What 516 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid

ON 11/25/2017 AT 1550 HOURS, I MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START MY VEHICLE. THE KEY WOULD TURN BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE SWITCH LIGHTS WERE OPERATING. HOWEVER, THE WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN AND THE GEAR WAS STUCK. THE BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL. THE TOW TRUCK COMPANY MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO RECHARGE THE CAR WITH NO SUCCESS. MY CAR WAS TOWED FROM DC TO DUMFRIES, VA (HOME). ON 11/27/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 0721 HOURS. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM MY HOUSE TO THE ALEXANDRIA MERCEDES-BENZ SERVICE CENTER. MERCEDES GAVE ME A LOANER CAR. AT 0945 HOURS, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MERCEDES-BENZ SPECIALIST AND HE SAID THE ISSUE IS THE STEERING LOCK. WHICH IS A NORMAL PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. I WAS TOLD THE PRICE WOULD BE $1,628. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES AND I KEEP MY MAINTENANCE AND EVERYTHING ELSE UP TO DATE. MERCEDES-BENZ SHOULD RECALL ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11048596

WE ARE A SMALL FAMILY OWNED CAR LOT THAT HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 2005. WE SOLD A 2011 MERCEDES C300 TO A NICE YOUNG COUPLE LAST WEEK. AFTER ONLY HAVING IT LESS THAN 24 HOURS, THE CUSTOMER CALLED STATING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. SAID WENT TO START THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND CAR WOULD NOT START. THE LIGHTS & RADIO TURNED ON BUT IT HAD A MESSAGE ON DASH TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. WE HAD TO CALL A TOW COMPANY TO TOW IT TO THE MECHANIC AND PUT THEM IN A LOANER CAR. LATER THAT DAY I STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH AND REALIZED MANY MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE AND IT IS COSTING THEM $1600-$1800 TO HAVE THE ESL & EIS REPLACED. IT IS INSANE HOW MANY OF THE SAME ISSUE HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AND REPORTED YET THERE IS NO ACTIVE RECALL ON THIS VERY DANGEROUS, EXPENSIVE ISSUE WITH ON A CAR THAT MANY PEOPLE CAN ONLY DREAM ABOUT HAVING! I WILL ATTACH THE LINK ALSO THAT I FOUND THE OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/MERCEDESBENZ/C300/STEERING-COLUMN-PROBLEMS.PHP

NHTSA ODI 11046044

NO NO FIX

NHTSA ODI 11043672

STEERING WHEEL LOCK UP OR EIS ISSUE. CAR NOT STOPPED WORKING ALL OF A SUDDEN. LUCKY IT WAS IN SAFE PLACE. CAR INTERIOR LIGHT COMES UP BUT DOES NOT CRANK. IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-T32359_DS565938

NHTSA ODI 11039191

STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAULTY EIS/ESL CAR WON'T START NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS OWNERS. WENT ON BREAK TOOK NAP IN CAR COME BACK 1 HOUR LATER WON'T START.

NHTSA ODI 11022551

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK MECHANISM ON THESE VEHICLES APPEAR TO FAIL WITH ALARMING FREQUENCY. IF THE FAILURE WAS TO OCCUR ANY DISTANCE FROM A DEALER A MOTORIST WOULD BE STRANDED, PERHAPS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS LUCKY - THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN MY HOME TOWN, BUT THE NEAREST DEALER IS 2 HOURS AWAY - THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN FIX IT. THIS SITUATION IS DANGEROUS AND THE FAILURE TO ADDRESS IT (BY MERCEDES BENZ) IRRESPONSIBLE.

NHTSA ODI 10902938

"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE A MERCEDES BENZ C300 2011 A PROBLEM OCCURRED WHERE YOU TURN THE KEY AND IT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE AND STEERING WHEEL LOCK.EVERYTHING ELSE WORKED LIKE LIGHTS,RADIO,BATTERY. I WAS DRIVING ONE MOMENT STOPPED AND PARKED FOR LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S QUITE A FEW OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. YOU CAN CHECK ON THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/MERCEDESBENZ/C300/STEERING-FAILED-PROBLEMS.PHP I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NEEDS TO GET FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 10837267

PARKED CAR, NEXT DAY WON'T START. STEERING LOCKED. ALL LIGHTS AND RADIO COME ON. NOTICED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR SAME ISSUE. MERCEDES NEED TO RECALL!

NHTSA ODI 10824370

I WENT TO THE PARK WITH MY WIFE AND 1 YEAR OLD SON, I PARKED THE CAR AND RETURNED A FEW HOURS LATER, THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT START OR UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL, THE CAR HAD TO BE DRAGGED OUT OF PARKING SPACE SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED A BAD STEERING COLUMN $1600 REPAIR BILL, AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE WHICH HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND REPAIR, SO THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND KNOW ISSUE BY MERCEDES BENZ. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE STEERING COLUMN CAN BECOME LOCKED IT COULD POTENTIALLY TURN VERY DANGEROUS IF THE CAR IS IN MOTION BECAUSE THE OPERATOR WOULD BE UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10781480

THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ACCIDENT AS IT INVOLVED A POLICE CHASE OF A FELON WHO RAN A RED LIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. MY CAR WAS HIT ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE AND IS DEEMED TOTALED. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN MY VEHICLE AND I REQUIRED EMERGENCY TRANSPORT TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. THIS ALSO INVOLVED A POLICE SHOOTING INCIDENT WITH THE DEATH OF THE OTHER DRIVER. THE VEHICLE IS PENDING TOWING TO A SALVAGE YARD.THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS A QUESTION OF DEFECTIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND FUTURE POTENTIAL INJURY TO OTHERS.

NHTSA ODI 10762414