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What 570 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (570)Crash / fire / injury (33)Airbags (285)Suspension (73)Body & structure (70)Engine (57)Steering (47)Electrical system (34)Fuel system (33)Brakes (19)Transmission & drivetrain (19)Speed control (12)

33 of 570 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Jan 18, 2018Fuel system

MY FUEL PUMP ORIGINALLY WAS DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY IN OCTOBER 2017 ORDERED FROM MERCEDES BENZ OF SA WHICH WAS STATED BY THE ETA PROVIDED. UPON CALLING BACK THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET A ETA ON MY FUEL PUMP WHICH HAS MY CAR RUNNING HORRIBLE AND SMELLING LIKE GAS BUT IS MY ONLY CAR. IT HAS BEEN OVER 4 MONTHS SINCE SITUATION UPON CALLING TODAY NO ETA HAS BEEN GIVEN OR UPDATED THEY VOICED ITS ON INTERNATIONAL BACK-ORDER EVERYWHERE YOU CALL IF AN ITEM LIKE THIS ISN'T AVAILABLE THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES AND RECALL NEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO HOLD MERCEDES RESPONSIBLE. THIS IS AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 11063558

Nov 19, 2014Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

LONG PAUSE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. NOT NORMAL TURBO LAG, IT'S TOO LONG. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10659477

Nov 6, 2014EngineFuel system

CONSTANT ISSUES WITH VEHICLE ACCELERATION. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP THE CAR HESITATES FOR SEVERAL SECONDS EVEN WITH SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE ON GAS PEDAL THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATES IN A VERY JERKY FASHION. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC OR MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN CROSSING MULTIPLE TRAFFIC LANES. HAVE ALSO HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHEN CAR IS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND NEED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY, THE CAR HESITATES FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND THEN JERKS INTO GEAR AND SPEEDS UP. I DON'T DRIVE MY CAR THAT MUCH BECAUSE I WORK FROM HOME AND TAKE CABS ON WEEKENDS WHEN GOING OUT BUT HAD A FRIEND DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT AND THEY SAID THEY DEFINITELY NOTICED THE ISSUE. I AM TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WILL MAKE REPAIRS BUT I HAVE A FEELING LIKE OTHERS WHO HAVE SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT I WILL BE TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG. I JUST HAPPENED ACROSS THIS WEBSITE AND THOUGHT I WOULD SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS JUST MY CAR BUT 11 OF 13 COMPLAINTS ARE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AS MINE. WHY HASN'T THE NTSB ISSUED A RECALL? DOES SOMEONE OR A BUNCH OR PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE FIRST?? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10653164

Sep 17, 2014BrakesEngineFuel system

ON 8/26/14 I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT. WHEN I WENT TO TAKE-OFF, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. IT FINALLY DID BUT VERY SLOWLY. THIS OCCURRED TWO MORE TIME AT THE NEXT TWO STOP LIGHTS. I WAS THEN IN A CENTER TURN LANE TO TURN ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC & WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR DIED AND THE ELECTRONIC DISPLAY GAVE A YELLOW ERROR MESSAGE THAT THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED IT OFF & THEN STARTED IT BACK UP. FORTUNATELY IT RE-STARTED, THE ERROR MESSAGE WAS GONE & I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE INTO MY OFFICE PARKING LOT. MY MERCEDES SERVICE DEPT. SAID NO CODES REGISTERED ON THE COMPUTER, PROBABLY BECAUSE I TURNED THE CAR OFF SO QUICKLY IT DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO. TODAY, 8/17/14, I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. MY CAR IS BACK AT THE MERCEDES SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THIS IS, IN MY OPINION, A DANGEROUS & LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10636985

