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

Over the past few weeks Ive had instances where the car has power but wont crank, Ive had the SRS light come on the dash but after it starting it goes away.

NHTSA ODI 11744047

ESL emulator is bad. Keeps no crank Steering lock Also sunroof water spouts are not working as they should they do no open to release water.

NHTSA ODI 11715179

The vehicle was represented to me as safe to drive, with no major mechanical issues, and that it would pass emissions after only a simple minor fix. After I took possession, the check engine light came on. The car began running rough and showing hesitation. A scan immediately showed a camshaft position sensor fault, cylinder misfire, lean fuel condition, and oxygen sensor/emissions faults. I was also told by a professional shop that the timing chain may be failing. I was then warned that these problems can cause power loss or engine stalling while driving, and that the vehicle in this condition would likely not pass a legal emissions inspection. I was never told about any of these safety or emissions problems before taking the vehicle. This situation creates a safety risk because sudden loss of engine power or stalling can happen in traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11697039

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that engine oil had traveled through the wiring harness causing the ECU to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to cover a portion of the repair cost. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11680900

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started. The security alert warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the anti-theft module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired, and the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11648959

LEFT TAIL LIGHTS BURNING OUT DUE TO OVERHEATED WIRES

NHTSA ODI 11643426

My wife and the kids we're stranded for hours because of the ESL systems lock the steering wheel and did not allow the car to start or steering wheel to move. She smelled something and pulled over and turned car off. No lights, no way to charge cell phone because no power to the car at all. My family was stranded because of this seems like it's a very very serious issue with a lot of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. As a consumer Mercedes-Benz is using cheap parts which can cause people to lose their lives if the steering wheel is to lock up while driving the motor burns out inside of the ESL module

NHTSA ODI 11583450

The ESP, or Electronic Stability Control system can put the car into limp mode unexpectedly. Say you are driving on route 66 going 50 mph. The ESP system can turn off if a wheel speed sensor or yaw sensor is on the way out. This causes the car to suddenly dramatically brake and limit speed to 5 mph on the highway. Risk of high speed rear end collision and mortality to the driver.

NHTSA ODI 11561434

Mercedes has had an issue with the steering lock for years and continue to not fix the issue. My vehicle would not turn on at random times, and this is due to a fault with the steering lock and key. The worst part of the issue, it’s only solved by Mercedes due to security issues and costs $2000. I was locked out of my car for hours, missing a doctors appointment, and if this was during a snow storm or heavy freeze (I live in CO), this is a potential fatal flaw. I also learned they cannot fix my vehicle for months due to high demand and coming from Germany. Looking online this is a continued problem for over a decade of vehicles and this needs to be resolved either by recall, a price adjustment due to this being a Mercedes flaw, or give the capability to certified maintenance locations to do the job for a fraction of the price (I see the price of the part is marginal compared to the upcharge by the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11546602

I purchased the vehicle in 2015, and a few months ago I started having issues with the steering wheel, as well as an error message with the airbag. More recently, I am experiencing issues with my ignition switch, and after doing some research I’m seeing that many people who drive the mage and model of my vehicle are experiencing issues with their ignition switch suddenly going out. I’ve been quoted 2k to repair the issues, but I feel the Mercedes should be responsible for taking care of what seems to be a faughty ignition switch with this particular model. There was no warning, no indication that there was a problem, one day my car just wouldn’t start. I need to report this to make sure buyers are aware with issues with the C300 model for all vehicles that are a 2013 and under.

NHTSA ODI 11532612

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, several unknown warning lights started flashing off and on. The contact stated that the turn signal stopped working on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the main dash connectors and instrument panel had short circuited and nearly caught on fire. The independent mechanic stated that fuses and the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

NHTSA ODI 11507307

I’ve had 2 c300 Mercedes models in the past 8 months both used and were driving fine until rain water and car washes caused electrical damage there is a water leaking issue that goes into the floorbeds of the vehicle that causes the car to malfunction

NHTSA ODI 11449416

As I sat in my vehicle waiting for the traffic light. I felt a sudden hit on my head. At that moment I was confused, and thought someone had rear ended me. So like anybody would, I pulled over only to find out that the headrest on my 2013 Mercedes Benz C250 had came apart. It seems like the plastic inside tore apart from the springs causing pressure for it to deploy.

NHTSA ODI 11430950

Vehicle completely shut down while traveling on interstate. Ignition switch malfunction and went dead, also steering column locked causing me to lose control of steering functions.

