FaultScore

Mercedes Benz C300 electrical problems

249 of the 2,855 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz C300 are about the electrical system — 9% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2010.

249

Complaints

9%

Share of all complaints

6

Crashes

12

Fires

Electrical System complaints by model year

2010 C300 84 33.7%

Median failure at 69,000 miles

2011 C300 43 17.3%

Median failure at 75,000 miles

2012 C300 12 4.8%

Median failure at 83,500 miles

2013 C300 19 7.6%

Median failure at 91,000 miles

2014 C300 9 3.6%

Median failure at 56,291 miles

2015 C300 50 20.1%

Median failure at 20,010 miles

2016 C300 32 12.9%

Median failure at 10,500 miles

What owners said

2015 Mercedes Benz C300 Pearland, TX Crash 1 injured

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was driving my car was sputtering or trying to shut off while I press the gas and I let go of the gas and it catches and stayed on. I took it to the dealership and they said they found nothing wrong. May 3rd around 12pm im driving on the freeway and as im getting on the express lane going 60 it dies and I couldn't move the steering wheel and I slammed into a guardrail. After doing research my car (vin [XXX] ) had multiple recals from the fuel pump and steering wheel and the dealership never fixed or checked any recalls before selling it to me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11736219 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Mercedes Benz C300 Los Angeles, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I’ve been driving my car since September when it was purchased I just got it from dealership 4/9/26 spent over $1100 and have been working like regular full time schedule, I wake up today 4/27/26 trying to work and car is stalling. Not sure what’s going on with these mechanics and technicians. I pay to dollar to ensure my family safety on the road here I am stuck without support due to my circumstances. Also, my car just idles the shuts off doesn’t turn mall the way on, magically a check engine light flashed then car just immediately stalled and won’t turn back over all the way.

NHTSA complaint #11733961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Mercedes Benz C300 Northridge, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My C300 MBZ, 2016 is experiencing the same symptoms as indicated in a recall, but my vehicle is not included in that recall. Camshaft: GENERAL REPAIR A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa. Cams act as a vital component to your automobile's engine. A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part. Camshafts provide power to the cams which are vital for basic engine operation. The cost of fixing this approximately $10,000 per Mercerdes dealer and estimate from Keyes Mercerdes. The Brief: Mercedes-Benz issued a recall for some model cars tied to a faulty drive shaft.T he problem not only can cause vehicles to lose power but may elevate crash risk, according to the National Traffic Safety Administration. Owners of the affected vehicles can take them to their local dealership to receive free repairs, however per MBZ corporate 2016 C300 not included? Mercedes-Benz is recalling 24,092 cars connected to a drive shaft universal joint that may break, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power.

NHTSA complaint #11733625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2014 Mercedes Benz C300 Beaverton, OR

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Experiencing a failed Electronic Steering Lock (ESL). Car won’t crank or start even after verifying battery health and key fob. Symptoms point to a failed ESL, left stranded

NHTSA complaint #11719778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2010 Mercedes Benz C300 at 97,000 miles Rockville, MD

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the battery and alternator were being drained. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the front air bag sensor message and a fog light message were displayed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown local dealer; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact then reached out to Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner Service and Parts, located at 8545 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182, and was informed about a diagnostic test to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11717513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2010 Mercedes Benz C300 Roslindale, MA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Got a car from the dealer soon weeks after the rear subframe was so corroded alignment was able to get done and was snapped on both sides airbag light came on doesn’t go away and the rear right brake like started using the fog light as a turn signal

NHTSA complaint #11686269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2011 Mercedes Benz C300 Nashville, TN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The electronic steering wheel lock went out causing the car to not start. Upon checking the Internet to see if anyone else was having this problem I found that it was a problem many Mercedes Benz owners have had and it's an expensive one. It's not just with my particular model and it's not limited to older models of the brand either.

NHTSA complaint #11682861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Mercedes Benz C300 at 160,000 miles Highland, MD

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that engine oil had traveled through the wiring harness causing the ECU to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover a portion of the repair cost. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA complaint #11680900 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Mercedes Benz C300 at 56,000 miles Marina Del Rey, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the energy saver START/STOP feature engaged, but the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the START/STOP function failed to operate as designed. The mechanic informed the contact about NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V114000 (Electrical System, Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was not contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

NHTSA complaint #11675352 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Mercedes Benz C300 Fortson, GA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving, my vehicle suddenly shut down in the middle of traffic without any prior warning. I was left stranded in the hot sun, fearing for my safety and praying that I wouldn’t be rear-ended. The incident was not only terrifying but also unacceptable for a vehicle of this caliber. I contact Mercedes customer service. I spoke to a representative name Stephanie. She called the Mercedes dealership service department in Columbus, Ga and received confirmation that my car did shut completely down on me without warning. Stephanie stated she will notate the incident. I told her there should be more than just a notation because this put me in grave danger, not only was my life in jeopardy this is a serious potential threat to others.

