26 of the
2,855 complaints filed about the Mercedes Benz C300
are about the wheels —
1% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2015.
Rear brakes backing plates rotted prematurely despite garage kept and well maintained status. While driving, noticed loud scraping and grinding noises from the rear left wheel. Took to mechanic and he found severe rust, with deep corrosion and flaking "rotted". He said I was lucky because this was very close to causing the entire brake assembly to fail, which would lead to serious braking problems or "locked out wheel" and loss of control on a highway which would have put me and others at risk. Had similar rust issues with this car that were fixed in the recent past including rusted brake lines and rusted rear subframe. There is definitely something wrong with the manufacturing as the rear subframe had been recalled and got it fixed that way less than a year ago.
NHTSA complaint #11711917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Due to the corrosion in the rear subframe both side of lower control arms snapped the tires to the car are wearing out due to the corrosion in rear subframe and it’s was also hitting my gas tank if I was to go over any holes which can cause a bigger issue
NHTSA complaint #11686271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2012 c300 has a rotted rear subframe making the car not able to be driven. It has major ,life threatening, costly damage and this issue already has a recall all over the world but not in the United States. If I can get the assistance to pay this repair, it will be gladly appreciated.
NHTSA complaint #11602805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear driver side wheel was making a clicking noise leading us to believe there was an issue with the strut and/or shock. Due to the nature and severity of the noise, we took the vehicle to our mechanic ASAP. Upon inspection, mechanic identified that the sub-frame had completely rusted through which could lead to other catastrophic issues making vehicle no longer safe to drive unless repaired. Due to the age of the vehicle being 11 years old, the cost to repair was almost the value of the vehicle basically making this a complete loss. I understand that Mercedes Benz has extended the warranty to 20 years for this issue for other models identifying that it is a design/parts defect but not the C300 although I have found that this is also an issue for this model.
NHTSA complaint #11546160 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear subframe is rusted and broken, alignment is out, and steering wheel is off centered. Given the history of this model car, it has been under recall in multiple countries outside the United States. This is a common and very dangerous issue that needs to be addressed in the United States because if you call any auto shop or Mercedes they all say it is a common problem with 2008-2014 C-class models. When you look up this issue with this car it has multiple threads saying that the rear subframe has rusted and broke when it is not supposed to.
NHTSA complaint #11472694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I needed new tires and the tire dealer reported that my subframe is rotted bilaterally. He suggested I do not invest in tires until it is replaced and to notify Mercedes as there may be a recall. This defect caused instability of the frame that secures the tires. The safety risk should go without saying. Any rotted structure that supports the car and/or secures the tires is an obvious safety risk. After reading the multiple complaints posted under “structure” for this make and model, it appears that yes, this problem has been reproduced and confirmed by other owners and mechanics. I am presently picking up my car from the tire dealer and driving it directly to the Mercedes dealership…so they will be aware and able to inspect it. There were no warnings or alerts that my subframe rotted. I do not believe this is something that could be measured with a sensor to trigger an alert electronically.
NHTSA complaint #11471103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I noticed that my car was pulling heavy to the left when I stop and strange noise in the rear of the car, after taking the car to the mechanic he told me that the car rear subframe on my 2013 Mercedes Benz c300 was rotted, the control arm bracket completely broke off on the left side and the right side is also cracked. it appears that this is a common issue in areas of heavy road salt usage during winter months, the dealer told me that the car has a rotted rear subframe problem and the subframe could break out in months.
NHTSA complaint #11457290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sudden steering pull when braking . Mechanic found rotten left rear suspension cross member .part number 2043500141 Mechanic reports very Common issue with this model . Mercedes Benz is aware but will not repair or supply replacement parts . Note the replacement part is not available in US currently . Stuck with unsafe auto lacking support from Mercedes Benz . Some one is going to be injured / killed as the manufacturing defect shows rust failure from inside out and not detectable during routine maintenance . Hard braking pull is first indication that the defective part failed . Should this occur at highway speed the auto can flip resulting in major injury or death .
NHTSA complaint #11453988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The wheel is not tilting up or down. It's stuck I. Top. It will just go out and in but stuck in the top position. This is a safety issue especially with airbags. The problem have been reported to dealers . It's a defective system
NHTSA complaint #11445095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving at low speed, there was a sudden imbalance in the steering wheel and the car started to pull to the right. The problem was more exaggerated while breaking with significant fishtailing. I immediately took the vehicle to Mercedes-Benz dealership who diagnosed the problem as severely rusted subframe with corrosion and structural instability especially near the rear passenger side wheel. The car is Mercedes C300 4Matic 2013. The incident happened on November 24, 2021. Mileage is 77,000 miles. Should I have waited longer, there was a very high probability of complete breakdown of the subframe which would result in rollover posing high risk of injury and death to the driver and other people on the road.