NHTSA ODI 11428131

I WAS ON THE 99 FREEWAY DRIVING NORMAL SPEED AND HIT BRAKES TO TAKE THE DENAIR EXIT. THE CAR SPED UP! LIKE TURBO POWER! THE SPEEDOMETER WAS AT 90 MPH AS I FLEW THROUGH A RED LIGHT AT TOP OF THE RAMP! I HAD TO CONTINUE DOWN RAMP BACK ON FREEWAY. PUSHING AND PUSHING ON BRAKES BUT NOTHING HAPPENED! NEXT RAMP WAS A BIT STEEPER , SO TRIED AGAIN TO SLOW CAR DOWN! IT STARTED TO SLOW AND I WAS ABLE TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AS IT CAME TO STOP AND I POWERED THE CAR OFF. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES FROM HOME AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO MERCEDES OF STOCKTON. AFTER THEIR REPAIR DEPARTMENT CHECKED MY CAR, THEY FOUND THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS BAD AND THE TURBO PIPE HOSE WAS TORN( DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR). I HAD PREVIOUSLY (2 MONTHS EARLIER)HAD MY CAR IN FOR COMPLETE CHECK UP BY THE STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA DEALERSHIP AND NOTHING WAS DETECTED. I FEEL THIS A SAFETY ISSUE! I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! ALSO I BELIEVE THIS TO BE MANUFACTURE DEFAULT, THE COST TO FIX IS $2,400, AND I ALWAYS BRING MY CAR IN FOR REGULAR SERVING. THANK YOU

NHTSA ODI 11365575

THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAILED WHILE IN THE PARKED POSITION. A TINY MOTOR INSIDE HAS BURNED UP AND IT NOW PREVENTS YOU FROM STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT SELL ME A REPLACEMENT TO REPAIR ON MY OWN AND I MUST TAKE IT IN TO THEM FOR REPAIR AT A COST OF OVER $1800.00. THIS IS A VERY COMMON DEFECT FAILURE IN THIS SERIES OF 2008 TO 2014 MERCEDES BENZ. I HAVE A 2005 MERCEDES WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE UNIT AND IS OPERATING CORRECTLY AFTER 15 YEARS.

NHTSA ODI 11337741

VEHICLE WAS STOLEN IN FLORIDA I PURCHASED IT AFTER BEING FIXED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WHERE ELECTRICAL ISSUES AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND LIGHTS PERTAINING TO AIRBAGS WOULD FLASH. AFRAID BAGS WOULD GO OFF WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11319960

LAMP CARRIER, PLUG AND CONTACT BUSHI ARE BURNT BECAUSE THE GROUND WIRE IS TOO THIN. THE PREVIOUS MODELS OF THIS CAR HAD A RECALL WHERE THEY FIXED THE ISSUE BUT IT STILL PERTAINS TO THE 2013 MODEL AND IS NOT UNDER RECALL. PART # 204-820-22-77 # 211-545-03-28 # 013-545-76-26 THESE WERE THE PART NUMBERS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THIS IS A SERIOUS FIRE SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RECORDS THAT LATEST W204 MERCEDES MODEL STILL HAS THIS PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI 11318805

MY ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK FAILED. LUCKILY, I WAS PARKED BUT NOW THE CAR WILL NOT START, OR UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. IF THIS FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT WOULD BE A DANGER. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THAT MERCEDES HAS SINCE FIXED IN ITS LATER MODELS, BUT CONTINUES TO CHARGE $2000 FOR A FIX THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS A BAD DESIGN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11315645

THE DAY IN WHICH MY CAR STOPPED WORKING, PRIOR MY VEHICLE WAS OPERATING PROPERLY NO ISSUES PRESENTED. THE IGNITION STARTED WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTIONS OR ISSUES. I DROVE MY CAR TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS THE DAY I ENCOUNTERED MY ISSUES. I WENT OUT TO MY CAR WHICH WAS STATIONARY, PARKED AT MY RESIDENCE AND PRESSED THE PUSH START BUTTON AND IT WOULD NOT POWER ON. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS, I CALLED AAA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO CHECK IF IT COULD POSSIBLY BE MY BATTERY, BUT TO OUR SURPRISE THE BATTERY WAS PERFECTLY FINE. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC WHO THEN INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS MY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH THAT WAS BROKEN, AND HE STATED HE WAS NOT EXPERIENCED IN REPLACEMENT AND THAT HE'D REFER ME TO A MERCEDES AUTHORIZED MECHANIC WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP ME. AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEXT MECHANIC THEY THEN DID A THOROUGH DIAGNOSIS ON MY VEHICLE IN WHICH THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS MY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN GETTING MANY MERCEDES C 250 MAKES IN THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE, AND THEN STATED THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THAT PART BECAUSE IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO FIX. I AM ASKING THAT MERCEDES BE RESPONDING FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN THEIR CARS, AND COSTS AN ARM AND LEG TO FIX WHICH IS VERY UNFAIR. I KEEP UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF MY VEHICLE SO THIS SHOULD NOT HAD HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI 11281597