Aug 12, 2014Fuel systemTransmission & drivetrainSpeed control

SLUGGISH ACCELLARATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE LAST 2 MONTHS. IT HAS HAPPEN ON A TAKE OFF FROM A RED TO A GREEN LIGHT. WHERE I'M COMPLETELY STOPPED AND FROM 0 MPH SPEED I START TO ACCELLARATE & THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT STALLS, ALMOST AS IF IT'S GETTING NO FUEL. I CAN HAVE MY FOOT TOTALLY DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL & THE CAR HESITATES OR DOESN'T MOVE AT ALL. I HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE I WAS BEHIND A SEMI TRUCK, I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES FAST BEFORE INCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CAR DID NOT MOVE & I ALMOST GOT HIT FROM BEHIND BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT SPEED UP WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELLARATE. I'VE HAD MY BEST FRIEND IN THE CAR WHILE THIS TOOK PLACE & HE WAS VERY SCARED & SO WAS I. I'M NOT SURE IF THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE PUMPING THE GAS FAST ENOUGH TO GET THE CAR MOVING. THEN AGAIN, WHAT DO I KNOW. I'M A GIRL. ALL I KNOW IS, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR & IT'S NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME BUT IT HAPPENS QUITE TOO OFTEN. I'M TO THE POINT NOW WHERE I DON'T TRUST PASSING OTHER CARS AND I'M EXTRA CAUTIOUS WHEN HAVING TO PASS CARS OR FROM LANE TO LANE. I DON'T TRUST THIS CAR. I'VE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TODAY & HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET WITH MAX AT THE DEALERSHIP IN ANAHEIM HILLS, CA. I'M HOPING I CAN HAVE AN EARLY TERMINATION OF MY LEASE OR GET INTO ANOTHER CAR (HOPEFULLY A SAFE CAR). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10621886

Mar 9, 2014Fuel systemSpeed control

WAS ACCELERATING UP HILL AFTER MAKING RIGHT TURN; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, VEHICLE SEEMED TO STALL AND WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE IN TRAFFIC SITUATION; MAXIMUM SPEED VEHICLE WOULD GET TO IS 17 MPH. IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO DEALER WHO RAN DIAGNOSTICS, BUT DID NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM; PERFORMED COMPUTER "RESET" AND TOLD TO BRING BACK IF MORE PROBLEMS. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, SAME ISSUE RETURNED WITH MAXIMUM SPEED OF 7 MPH; CEL AND MULTIPLE DASH WARNING LIGHTS INCLUDING TRACTION CONTROL APPEARED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF SAFETY ISSUE AND POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT. AFTER FIVE DAYS, DEALER CALLED AND INDICATED HAD REPLACED THROTTLE MOTOR. DEALER REQUESTED TO KEEP OVERNIGHT AND NEXT MORNING ENGINE WOULD NOT START; FOUND PULL ON BATTERY. APPROXIMATELY 4.5 WEEKS LATER, ORIGINAL ACCELERATION ISSUE RECURRED - WHILE PASSING A TRACTOR TRAILER IN A PASSING ZONE ON TWO-LANE HIGHWAY; WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE PASSING MANEUVER AND HAD TO FALL BACK IN BEHIND TRACTOR TRAILER JUST IN TIME FOR AN ONCOMING VEHICLE TO PASS IN OTHER DIRECTION, AVOIDING COLLISION, BUT UNDERSCORING IMMINENT SAFETY THREAT OF THIS VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALER YET AGAIN AND AFTER MORE THAN ONE WEEK, DEALER INDICATED THAT FUEL PUMP AND INJECTORS HAD BEEN REPLACED PER INSTRUCTION FROM MB USA. AGAIN REQUESTED TO KEEP VEHICLE FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING; VEHICLE REMAINS WITH DEALER AS OF TODAY. THE ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE PRESENT AN IMMINENT THREAT TO SAFETY OF BOTH DRIVER AND OTHER VEHICLES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10568044

May 16, 2013Fuel system

THE GAS BECOMES NON RESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING AND OR HAVE TO STOP THE CAR RESTART IT ,THE DEALERSHIP STATES THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES BEFORE AND THE LAST TIME ON THE FREEWAY AND WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR MISS WITH AN 18 WHEELER WITCH COULD HAVE ENDED MY LIFE AND POSSIBLY OTHERS ON THE FREEWAY I AM PETRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR SINCE THEN WHICH HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND AND CLAIMING THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR .THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM I HAVE HERD FROM OTHERS THAT MERCEDES CAR HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND TRYING TO COVER IT UP FROM THE PUBLIC .PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE IT ENDS UP IN A FATALITY,AND THEN ITS TOO LATE. EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS A MESSAGE SHOWS UP ON THE DASHBOARD AND I TOOK A PHOTO OF IT THEY STILL IGNORED IT I SPOKE TO MERCEDES THEY ARE INVESTIGATING IT AND AS YET DID NOT CONTACT ME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10512302

Apr 29, 2013Fuel system

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ C250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A SLIGHT ODOR OF GASOLINE FUEL INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL SUPPLY HOSE WAS DETACHED FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,942. UPDATED 7/10/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE GAS LEAK WAS ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS NO WARNING. UPDATED 07/18/13

NHTSA ODI 10509934

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Working with the data? Download all 570 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid verdict →