Mercedes-Benz lighting problems

Across all Mercedes-Benz models in NHTSA's complaint database, 1,086 complaints involve lighting. The C300 accounts for the largest share (29%). The single worst model year is the 2009 C300 with 119 lighting complaints.

Complaints: 1,086 about lighting, all Mercedes-Benz models
Most affected: C300 29% of these complaints
Typical mileage: 63,000 miles 721 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires: 11 and 63

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Which Mercedes-Benz models

Model	Complaints	Share
C300	313	29%
SLK230	58	5%
ML350	49	5%
C350	46	4%
S500	45	4%
S430	38	4%
E320	35	3%
GLC 300	35	3%
S Class	33	3%
ML320	28	3%

Worst model years for lighting

Lighting complaints by model year

Totals across all models of the brand. Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.

View the numbers

Model year	Complaints
1991	2
1994	2
1995	7
1996	3
1997	12
1998	40
1999	40
2000	80
2001	109
2002	54
2003	33
2004	21
2005	20
2006	43
2007	22
2008	176
2009	152
2010	69
2011	31
2012	19
2013	17
2014	11
2015	8
2016	16
2017	22
2018	13
2019	6
2020	8
2021	21
2022	7
2023	11
2024	8
2025	2
2026	1

Among the 721 of these complaints that report mileage, the median is about 63,000 miles.

Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many vehicles each brand sells, so large brands naturally have more complaints.

Mercedes-Benz lighting problems

At a glance

Which Mercedes-Benz models

Worst model years for lighting

Lighting complaints by model year