1999 Mercedes-Benz C230 problems
The 1999 Mercedes-Benz C230 has 35 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (17%) concerns fuel system. Next are air bags (11%) and brakes (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 35 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 17% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 52,000 miles 15 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 15 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 52,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 7 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 91% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1999 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 9 model years of the Mercedes-Benz C230 with enough data (24 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* - the contact stated that while driving the 1999 mercedes c230 at 35MPH the front right tire slipped and the vehicle rolled over a number of times in a residential area. The driver's side airbag didn't deploy. There was a police report and an insurance report. The weather was not a factor in the failure.
I was driving to work on 75 north where speed is 65MPH at lunch hour and all of the sudden the car started to decelerate from 65 miles an hour to zero in seconds the car stopped, I saw my life before my eyes in my rearview mira as cars and semi trucks were swerving from plowing into me at 65 MPH to 75 MPH...I only had seconds to remove myself from the vehicle to safety where I saw a jeep grand cherokee plow into my car at high speed I only had seconds to remove myself from my car and escape to safety and run to…
Vehicle was at a complete stand still. Consumer was rear ended, which forced her into the back of a truck. However, the air bag did not deploy. The vehicle was totaled. Consumer was injured. Please provide any further information.
Fuel gauge failure:reads more than there is at times; has resulted in running out of fuel;erratic reading even after filling tank with fuel;will show full and a few minutes later shows empty. Also, brake light bulbs buring out at 1 to 2 month intervals. Sometimes dash indicator light shows burned out bulb when all are working, other times light has burned out and indicator light is not on.
Nar 04/28/2003 mr non comformity and major defects with preowned car purchased. Defects include, air condtioner unit, brakes, and faulty electrical wiring causing light bulbs to be replaced.