2009 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems
NHTSA has received 846 complaints about the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300, and 24% of them involve electrical system. Next are air bags (22%) and steering (16%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 846 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 22 and 30
- Injuries and deaths
- 19 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 70,000 miles 561 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 | 16 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 36 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 139 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 167 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 101 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 49 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 29 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 12 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 7 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 561 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 70,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 71,000 miles (166 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 22 complaints mention a crash; 30 complaints mention a fire; 19 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Mercedes-Benz C300 with enough data (261 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 8 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mercedes benz c300. The contact stated that while at the dealer he slowed the vehicle down in order to drive through an automatic door when sudden acceleration occurred causing the contact to crash into the door. The driver and two other people were injured. They were all taken to the hospital with injuries to the thigh, leg, and a bruised collar bone. The vehicle was destroyed. The insurance company was notified of the failure. A police report was filed.
I was driving on the parkway at ~40 MPH and attempted to slow down by stepping on the brake. The car did not slow down but accelerated. And struck the car in front of me. Every time I pressed on the brake, the car accelerated so that the car struck the car in front twice. I tried to turn off the ignition and was unable to. Finally, I pushed hard on the brake enough to slow it down and I was ten able to put the car in neutral. The engine raced but I was then able to turn it off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mercedes benz c300. While attempting to start the vehicle, the engine would not start and the steering wheel became locked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 110,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the driver’s side rear tire inverted into the wheel well due to excessive corrosion. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where he confirmed the failure and informed him that the subframe needed to be replaced. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 130,000.