Home · 2013 Mercedes-benz C-class Phev · Complaints

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

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)

6 of 570 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 12, 2022Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system2 injuries

The components of the engine being the camshaft adjusters, timing guide, timing chain, valves and pistons that all work to deliver power are faulty and have failed literally mid-drive. I was on a busy interstate during rush hour and nearly lost control of the vehicle as it just powered out while driving at 70 mph then forcing a semi to nearly terminate myself and family. The dependability and safety is abruptly ripped out from underneath you. Without even being able to control the vehicle and it coming to an abrupt, unsafe hault. There were no warning signs. The vehicle has since been looked at and informed me that an extended warranty is in place for half of all the parts and labor above.all should be covered and for safety.my nerves are a wreck and without a way to afford an entirely new engine I am left to contend with car payments for an unsafe undrivable vehicle. Since then the dealership recognized my concerns but has since stated that without a modification to the extended warranty or it being made a recall that there is nothing that can be done.

NHTSA ODI 11478916

Oct 9, 2019AirbagsBrakesEngineCrash1 injury

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C250. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. ON ONE OCCASION, WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ITS REAR DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADRESTS DETACHED DUE TO THE IMPACT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. AFTER THE CRASH, THE ABS, AIR BAG, AND SEVERAL OTHER UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF HOUSTON GREENWAY (LOCATED AT 3900 SOUTHWEST FREEWAY, HOUSTON, TX 77027, 713-489-211) WHERE THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES STILL OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11267313

May 22, 2018EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ C250. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, A FOUL ODOR ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND SMOKE WAS SEEN. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED SMOKE INHALATION THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER IN PALM BEACH, FLORIDA AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,200.

NHTSA ODI 11097243

Nov 14, 2017Electrical systemEngineFire

MY CAR BURNT YESTERDAY MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, NO WARNING, NOTHING NOTED. JUST STARTED SMOKING AND THEN FLAMES CAME UP AND BURN THE WHOLE FRONT END

NHTSA ODI 11046069

Jun 26, 2017EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER, MERCEDES OF NAPERVILLE LOCATED AT 1569 OGDEN AVENUE NAPERVILLE, IL,60540, WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. NO INJURIES WHERE SUSTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE, THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT AN INVESTIGATION WAS BEING DONE. THEY ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT DEPENDING ON THE INVESTIGATION FURTHER ASSISTANCE WOULD BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11001438

Aug 20, 2015AirbagsEngineCrashFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ C250. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,500.

NHTSA ODI 10750015

Working with the data? Download all 570 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 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 Phev verdict →