY IS NOT IN THE IGNITION AND AT TIMES THE SUNROOF WILL NOT CLOSE. *SLC
NHTSA complaint #567249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Houston, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER STATES THERE ARE PROBLEMS CONCERING THE ESP AND BAS SYSTEMS WARNING MESSAGES THAT ARE APPEARING ON THE MONITOR, WHEN TRAVELING AT A MODERATE RATE OF SPEED IN A STRAIGHT LINE, THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER ALONG WITH BRAKING SENSATION. (MERCEDES BENZ C-240)
NHTSA complaint #564905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.