FaultScore

Worst years for a Mercedes Benz C230

Owners have filed 883 complaints about the Mercedes Benz C230 with NHTSA across model years 1997 to 2007. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2007 Mercedes Benz C230

272 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly fuel & propulsion.

Cleanest on record

1998 Mercedes Benz C230

54 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Mercedes Benz C230 year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2007 D 272 13 7 74,525 Fuel & Propulsion
2006 C 154 8 0 71,012 Engine & Cooling
2005 D 120 16 8 82,926 Airbags
2004 B 44 0 5 70,000 Engine & Cooling
2003 C 76 1 3 30,500 Engine & Cooling
2002 C 73 3 4 44,000 Engine & Cooling
2001 4 0 1 Engine & Cooling
2000 B 44 3 0 80,000 Electrical System
1999 C 35 5 1 52,000 Fuel & Propulsion
1998 A 54 1 0 127,874 Electrical System
1997 7 3 0 Airbags

What breaks on a Mercedes Benz C230

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 164 18.6%

Worst in 2006

Airbags 144 16.3%

Worst in 2007

Worst in 2007

Fuel & Propulsion 101 11.4%

Worst in 2007

Worst in 2007

Worst in 2007

Brakes 31 3.5%

Worst in 2002

Worst in 2007

Suspension 28 3.2%

Worst in 1998

Steering 20 2.3%

Worst in 2006

Other & Unspecified 20 2.3%

Worst in 2006

Lights 19 2.2%

Worst in 2003

Body & Structure 18 2.0%

Worst in 1998

Seat Belts 16 1.8%

Worst in 2004

Exactly what failed on a Mercedes Benz C230

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Engine 20 18.9%
Automatic Transmission 20 18.9%
Body 10 9.4%
Exhaust System 10 9.4%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly 9 8.5%
Gasoline 8 7.5%
12V/24V/48V Battery 8 7.5%
Front 8 7.5%
Frontal 7 6.6%
Tank Assembly 6 5.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Mercedes Benz C230, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Oct 1998 peak 34 Apr 2026

Mercedes Benz C230 problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Mercedes Benz C230

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.