2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C300

8 recalls — 584 complaints

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014 C250, C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2014-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, GLK 350, GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, 2015-2017 E400 4Matic ... Read more

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

288,779 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Defect Description

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

288,779 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350... Read more

Consequence

If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

51 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

Defect Description

Consequence

If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

51 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 C300 Sedan, C300 4matic Sedan, C350 Sedan, C63 AMG Sedan vehicles, 2010-2011 GLK350, GLK350 4-Matic and E350 Coupe vehicles, 2011 SLS AMG, E350 Convertible, E550 Coupe and E550 Convertible vehicles originally sold, or ever regi... Read more

Consequence

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. Owners were sent an interim notification October 2016. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

258,163 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Mati... Read more

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-637... Read more

711,159 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 C300, C300 4Matic, C350, and C63 AMG vehicles manufactured January 26, 2007, through July 13, 2011. In the affected vehicles, a poor electrical ground connection may result in the dimming or failure of the tail lights.

Consequence

Dimming or failure of the tail lights reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of stopping or turning, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Mercedes will notify owners, and dealers will replace the bulb holders if not previously updated and replace any corroded connectors, free of charge. The recall began on August, 18, 2014. Owners may contact Mercedes at 1-800-367-6372.

252,867 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 S400, S550, S550 4Matic, S63 AMG, C300, C300 4Matic, E350, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, CL550 4Matic, and CL63 AMG vehicles manufactured from April 18, 2011, through July 12, 2011. Due to an irregularity stemming from the molding process of the fuel... Read more

Consequence

If the fuel filter flange cracks, it will leak fuel which may lead to a fire if an external ignition source is present.

Remedy

Mercedes-Benz will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel filter, free of charge. The recall campaign is expected to begin in February 2013. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.

5,800 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

Complaint Statistics

584 total complaints 20 crashes 6 fires 22 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
AIR BAGS	250
SUSPENSION	57
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	43
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	37
STEERING	34
STRUCTURE:BODY	34
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	33
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	19
ENGINE	10
SERVICE BRAKES	9

Incident date: Jan 10, 2026

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 v... Read more

Incident date: Jan 10, 2026

Incident date: Oct 16, 2025

Car was Off and parked when brake line failed. Further inspection was able to identify that brake pipes was slowly corroded thought entire lower part of the brake system causing critical failure of brakes. Extreme safety issue due to the material of metal/coating and position of brake pipping. If op... Read more

Incident date: Sep 20, 2025

The driver’s side door handle broke and I was unable to leave the car unless it was unlocked and rolled the window down to open it from the outside through the window. If there was a loss of power and you pulled on the latch and it broke you would be delayed in exiting. There are multiple video... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2025

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 t... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2025

Incident date: Jun 10, 2025

I drove vehicle to Publix with no problems. When i tried to start vehicle, key turns but car does not start. There is no cranking sound. I called a mechanic friend and after extensive diagnosis he determined it was the ESL Module which controls the steering. Fortunately i was not driving the vehicl... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2025

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

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

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

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

Incident date: Sep 20, 2024

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

Incident date: Nov 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear lights became inoperable and failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that rear lighting wires were burned, causing an electrical failure within ... Read more

Incident date: Nov 5, 2024

The ESL is going out and is causing the car to not detect the key.

Incident date: Nov 1, 2024

Rear subframe , so I went in for an alignment and was quickly notified and denied service due to my rear sub frame being broken. Car is reported to be unsafe by the tire company.no lights etc. My family and I could of seriously been hurt. I can retrieve a statement from dun tire in auburn and from m... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2024

Incident date: Oct 28, 2024

Subframe rusted resulting in failure of left rear suspension mount causing dangerous loss of control of car under braking.

Incident date: Oct 22, 2024

1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel system failure is a highly critical safety concern, and my life is at risk. It causes malfunctions with the vehicle, for example, the OBD-based emissions test has flagged a lot of (codes P21... Read more

Incident date: Oct 22, 2024

Incident date: Oct 4, 2024

I just purchased a 2011 Mercedes C300. I was told that for the past 2-3 years the vehicle would constantly bald out the rear 2 tires and would need replaced every 3 months. As I was driving the vehicle I noticed that the rear tires would make weird noises as if it was hutting something. Upon further... Read more

Incident date: Oct 4, 2024

Incident date: Aug 28, 2024

For the 2011 Mercedes Benz C300, the following is a general description of the issue: The component that failed is the "internally faulty" electronic steering column lock control unit which doesn't allow the car to start its ignition. The technician at the Mercedes Benz car dealership noted on the ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2024

Incident date: Aug 29, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and almost went all the way to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to stop as needed, requiring an increased effort to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. No ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 22, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the messages to check the rear taillights and rear turn signals were displayed. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear taillight bulbs an... Read more

Incident date: Jul 15, 2024

I was told by 2 different vehicle repair shops that the subframe is broken. I just dropped it off at the Mercedes service shop near me to look at.

