What 435 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid

Positive crankcase ventilation regulator valve failing and code P052E comes up. Mercedes Benz said this is a problem with all 2015 c300 and should be recalled

NHTSA ODI 11580362

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle independently pulled to the left and crossed the yellow line into the direction of oncoming traffic. The vehicle was almost involved in a head-on collision due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the repair would not be covered under warranty. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a fractured subframe and that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11580056

Crank case vent valve assembly

NHTSA ODI 11578242

My wife and I were driving our 2015 C-Class Mercedes on a highway, traveling at roughly 55MPH on 2/25/24, at approximately 2pm, conditions were sunny but windy, when suddenly we heard a loud noise above our heads. The noise sounded like it came from around our sunroof, and it sounded as if maybe the car had been hit by a piece of debris, although neither of us saw anything. We looked in our mirrors but didn't see anything, and I also tried opening and closing the sunroof and it worked fine. I also looked in my rear view mirror and didn't see any cars behind me swerve, or in any way adjust their driving. Because there was no safe shoulder on that part of the road, we continued a mile or so further up the road and then pulled over to see if we could visibly see anything wrong with the car. To our disbelief, a section of the body of the car that is just above the front windshield and just before the sunroof, a piece I believe called the "front stationary sunroof panel" , was completely missing! We were unsuccessful at finding the piece. After some research in recent days, I believe this issue is related to MB recall campaign #2021070010, 22V-954 / 2023010004/5/6. If this is however related to the recall, the Mercedes dealership we took our car to on 3/1/24 told us it would cost us over $2,000.00 to repair. As I thought about a piece of the car simply flying off while driving, I realized how much of a safety hazard this could pose to others, hence this written report.

NHTSA ODI 11576462

DURING SAFETY INSPECTION ON [XXX] SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND TO HAVE A HOLE WHICH FAILED THE INSPECTION. I PAID $4300 TO HAVE IT FIXED ON [XXX]. THIS I LEARNT LATER IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD AND CAN RESULT IN FATAL ACCIDENTS- A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT EXISTS IN EUROPE AND IN US AS WELL. THIS PART IS SUPPOSED TO LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR. DEGRADED PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR MAY WELL BE IMPACTING OTHER PARTS OF THE CAR NOW - I HAVE A CRACKED WINDSHIELD PERHAPS BECAUSE OF FRAME ISSUES? MERCEDES NEEDS TO MAKE SURE PARTS USED DONT ENDANGER DRIVERS LIVES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11575435

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for routine maintenance and was informed that the rear sub frame was rusted and needed to be replaced. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11574879

My car has been identified as having the subframe corrosion issue and is on the list by date and model, but Mercedes Benz will not honor the warranty because my car's VIN is not on their list.

NHTSA ODI 11572703

My car failed PA State inspection due to a hole and rusted rear subframe. I have determined that there is a recall associated with this issue but that my vehicle just missed the recall limit. The recall affected 2008-2015 models (C Class with chassis 204). My vehicle is a 2015 C Class with chassis 205. It is evident that my vehicle has the same structural/construction defects as the previous years and should have been included in this recall. I have provided photographic evidence (attached/uploaded below). This is a very expensive repair that I should not have to pay for. Please review and consider having this included in the recall process so that I can be reimbursed for this costly repair as it is the result of a faulty construction process. Thank you. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11570624

Crankcase breather faulty

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The panoramic sunroof is faulty. Doing a simple search online showed that this is a common problem amongst my vehicle model where parts are loose or misinstalled and it is a safety concern in a potential accident or rollover. My dealer is now looking into it and it is also an excessive out-of-pocket cost to make the vehicle safer. Something I do not expect from a high-end vehicle manufacturer. I identified this due to the rattling sound in the ceiling/sunroof.

NHTSA ODI 11570417

My 2015 Mercedes Benz vehicle is rarely driven as I took public transportation to work and has ~55000 miles. However, the engine has started throwing error code P052E verified by an independent dealer - crankcase ventilation valve failure. It means the engine could shut off amid driving and I did research and it seems like a very common issue that Mercedes Benz car owner encounter and feels like a severe car defect.

NHTSA ODI 11568638

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine service, a corrosion inspection was performed. The contact was informed of a rust hole in the sub frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA ODI 11567800

I keep getting the P052E PCV replacement valve issue. I see online that this has impacted multiple Mercedes C class but no recalls have been issued for this.