NHTSA complaint #11662614 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2012 Mercedes Benz C300 Parkville, MD

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was replacing rear tail light bulb. Now I'm getting an error message on instrument cluster. I tried to fix the issue but couldn't do to the fact the wiring harness has melted. Mercedes Benz had a recall back in 2013 saying this is a safety issue. No recall for our car.

NHTSA complaint #11661547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Mercedes Benz C300 Murphys, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Power steering malfunction Car unable to drive I believe there is supposed to be a recall for this issue but not popping up when I put in VIN number Warning lamps come up. Sometimes every light on dashboard. Took it to Mercedes but it was when code was not popping up and they said I needed a new battery. Did that but still an issue. Has also happened when driving. Sometimes collision assist plus light comes on and power steering acts up. Light I am pointing at in picture is another light that consistently pops up I have been able to intermittently fix problem by resetting computer by unplugging battery for 15min or longer. As well as confirming full service on vehicle. Now it isn’t working though.

NHTSA complaint #11660262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Mercedes Benz C300 Ofallon, MO

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When I was driving down the road my car got a message on the dash that said power steering malfunction see owners manual. My steering wheel got locked up and tight it was hard to keep control of my car at 60 miles per hour. When I took it to the repair shop, I asked about the repair and if my Vin had a recall and when I looked up the production date of my car it's 2 numbers off the Vin numbers that were recalled for your. same issue with hat happened in 2016 when my car was produced in 2015, it says the same thing. It will cost like 5k to fix the problem due to the fact that its a sensor, and when I looked up the recall it was the same sensor that the recall was on with my Vin only being 2 numbers off I find it odd that my car is not affected by this bc its the same problem of the recall the part of that controls the power steering in the car

NHTSA complaint #11660099 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2011 Mercedes Benz C300 Jber, AK

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The ESL or electronic steering lock is a very common issue with this year and model at around the 70k mile mark. You cannot start the car once this goes out and it’s over $2k to fix

NHTSA complaint #11658412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Mercedes Benz C300 Oak Creek, WI

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Have noticed a lot of air noise coming from the panoramic sunroof of my vehicle when driving, and now have issues of it opening or closing properly. I researched and found a recall regarding the issues my vehicle is having, and brought it into a dealership for diagnosis. Was told my vehicle VIN was not included in the recall. This is a dangerous issue that needs to be remedied. If the sunroof malfunctions I’m afraid it will come loose from the vehicle as it is doing the same things that the recalled VIN vehicles had issue with. Mercedes needs to update and add additional VINs to this recall. I did not repair, as I was told the entire thing will need to be replaced.

NHTSA complaint #11652756 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Mercedes Benz C300 Seatac, WA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Check Engine Light on, I read the code is P052E, after read some information in internet there is positive crankcase ventilation regulatory valve needs to be replaced. My car is 52000 miles and it seems like happenned to people even with less miles on the cars

NHTSA complaint #11649919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Mercedes Benz C300 Hesston, KS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The security alert warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the anti-theft module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired, and the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11648959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2013 Mercedes Benz C300 Newport, RI

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

LEFT TAIL LIGHTS BURNING OUT DUE TO OVERHEATED WIRES

NHTSA complaint #11643426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2010 Mercedes Benz C300 at 60,000 miles Buchanan, MI

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel locked. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was scanned, and diagnostic trouble codes indicating the TRP and Power Steering failure were retrieved. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and required to be towed. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle remained parked in the storage. The contact related the failure to an unidentified recall; however, the VIN was not included.  The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11623773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2014 Mercedes Benz C300 at 158,000 miles Buchanan, MI

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that an unidentified recall was previously completed on the vehicle; however, the recall remedy failed to prevent the failure from occurring. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel locked. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic steering lock and the TRP needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

NHTSA complaint #11623763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Mercedes Benz C300 problems