Incident date: Jul 20, 2024

Rear brake line rusted through land leaked all the break fluid rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive due to the complete failure of the breaking system. The location of the break line corrosion is above the rear differential and next to a retainer clip.

Incident date: Jul 11, 2024

While I was driving, my seat back suddenly started reclining backward. I could not make the seat stop or go forward with pushing the power seat button control. It kept reclining back, pushing into the back seat and would not stop until there was no power left. Had my child been in the seat behind... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2024

Interior door handle becomes inoperative due to breaking of some internal element. This prevents leaving the vehicle. Of concern is that in case of emergency, the occupant cannot exit the vehicle. If power is affected, the windows cannot be lowered which is the only way to exit using the exterior do... Read more

Incident date: Jun 10, 2024

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

The car is not starting. no dashboard no lights no window function no seat function no radio. nothing. Ignition lights are not turning on and the car is dead. Car batteries were newly replaced but understand this could be EIS and Steering lock issues which is common in Mercedes Benz models. Why is M... Read more

Incident date: Jun 5, 2024

Incident date: Mar 9, 2022

I researched that the sunroofs on these models are faulty and have caused water/electrical damage under the carpeting and seats of the vehicles. That is what has happened with my 2011 C300 Sport.

Incident date: May 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the brakes were not functioning properly. The contact had to pump the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. The cruise control, ABS, and traction control warning ... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2024

Incident date: May 21, 2024

The brake lines have corroded in multiple places causing brake fluid to leak, potentially creating a safety risk had the problem not been immediately observed and corrected. An independent service center confirmed the problem and replaced all the brake lines and hoses. There were no warning lamps o... Read more

Incident date: May 8, 2024

my ESL (electronic steering lock. ) has went out when I did research this something that always happened please fix

Incident date: May 8, 2024

my ESL (electronic steering lock. ) has went out when I did research this something that always happened please fix

Incident date: Jul 6, 2023

So i was using my car daily for go to work and I was on the highway and they happened a accident in front of me so I have to slow down due to the accident i was going 70 miles per hour and when made a hard break my car turn sideways due to the rear subframe was broke and I dint even notice that the ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 15, 2023

I was in a collision and the airbags did not deploy. There was a recall on airbags for the Mercedes C300 within the year my vehicle was made, however, the recall did not include my VIN. Also, the sunroof drain is faulty, which was also recalled on other Mercedes C300s within the same production year... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Mar 15, 2023

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Mar 29, 2024

Recently I was driving and heard a knocking/creaking noise in the left rear. When braking I felt as though I was going to lose control of the vehicle...vehicle appeared to fishtail and pull to the left. I first noticed it on [XXX] when I was driving on the highway in excess of 60 MPH. On [XXX] I bro... Read more

Incident date: Mar 29, 2024

Incident date: Mar 1, 2024

The right rear tail light housing harness melted due to an electrical issue. Wire tends to heat up too much. This caused my right rear tail light, right break light and right side turn signal not to function.

Incident date: Mar 1, 2024

Incident date: Jul 17, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the ignition was not reading the key, and the steering wheel was locked. The message to remove the key from the ignition was displayed. Additionally, the fuel gauge was inoperable and not reading the fuel ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 23, 2024

We had notifications on our dashboard that rear driver side (left) lights were out while driving car. We thought the light bulbs just had to be replaced. We brought to mechanic to just fix lights & they discovered the light ground wire burned out & caused light holder to be damaged as well where gro... Read more

Incident date: Dec 19, 2023

The sam box (electrical system fuze panel) located under the hood is in a spot where if the lid isn't on correctly water will drain from the windshield right into the sam box and cause the vehicles electrical system to deploy the steering wheel airbag. That's at least what happened to me. It was rai... Read more

Showing 50 of 584 complaints.