NHTSA ODI 11567915

I have a fuel smell in the cabin of my car which started about 3 weeks ago. I have drove the car a couple of times and it was pretty bad, also my sunroof almost blew off the car while driving to dry the car after removing the salt from the streets after the snow. I have since parked it in the garage to avoid any further damage. I will submit pictures so you can see the sunroof.

NHTSA ODI 11566872

Was driving on the highway , car was running for about 7-10 min from the start , and when took off from exit , car started to shake and when pulled off to the side of the road , the car won’t start anymore , dealership said that engine failed ,

NHTSA ODI 11563918

Front drive shaft on 2015 Mercedes Benz C-300 severed from u-joint(s) on highway, causing catastrophic failure of components and significant damage to front exhaust, catalytic converter, and heat shields. Damaged observed on transmission and/or engine block. The approximate cost to repair was $6,500.00 in parts and labor. Failure of subject component(s) resulted in loss of some control and acceleration. Prior to failure, observed increasing vibration from center of vehicle while exceeding 65 mph but no more than 80 on highway. Audible clunking noise when shifting from "park" or "neutral" to "drive." No warning lamps and/or messages regarding failed component(s). Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, and/or insurance representatives. Dealer provided inspection and findings.

NHTSA ODI 11563176

High pressure fuel line leaking, strong gas fumes smell in cabin

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My car is registering code P052E71. The diagnosis says the valve for crankcase ventilation has a malfunction. The actuator is blocked. This is a common problem for this car with research. Some people have had to replace this part multiple times for their Mercedes which is a part that shouldn't fail. Nothing has been done such as a recall on this vehicle. The part and labor to repair this issue costs $1000+ dollars. Something should be done to help consumers. I'm doing my part to report this hoping something will be done.

NHTSA ODI 11559315

I have a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic got a letter from the company car had few recalls to address. Dropped the at Mercedes-Benz Hampton VA dealership on 12/06/2023 at 8:30 AM EST. After few hours got a call from the dealership that rear subframe of the has bad corrosion and because of the rust it got holes in it which is a bad safety risk. Risk is so great that it cant pass Virginia state inspection. I did a good online research and found it is a common issue in Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the company issued safety recall on some years and models but not on all the affected vehicles. Like my car has the exact same safety issue rear subframe got rust from inside so it was hard to notice till it became unsafe to drive the car. The dealer is asking almost $5000.00 to replace it. The Mercedes-Benz customer support center is unable to explain why some cars are covered with extended warranty offered by the factory and some doesn't for exact same issue. There are bunch of more people with same complaint but they don't know where to go.

NHTSA ODI 11559001

Emissions Failure P052E - Positive Crankcase Ventilation Regulator Valve Performance. Vehicle has been inspected. Warning lamp appeared for my engine recently. Cause by faulty plastic valves that requires a significant costly repair - around $3,000 USD

NHTSA ODI 11558631

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized. The contact had the vehicle towed to a certified mechanic and was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V850000 (Steering) and the contact was referred to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11554301

Check engine light- code read Valve For Crankcase Ventilation Has A Malfunction. After googling this, it appears that many Mercedes owners are having this issue and comes back again after repair. This should be recalled by Mercedes.

NHTSA ODI 11553227

1. A faint smell of fuel, occasionally, external of vehicle. 2. The headlights has a water fog mist inside of headlight lens. 3. The seats and car interior cracks easily. (Seats, arm rest and dashboard) etc.

NHTSA ODI 11550450

check engine light

NHTSA ODI 11548843

My check engine light came on recently on my 2015 C300 4matic. Car has 66500 miles on it. The code P052E71 was diagnosed - The valve for the crankcase ventilation has a malfunction. The actuator was blocked. This problems seems to be occurring to a lot of similar cars from Mercedes and some of them have reported that this issue keeps coming back. The dealership and other auto body shops say it's going to cost around $1500-$2000, considering how it's a tedious job to do and involves multiple hours of labor. The dealer won't repair it as part of warranty. This definitely seems to be an engine issue with the car and has nothing to do with how we drive. Cars not older than a couple years are starting to see this issue. There needs to be a recall for this and have Mercedes does something about it. Why are the consumers having to spend money to have the same repairs done for a bad design, parts and engine being provided by Mercedes.

NHTSA ODI 11548516