NHTSA complaint #11443417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The subframe rotted out causing the lower control arm bracket to detach from the frame. This has caused loss of control of the back left wheel and causes the car to shake and swerve when braking. This exact issue has led to recall in Canada. First noticed due to a squeaking and clunking sound. Later on the same day, I pressed the brakes on the highway and felt the described shaking/swerving. My mechanic has let me know that the car is now un-drivable due to the safety issue this causes. One of the rear subframe’s main purposes is to absorb and disperse impact. Not only have I entirely lost control of the rear left, but any crash that this could have led to could have been significantly more dangerous due to the failed subframe. As stated prior, this exact issue has led to recall in Canada and I believe that it should lead to recall in the USA as well.
NHTSA complaint #11440327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION PARTS ARE RUSTING OUT FAST I DON'T LIVE IN A SALTED ROAD FOR BLACK ICE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT CAR ONLY HAS 66K MILES AND AC POURS FUEL ODORS IN THE CABIN INTERIOR MATERIALS ARE BUBBLING UP FAST EVEN AFTER UV TREATMENTS.
NHTSA complaint #11397130 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EVERY TIME I START MY CAR IT SMELLS LIKE GAS AND IT'S SO STRONG TO THE POINT WHERE IT GIVES ME HEADACHES. ALSO I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE ROADS WERE WET FROM PREVIOUS RAIN AND I ALMOST DIED AND HYDROPLANED ON THE FREEWAY. EVEN IF IT'S A SMALL BIT OF RAIN MY CAR STARTS SHAKING AS IF I DON'T HAVE CONTROL. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR AND I JUST GOT THE CAR A MONTH AGO.
NHTSA complaint #11387746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACK DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT HARD TO ENGAGE AND WILL COME UNENGAGED WITHOUT PROMPTING. BRAKE PADS WEAR OUT EVERY 30,000 MILES BACK PASSENGER SIDE TIRE AND VALVE HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN 70,000 MILES AND STILL LOOSES AIR INTERMITTENTLY. CAR CAN BE PARKED OR MOVING. NO CONSISTENCY IN WHEN OR AMOUNT AIR PRESSURE IS LOST.
NHTSA complaint #11286700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V10000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. MERCEDES-BENZ OF GOLDEN BRIDGE (321 NY-22, GOLDEN BRIDGE, NY 10526, (914) 232-8122) 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 VEHICLE ALSO HAD ELECTRICAL FAILURES AND ONE OF THE RIMS FRACTURED. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *BF. CONSUMER STATED 2-3 TIRE AND RIM REPLACEMENTS FIRST 4 MONTH OF PURCHASING IT. CONSUMER PURCHASED A SECOND CAR. AGAIN SECOND HAD HAD CREAKED RIM ON THE WHEEL, WHICH CONSUMER REPLACED. CONSUMER HAD CRACKED WHEEL, LANE ASSIST HAD ELECTRICAL FAULT, REPLACED ACCELERATOR PEDAL, REPLACED HORN PLATE, STEERING WHEEL AGAIN VIBRATION MOTOT MALFUNCTION, REMOVE BATTERY, REPLACED 12/18. CONSUMER HAS RECEIVED 4 SAFETY RECALL LETTERS ON THIS CAR AND OUT OF 4 LETTERSM, 2 CAME IN 2/19, 3/19. CAR'S WARRANTY IS UNTIL 4/2019.
NHTSA complaint #11190343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ON TWO OCCASIONS, WITH THE LATEST BEING ON 12/11/2018, THE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL LOCKED COMPLETELY AFTER I PARKED IT. EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN SUBJECT TO A RECALL (2010100002), MERCEDES BENZ CHARGED ME $1255 JUST TO UNLOCK IT WITHOUT REPAIRING THE UNDERLYING CAUSE. I WANT MY MONEY BACK BECAUSE THE PROBLEM THEY REPAIRED IS PART OF THE RECALL.
NHTSA complaint #11160947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BY K AND H AUTO. THE ELECTRICAL UNIT IS MALFUNCTIONING, THE LIGHT IS BROKEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AND THE ROTORS AND BRAKES HAVE BEEN RUSTED, PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE ATTEND TO THIS MATTER. THANKS, AND HAVE A VERY BLESSED DAY. ANOTHER COMPANY BY THE NAME OF ANS TOWING, TOWED MY VEHICLE WITHOUT CARE AND I AM NOW HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRAGGED THROUGH WATER ON OCTOBER 17-18, 2018.
NHTSA complaint #11066436 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.