EPA Fuel Economy — 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C300

Trim / Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG	Combined MPG	Fuel Type	Annual Fuel Cost
3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 7-spd (Rear-Wheel Drive)	18.0	25.0	21.0	Premium	$3,300
3.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 7-spd (Rear-Wheel Drive)	18.0	25.0	20.0	Premium or E85	$3,450
3.0L 6-cyl, Manual 6-spd (Rear-Wheel Drive)	18.0	25.0	21.0	Premium	$3,300

CO2 Emissions: 423.2 g/mile (Compact Cars)

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Actual fuel economy may vary based on driving conditions.

NHTSA Safety Investigations — MERCEDES-BENZ C300

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

DP — Closed — Model Year: 2015

C300 Wrist-pin allegation

In a letter dated April 29, 2022, Mr. Sergio Betancourt (the petitioner) submitted a petition attributing engine failure of his 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 to âwrong sized wrist-pinsâ and asserted that these were prevalent on all Mercedes-Benz models (including the Metris minivan, GLC300, and ... C300) equipped with a version of the M274 engine. The petition cited Mercedes Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) LI03.10-P-060916 (meant for the 2015 C300) and postulated that the âwrong-sized wrist pinâ would allow the piston to âwiggle in the cylinder as it would move up and downâ. In addition to the Mercedes-Benz TSB, the petitioner enclosed a service center repair estimate and images of other online submissions discussing the M274 engine. In the incident that prompted the petition, the petitioner reported that the vehicle lost power and shook in response to accelerator application during highway driving, followed by white smoke from the exhaust pipe. The petitioner stated that the subsequent service center visit led to a cracked piston diagnosis. The service record from this visit prescribed an engine teardown to localize the failure and characterize any resulting engine damage and listed a number of repair options that included replacement of one piston, four pistons, or the entire engine long block (depending on the level of damage suffered). TSB LI03.10-P-060916 (âTSBâ) was first released on February 27, 2015 and pertained to Engine Code 274.920. It cited the following complaint condition: âClattering/rattling or knocking noise from the crank assembly of the engine when cold at oil temperatures up to approximately 50Â°C mostly heard on engine decelerationâ and listed the cause as under analysis. The TSB gave further instructions on the collection of information and discouraged the replacement of any components. On September 21, 2015, TSB Version 4 introduced engine build clean points (March 27, 2015 or April 20, 2015 depending on the engine plant); cause: unfavorable tolerance of the piston wrist pin resulting in enlarge end float of the connecting rod in the piston; and remedy: compare the complaint vehicle sound to an enclosed sound file under various operating conditions and then if verified, replace the pistons, connecting rods, and bearings, using updated pistons that include updated wrist pins. A review of the petitionerâs vehicle service history indicates that this labor operation was performed in March of 2016. In its November 22, 2022 response to ODI's September 28, 2022 Information Request (IR) letter, Mercedes stated that the limited number of potentially affected wrist pins could contribute to an unintended noise, but pose no motor vehicle safety risk. ODI's analysis of the field data furnished with the Mercedes IR response and within its own Vehicle Owners Questionnaire (VOQ) database support this assertion, finding no relationship between wrist-pin conditions cited in the TSB and engine failure or loss of motive power. Broader searches of both data sources for engine stalling related to engine durability identified no trends meriting further investigation. After conducting a technical review of the petitionerâs submissions, the vehicle history of the petitioner's vehicle, Mercedes TSBâLI03.10-P-060916, information provided by Mercedes-Benz in response to the Agency's Information Request, and data within its own files; NHTSA has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to pursue a formal investigation. Accordingly, the Agency has denied the petition. NHTSA will continue to review any new information or incidents as they are submitted to the Agency. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA's reasons for denial of the petition will be published in the future. The petition and its attachments can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference ODI number 11450360.Read more

MERCEDES-BENZ C300 — All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the MERCEDES-BENZ C300 across all model years (2010–2017).

419 Total Recalls

3,109 Total Complaints

1 Investigations

116 Reported Crashes

35 Reported Fires

1 Reported Deaths

MERCEDES-BENZ C300 — Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2017	224	281	View
2016	138	357	View
2015	20	505	View
2014	6	120	View
2013	7	340	View
2012	8	331	View
2011 (current)	8	584
2010	8	591	View

Other MERCEDES-BENZ Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
GLA 250	1,219	416	View
GLC 300	1,143	568	View
GLE 350	1,116	311	View
C 300	1,074	360	View
AMG GLS63	963	12	View
AMG C43	944	74	View
CLA 250	923	130	View
AMG GLC43	920	42	View