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

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cam shaft adjusters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11626033

I was driving in a parking lot and suddenly my air bag deployed for no reason I did not hit anyone or get hit for the airbag to deploy. Suffered some bruising on my right forearm and in my left ear I still hear ringing from the airbag deploying.

NHTSA ODI 11623554

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the front passenger's side air bag unexpectedly deployed with no impact on the vehicle. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact parked and then restarted the vehicle before driving to the residence. The contact sustained bruises and scratches on his forearm, but medical attention was not received. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621947

On several instances of breaking, my 2013 Mercedes Benz C300 pulls hard to the right and becomes very unstable. I assumed it was a brake problem by the way the car drove. I took it to my mechanic, who immediately identified the rear subframe had rusted so much that a control arm had broken loose from the subframe. The rear subframe acts as a foundation for the rear suspension and holds the backend together. Fortunately I was able to get this diagnosed prior to a serious accident. The car gets very unstable, especially at higher speeds, when braking. There are no warning lights that will catch this. This problem absolutely places both passengers and other cars on the road at risk of a collision when braking, especially on the highway at higher speeds. I am going to contact a local Mercedes Benz dealer to evaluate replacement of the damaged parts to ensure the car is safe to drive following repair. Based on the links below, it sounds like a known issue at Mercedes Benz. I was never notified of any issues or from prior service visits, or via mail notice from the manufacturer. My mechanic was shocked, to say the least. Hoping MB will take care of this dangerous problem without hassle. See: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11614928

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle pulled to the left before coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the subframe was rusted and needed to be replaced; however, the Salvage Title voided the extended warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA ODI 11607610

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown Extended Warranty Coverage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact there would be no assistance due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11606181

The Brake lines in this car rot very early in life span. This is a severe issue as no one would know unless car is brought in for repair. There is already a extended warranty for subframe rotting for my c300 and several other models and years . Both of these should be repaired due to poor manufacturing not just the subframe. Both of these issues even independently put everyone on the road at risk of potential failure. Car has been brought in for repair and has been pointed out to me both by independent party and Mercedes Benz dealership in my area. There are NO WARNINGS also multiple claims for both rusting and rotting

NHTSA ODI 11596919

The driver side indoor handle keeps breaking. I have repaired mine 4 times but still keep breaking. The connector attached to the handle is so fragile it cant withstand regular use. why hasnt this been recalled by mercedes? One repair costs 1400 dollars.

NHTSA ODI 11591772

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 contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that while the vehicle was approaching a building ahead, she veered to the right and hit the front bumper of an occupied vehicle. The vehicle then drove over the sidewalk. The contact stated that while approaching the end of the sidewalk, she veered to the right and the vehicle stopped after approximately 200 feet. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision repair shop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 23,032.

NHTSA ODI 11578340

rear subframe severe corrosion and cracking, have pictures of it the corrosion severity, yes available upon inspection. mechanic told me my 2 rear wheels can fall out completely and leave me with no control over the car. the car has been inspected by a certified independent service center. No. and no warning lights and no symptoms just the rear subframe cracking on the verge of falling off

NHTSA ODI 11577600

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle pulled to the left aggressively. The vehicle was driven to the residence; however, while driving, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a severely corroded rear subframe and that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

NHTSA ODI 11577135

Broke rear subframe while driving. Made it home discovered the left rear suspension is almost completely detached from the vehicle. Researched the problem and discovered it’s a known issue and a warranty extension has been provided for some vehicles including some models of my particular year and model but after contacting Mercedes is seems mine is not.

NHTSA ODI 11574281

I bought this car new in 2013. I maintained it at the dealer as per MB recommendations. Last service was in August 2023. Currently had 42K miles on it. Two weeks ago 2 unknown to me lights came on and I took it to the dealer. The diagnosis was total failure due to oil leaking into the computer system. Second problem was water in the subfloor affecting sensors. Coons Mercedes in Catonsville, MD has all records. I was told that the oil leak was not detected because it was internal and due to an engine design. I was informed that there are many others stuck with this problem. I was informed that I was driving a car that could become suddenly uncontrollable. This was very scary. I was told I needed a new car. My insurance company inspected it and determined it was a total loss. I complained to MB headquarters and HQ in Stuttgart. I told them that they need to buy a new car for me. I have not heard from them. If MB know that there is an engine flaw why are they putting peoples' lives at risk?

NHTSA ODI 11573646

Rear right side Subframe rusted and broke off. Vehicle pulled to the right while braking.

NHTSA ODI 11567552

Drivers side lower control arm was rusted off rear subframe causing vehicle to be inoperable.

NHTSA ODI 11565801

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

The glue that suppose to make sure my windshield is secure is no longer secure. The windshield moves as I am driving. It’s only on the corner of the driver side. Everything else is secured. Also my airbags (passenger and driver). There is a recall but its not showing when I run the Vin # .

NHTSA ODI 11558051

The rear subframe is cracked. This puts myself at risk and others if vehicle is involved in an accident. The problem has been confirmed by two independent service dealers. The vehicle has only been inspected by independent dealers. No warning lights.

NHTSA ODI 11557344

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light and the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated and then turned off independently. Additionally, the “Service Air Bags” message was displayed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall and that the front passenger’s side air bag was previously replaced. The failure mileage was 127,328.

NHTSA ODI 11546944

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

Excessive rust has caused a separation of the lower control arm from the rear sub frame. From Google searches this appears to be a common safety defect in the manufacturing of these vehicles. Control arm separation causes drive ability and stability issues that can lead to loss of control of said vehicle leading to accidents that can cause serious bodily injuries including death. Why hasn't Mercedes been forced to recall the affected vehicles in the United States as they have been in several other countries?

NHTSA ODI 11542390

The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed during a rainstorm, and rainwater leaked from the sunroof and the front driver’s side window into the cabin of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ODI 11536988

2013 C300 subframe rusted and cracking.

NHTSA ODI 11536510

Rear subframe rust through, affecting the function of control arm. When braking mildly caused the forward motion of vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic. It has been reported and is in their possession. There was a small clicking noise like a possible loose shock absorber, a few times in the past month. Then two days ago, the sound became stronger including a clicking noise like two pieces of sheet metal torn passing each other. Upon personal inspection I found severe rust through on the subframe on the left side in front of the left drivers side rear tire. Corporate has sent a letter extending the warranty for that part. Photos can be provided.

NHTSA ODI 11535720