FaultScore

Worst years for a Mercedes Benz C300

Owners have filed 2,855 complaints about the Mercedes Benz C300 with NHTSA across model years 2010 to 2016. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2010 Mercedes Benz C300

593 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

2012 Mercedes Benz C300

333 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Mercedes Benz C300 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
2016 C 368 14 8 37,000 Engine & Cooling
2015 C 514 14 1 41,500 Engine & Cooling
2014 B 120 7 0 34,683 Airbags
2013 C 342 15 2 74,015 Airbags
2012 B 333 6 8 90,000 Airbags
2011 C 585 20 6 80,000 Airbags
2010 C 593 26 8 67,000 Airbags

What breaks on a Mercedes Benz C300

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

Airbags 738 25.8%

Worst in 2011

Body & Structure 290 10.2%

Worst in 2013

Engine & Cooling 262 9.2%

Worst in 2015

Suspension 257 9.0%

Worst in 2012

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2016

Worst in 2015

Steering 188 6.6%

Worst in 2010

Lights 80 2.8%

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2015

Brakes 72 2.5%

Worst in 2013

Worst in 2016

Wheels 26 0.9%

Worst in 2015

Worst in 2013

Exactly what failed on a Mercedes Benz C300

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

Body 193 62.5%
Frame AND Members 44 14.2%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly 25 8.1%
Subframe/Mounting Bracket 14 4.5%
Warnings 7 2.3%
Door 6 1.9%
Interior 5 1.6%
Automatic Emergency Braking 5 1.6%
Blind Spot Detection 5 1.6%
Underbody Shields 5 1.6%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Mercedes Benz C300, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Dec 2009 peak 110 Aug 2026

Mercedes Benz C300 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 C300

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