2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C300

6 recalls — 120 complaints

COMMUNICATION

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models... Read more

Consequence

An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-80... Read more

24,226 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

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

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling these vehicles: 2014-2018 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, CLA45 AMG 4Matic, 2015-2018 GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, GLA45 AMG 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C63S AMG, 2012-2014 C250, C350, C300 4Matic, E550 4Matic, 2013-2014 C63 AMG, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe... Read more

Consequence

If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will add sufficient grounding to the steering components, free of charge. The recall began in December 6, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

495,290 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.

STEERING

Defect Description

Mercedes-Benz USA LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2014 C250, C300 4MATIC, GLK250 4MATIC BLUETEC and GLK350 vehicles, 2013 C250 Coupe, C350, C350 4MATIC Coupe, C350 Coupe and C63 AMG Coupe vehicles, and 2013-2015 GLK350 4MATIC vehicles. The steering coupling connecting bolt may have been insu... Read more

Consequence

A loss of steering can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering coupling connecting bolt, tightening it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

168 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.

Complaint Statistics

120 total complaints 7 crashes 5 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
AIR BAGS	52
STEERING	13
SUSPENSION	11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	8
STRUCTURE:BODY	7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	3
ENGINE	2
SEATS	2
SERVICE BRAKES	2

Incident date: Feb 22, 2026

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

Incident date: Feb 22, 2026

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

Incident date: Aug 31, 2025

Leaving my home from my driveway and driving about 15 feet I heard a loud pop from my backseat area and noticed my Headrest on drivers side deployed without any reason. The airbag right/left malfunction light showed on my dash saying service required. Mercedes benz Dealership said they never heard ... Read more

Incident date: Jan 22, 2025

The left rear subframe separated from the main frame causing the car to pull to the left when braking. I had an episode where I was stopping for a traffic light and the car started fishtailing and I almost lost control of the car. Following this episode, I took the car to a mechanic who advised m... Read more

Incident date: Jan 2, 2025

To Whom It May Concern, I am seeking assistance regarding my 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-300, VIN [XXX] . I repurchased this vehicle from the London Nissan Dealership on [XXX]. It currently has about 120,000 miles, and I have driven an additional 15,000 miles in the past two years. Less than three months... Read more

Incident date: Nov 2, 2024

It's the ESL ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK THIS PART IS KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE AND IS POSTED ONLINE TO FIX AND ALSO BYPASS IT. I AM NOT A MECHANIC SO I AM TOLD PART ALONE IS $570 AT MERCEDES THEY HAVE TO PROGRAM IT. THIS PART IS KNOW TO BREAK AND ONLY THEY CAN REPROGRAM IT. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFTY ISSUE. THE... Read more

Incident date: Oct 10, 2024

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 warn... Read more

Incident date: Oct 10, 2024

Incident date: Aug 27, 2024

Rotted rear sub frame due to poor design retaining water

Incident date: Jun 26, 2024

I purchased my vehicle from the Mercedes Benz Dealership and received a recall letter in the mail stating that driver side deployment may occur. After receiving notice I brought the car to the dealership to get the recall repaired. I've been driving around with a false sense of security believing th... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2024

While I was driving my car the driver side airbag abruptly deployed. The airbag inadvertently deployed; the car did not crash into anything to cause the airbag to deploy. When the airbag erupted it caused injury to my head, face, hand, arm and wrist. I believe the airbag is defective because I have ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 26, 2024

Incident date: Jun 28, 2024

The driver's side interior door handle became disengaged as I was trying to open the door so I was momentarily trapped inside. If I had been in a situation where I had been in an accident and needed to get out quickly, or the car had been on fire, or I was stalled on the train tracks, this could ha... Read more

Incident date: Jun 3, 2024

took car in for oil change and was informed that car should not be driven because rear subframe had rotted thru and rear link was completly unattached and hitting gas tank. havent had a response from 2 dealerships this car is unstable and hitting the brakes requires a lot of attention to keep on roa... Read more

Incident date: Mar 13, 2024

Rear sub frame rusting through

Incident date: Feb 25, 2024

The intake manifold blew on my car while it was off overnight and I took it to the Mercedes dealership to have it fix and the next day I got it back after it was repaired the same problem happened again when I went to unlock my car I heard a bang and smoke coming from the engine

Incident date: Feb 25, 2024

Incident date: Nov 27, 2023

The ignition switch is causing the steering column to lock and it has been reported a lot at different dealerships that I have called.

Incident date: Aug 19, 2023

The driver's side door handle broke impossible to open door from inside if there was an accident. I have been told that this is a common problem with my car, and that it cost 1600.00 to replace repair at the dealer. This is such a common problem that there are after market kits to repair the broken ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 19, 2023

Incident date: Nov 23, 2022

Car would just shut down intermittently, sometimes sudden death. No crank no start. Been stranded at night alone with my child in the car and at times, unsafe areas. Electronic Ignition Switch is faulty and MB has had my car for 1 month to date. Quoted me a repair cost of $2,787. Said the EIS is o... Read more

Incident date: Jan 2, 2023

Rear left sub frame is found to be broken due to corrosion and rust. Right side is near to be broken. Driving under such condition is very dangerous.