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MALFUNCTION SERVICE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO RECIEVED TWO RECALL NOTICES FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF MIAMI (1200 NW 167TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33169, (305) 707-0147) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DUE TO THE RECALL AND THAT THE FUSE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

NHTSA ODI 11182348

I AM WRITING BECAUSE MERCEDES HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR A RECALL NOTICE DATED OCTOBER 16, 2017, OVER 1-1/4 YEARS AGO. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION ON ANY SOLUTION FOR THIS RECALL. IT WOULD APPEAR BASED ON THIS PERFORMANCE THAT MERCEDES MAY HAVE NO INTENTION OF PROVIDING A SOLUTION TO THIS RECALL WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE NOTICE, IS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING. I ASK THAT THE NHTSA TAKE ACTION TO FORCE MERCEDES TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON AN EXPEDITED BASIS GIVEN HOW THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO FOR OVER 15 MONTHS. THE RECALL INFORMATION IS: OCT 16,2017 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER2017120024 NHTSA RECALL NUMBER17V627 RECALL STATUS: RECALL INCOMPLETE SAFETY RISK: AN INADVERTENT DRIVER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT MAY CAUSE A RISK OF INJURY TO THE DRIVER AND MIGHT INCREASE THE RISK OF A POTENTIAL CRASH. REMEDY: AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE AN AUTHORIZED MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER, WILL ADD SUFFICIENT GROUNDING TO THE STEERING COMPONENTS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THANK YOU

NHTSA ODI 11175959

MY MERCEDES BENZ C-300 4MATIC GOT RAIN WATER ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR AND DAMAGED THE ELECTRICAL. THE CAR WAS PARKED ON THE STREET AND ALL THE WINDOWS WAS UP. THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR IN THE FRONT UNDER THE DASHBOARD WAS SOAKING WET FROM RAIN WATER. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE WATER GOT INSIDE OF THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING IT AFTER A RAIN STORM AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON ALL THE NEEDLE HANDS WENT DOWN TO ZERO, IT WAS LIKE THE CAR WAS TRYING TO RESTARTING ITSELF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE CAR IS NOW AT MERCEDES BENZ NOVI MICHIGAN NOW. I STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS CAR I AM SO DISAPPOINTED WITH MERCEDES BENZ. I READ SOMEWHERE ABOUT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REGARDING WATER COMING INSIDE OF THE MERCEDES.

NHTSA ODI 11119816

I HAVE A HUM DEVICE ON MY VEHICLE AND IT SHOWS THAT I HAVE A CODE P0002 FUEL VOLUME REGULATOR CONTROL CIRCUIT RANGE PERFORMANCE. MY MERCEDES BENZ C CLASS 250 HAS ONLY 44614 MILES, WHEN I BOUGHT IT HAD 36.+ MILES, IF IT WASN'T FOR THE DIVORCE THAT I HAVE ON THE VEHICLE I PROBABLY WON'T KNOW UNTIL THE CAR BRAKE DOWN. WHEN I'M DRIVING THE CAR SEEMS TO LOOSE POWER THEN IT ACCELERATES LIKE IT HIT TURBO POWER. MY MECHANIC ADVISE ME TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND SEE IF YOU CAN ADVISE ME ON WHAT TO DO WITH IT, BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. THANK AN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [XXX], MY PHONE NUMBER IS [XXX]. AGAIN THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR

NHTSA ODI 11114736

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C250. WHILE DEPRESSING THE HORN, IT FAILED TO OPERATE AND THE SRS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF BUCKHEAD (2799 PIEDMONT RD NE, ATLANTA, GA 30305, (800) 399-3804). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT DEALERS WERE ADVISED NOT TO SERVICE VEHICLES WITH A TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL FOR WHICH THE SRS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

NHTSA ODI 11104286