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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)

4 of 570 complaints match · Steering · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 18, 2020Steering1 injury

SLICING MY HAND OPEN ON MY STEERING WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. I WAS AT THE CAR WASH THE CAR WAS SITTING STILL, THE KEYS WERE NOT IN I THE IGNITION AND DRIVER DOOR WAS OPEN. I REACHED MY ARM THROUGH THE TOP OPENING OF THE STEERING WHEEL TO INSERT MY KEY FOB AND START MY CAR. WHEN I STARTED PULLING MY ARM BACK THROUGH, THE METALLIC TRIM ON TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL FRAYED AND SLICED OPEN MY MIDDLE FINGER ON MY RIGHT HAND. I CAN BARELY DRIVE MY CAR WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE MY HAND IS GOING TO GO THE WRONG WAY AND BE SLICED BY PART OF MY STEERING WHEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS IT'S VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI 11350059

Dec 27, 2019SteeringAirbagsCrash2 injuries

I HAVE BEEN HAVING CONSTANT ISSUES WITH THE STEERING AND AIRBAG LIGHTS GOING ON. I WAS ALSO IN A BAD REAR END WRECK IN 2016 AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE BEEN CALLING SANTANDER CONSUMERS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THEY DON'T CARE AND ARE STILL MAKING ME PAY MY MORE. THE MERCEDES DEALER HAS SAID THAT THE RECALLS ARE PENDING AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE ISSUE. SO I HAVE STOPPED MAKING PAYMENTS BECAUSE I HAVE A TODDLER AND WILL NOT DRIVE A DANGEROUS CAR AND THE CAR WAS RECENTLY REPOSSESSED LAST WEEK. THE AIRBAG DEPLOY LIGHTS CONSTANTLY STAY ON INDICATING THEY ARE NOT WORKING AND THE STEERING KEEPS LOCKING UP. IT HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11291637

Dec 21, 2017SteeringAirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF S ATLANTA (3775 ROYAL S PKWY, GA 30349, PHONE: (470) 819-2400), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V627000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11055916

Nov 9, 2017SteeringAirbagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash1 injury

TAKATA INFLATORS INVOLVED ON A CAR ACCIDENT ON 02/27/2017 WERE THIS VEHICLE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOYED. THIS VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS AND GOT PAID OFF BY MY INSURANCE BUT I AM STILL HURT.

NHTSA ODI 11044954

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 →