Incident date: Jan 28, 2023

SUB FRAME ON MERCEDES HAS RUST ISSUE, RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. I ONLY FOUND OUT BECAUSE I GOT NEW TIRES. ONLY 70K ON THE VEHICLE

Incident date: Nov 1, 2022

Completely rotted & rusted sub-frame. Caused braking/stability/steering issues and was completely undriveable. Cost $2300 to fix, another $1000 for car rental as well as lost time at work. There have also been many reports of this problem with other drivers of the same model of vehicle. NO warning l... Read more

Incident date: Nov 1, 2022

Incident date: Jan 10, 2023

Car has approximately 60,000. miles. Upon it's state inspection Mercedes Benz service center indicated rear subframe is rusted. Service advisory says it is okay now, but will need to be replaced. Searching Mercedes forums, I've noted this is a n oft reported issue. Many do not realize there is a... Read more

Incident date: Dec 29, 2022

Malfunction of rear subframe and control arms due to rust causing the subframe to crack. When breaking the rear wheels swerved almost causing a collision on the highway. My mechanic inspected the car and deemed it unsafe for driving as this can cause injury or death to me and others. The car is c... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2022

Takata recall. The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V010000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recal... Read more

Incident date: Dec 6, 2022

I received a notice several years ago for the airbag to be replaced due to a recall. Mercedes-Benz has not been able to remedy this issue for years. I have called for several years, but the Mercedes dealer near me continues to state that the airbag part is not available. I called Mercedes hotline (8... Read more

Incident date: Nov 9, 2022

During an oil change (11/9/2022), my technician found rust on the rear subframe. He stated that this is a known safety problem caused by defective materials during manufacturing. He stated that Mercedes is aware of this problem but has not issued a recall as of this date. I checked the online Merc... Read more

Incident date: Sep 19, 2022

I purchased my car one year ago from a Mercedes dealership - 8/31/2021. I brought it in for service at the same dealership a week ago and they told me the rear subframe rusted from the inside out and it FAILED inspection. The parts are $5,100 and not available until some time in Q1 2023. There is... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2022

Rear subframe of vehicle is starting to become rotted/rusted out and may fall apart at any time. My Mother has the same body style car as me (2011 c300) & she was recently driving at around 60mph and all of the sudden, went to step on the brakes and the car swerved across the highway uncontrollably.... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2022

Failed component: The subframe on my Mercedes C300 broke on one side and was almost broken on the other. It would be available for inspection as it is sitting in the Mercedes dealer bone yard waiting on the part to be shipped from Germany around September 17th. It also ruined my back tires & now I ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2022

Incident date: Jun 22, 2022

My 2014 Mercedes C300 4matic currently has a rusted through rear subframe. I know this has been reported to your Bureau numerous times by various people. This affects all 2008-2014 C Class and E Class Mercedes (as I used to work for a Mercedes dealer). Mercedes is trying to avoid liability at the... Read more

Incident date: May 30, 2022

Parked the car, did something, came back and car did not start. Key in, no crank, no start, no steering. No lights on the dash, no gear shifting, can’t roll the windows up. All out of nowhere. Think it’s a problem with the Electronic Steering Lock.

Incident date: May 30, 2022

Incident date: Dec 28, 2021

This car has 63,792 miles on it and has been continuously garaged and well cared for. All maintenance has been done timely and by Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner (Virginia) since it was purchased there on 01/08/14. All required maintenance was completed as advised and the car was covered under a 7 ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 28, 2021

Incident date: Dec 1, 2021

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

Incident date: Dec 24, 2020

WHILE DRIVING ON 95 HIGHWAY TAKING AN EXIT ( MAKING A RIGHT TURN ROUNDABOUT) THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ON ME PREVENTING ME FROM CONTINUING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE EXIT CAUSING ME TO ALMOST CRASH INTO THE METAL RAILINGS; BECAUSE MY WHEELS NOW WHERE LOCKED IN A POSITION THAT WOULD FORCE ME TO CRASH IN... Read more

Incident date: Dec 24, 2020

Incident date: Jul 15, 2020

2014 MERCEDES BENZ C300. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CONCERNS WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED NUMEROUS CALLS AND ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR COMPLETED TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE; THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Jan 4, 2017

TAKATA PASSENGER AIR BAG RECALL HAS STILL NOT BEEN RESOLVDD

Showing 50 of 120 complaints.

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 (current)	6	120
2013	7	340	View
2012	8	331	View
2011	8	584	View
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