2003 Mercedes-Benz C240 problems
NHTSA has received 29 complaints about the 2003 Mercedes-Benz C240, and 28% of them involve fuel system. After that come air bags (17%) and electrical system (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 29 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 28% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 130,000 miles 16 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 | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 0 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 0 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 4 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 16 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 130,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 83% of model years in our database.
It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
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.
I was always getting an error message telling me my rear lights were not working. I experienced an electrical fire in my trunk, which caused the air bags to deploy and the entire left side of my car caught fire. The car was totaled. Car would not start, trunk would not open. Car was totaled by dealer and insurance company. I know there is a recall notice for new c class cars, but because of what I experienced, I believe older models may also have the same problem.
I bought the car yesterday, and today realized the car is leaking fuel, pooling under the back seat and spilling out under the car. The passenger headlight will not work; we tried 3 bulbs. The panel displays a message stating one of the tag lights is out, but it actually works.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c240. The following day after the vehicle was refueled, there was a strong fuel odor and there was a large puddle of fuel under the rear center of the vehicle. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.