Home · 2015 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid · Complaints

What 435 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 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 (435)Crash / fire / injury (13)Engine (134)Fuel system (75)Body & structure (73)Electrical system (54)Steering (28)Suspension (28)Airbags (26)Transmission & drivetrain (23)Visibility & wipers (17)Brakes (10)

134 of 435 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 6 of 6

Jan 31, 2017Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR LOSES THROTTLE AND THE ENGINE DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. THE FOLLOWING ERROR SHOWS ON THE DASH: "INOPERATIVE SEE OPERATOR'S MANUAL". WHEN THIS HAPPENS, YOUR ONLY CHOICE IS TO COAST TO A SAFE PLACE. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR, IT WILL FUNCTION FOR A SHORT TIME, ONLY TO REOCCUR. THIS OBVIOUSLY CAN BE DEADLY IF YOU CANNOT GET OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE THE CAR COMES TO A STOP. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10948678

Dec 12, 2016Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY & LOCAL ROADS, THE CAR SUDDENLY BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AND STARTED SHOWING MESSAGES THAT ALL SYSTEMS ARE INOPERATIVE. PRE SAFE FUNCTIONS LIMITED,AND INOPERATIVE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE BLINDSPOT NOT ACTIVATED, ESP SYSTEM WAS OFF AS WELL. THE CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND HAD TO BE PULLED OVER TO TURN OFF AND ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES AND ON BUSY ROADS, CAR IS SENT TO THE SHOP AND ONLY HAS 27000 MILES. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE AS I COULD DIE IN A CAR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS [XXX] CAR. MERCEDES NEED TO RECALL THIS ASAP, IF THEY ARE NOT THEN WE SHOULD OPEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM AS THEY ARE PLAYING WITH OUR LIVES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10934825

Oct 29, 2016Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

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

NHTSA ODI 10920041

Aug 3, 2016Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

IT HAPPENED TWO TIMES THE PAST 20 DAYS. CAR ENGINE STOPPED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. FIRST TIME AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 20 MPH, SECOND TIME ON HIGHT WAY ABOUT 70 MPH. IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THE SECOND TIME BECAUSE I WAS RIGHT AT THE PORT GETTING ONTO THE HIGH WAY AND I FOUND THE ENGINE WENT OFF. NO RESPONSE WHILE PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOWN. I DID NOT HAVE TIME CHECK WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE TWO OTHER VEHICLES AT BACK ALMOST CRASH ON ME. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGH WAY ENTRANCE IMMEDIATELY AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE (I KNEW FROM LAST TIME IT WORKED BY DOING THIS) AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. THIS WAS A SERIOUS/FATAL PROBLEM. I SAW OTHERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR MERCEDES-BENZ C SERIES HAVING SIMILAR ENGINE SHUTTING OFF ON THE ROAD PROBLEM, TOO. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ASKED ON YAHOO ANSWERS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, HOWEVER HE DID NOT GET A RESPONSE FROM ANYONE. HTTPS://ANSWERS.YAHOO.COM/QUESTION/INDEX?QID=20151004200837AASQX6B I'M ALSO MAKING SOME SCREEN SHOTS OF PEOPLE WITH C300 FILED COMPLAINS ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10893012

Apr 8, 2016Electrical systemEngine

WHILE DRIVING "COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS INOPERATIVE" MESSAGE APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. CAR LOSES ITS ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. OCCURRED TWICE (JANUARY 2015) ON CITY STREETS FORCING ME TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTART MY CAR, THE ERROR DISAPPEARS AND I AM ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. 4/7/16 OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING 65MPH ON AN INTERSTATE. I LOST ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED BY A SEMI-TRUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AT A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP ON 1/11/16 THE HIGHWAY INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER THE "FIX". IT IS CURRENTLY BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING TESTED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I AM TOLD THE CURRENT FIX IS TO REPLACE ALL THE SENORS. I HAVE OPENED A CASE WITH MBUSA TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE GIVEN THE INITIAL REPAIR DID NOT WORK AND PUT ME IN PERILOUS HIGHWAY SITUATION. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN OCTOBER OF 2015.

NHTSA ODI 10854453

Mar 1, 2016Transmission & drivetrainEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATE WITH THE RPM GAUGE READING BETWEEN 4,000-5,000. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ODI 10839169

Feb 10, 2016Engine

TWO ISSUES, PURCHASED A CERTIFIED PRE OWNED VEHICLE. AT 8900 MILES, WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH ON A COLD START, ALMOST THE SOUND OF A DIESEL. THE SOUND WOULD RESOLVE AFTER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING. SERVICE INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE RODS AND PISTONS. WE HAD THE ENGINE REBUILT, AND THE NOISE IS THE SAME, IF NOT WORSE. THE CAR SOUNDS NOTHING LIKE LATERBUILD '15 MODELS OR '16 MODELS, NOR DOES IT RUN AS SMOOTHLY. SECONDLY, 5 OCCURRENCES INVOLVED INOPERATIVE COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST WARNINGS AND INOPERATIVE ANTI-SKID WARNINGS APPEARING ON THE DASH CAUSING THE CAR TO REDUCE OPERATING SPEED TO 20MPH MAX. CAR NEEDED TO BE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED AFTER A 5 MINUTE PERIOD EACH TIME THESE WARNINGS APPEARED, IN ORDER TO DRIVE OVER 20MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THESE WARNINGS TWICE. THE FIRST SERVICE DIAGNOSED THE CAR WITH A CODING ISSUE. THE SECOND, INVOLVED REPLACING MODULES. THIS ALL OCCURRED DURING THE TWO MONTHS OF OWNING THE CAR. WE NOTICES SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE EARLY BUILD 2015 C300S, AND DECIDED TO CUT OUR LOSSES AND PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. WE DID NOT FEEL SAFE IN THAT CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10825382

Dec 28, 2015Engine

LOUD ENGINE KNOCKING WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. DIAGNOSED AS INCORRECT/UNFAVORABLE TOLERANCES OF PISTON WRIST PINS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE. DIAGNOSIS HAPPENED WITH ODOMETER AT 2,438 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 10816443

Apr 24, 2015Electrical systemEngine

1. WARNING LIGHT "INOPERATIVE COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS" COMES UP ON THE DISPLAY ON & OFF WHEN DRIVING. CAR WAS SENT TO SERVICE ON 4/22 BUT DIDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 4/23. 2. ON 4/24, WARNING LIGHT "INOPERATIVE COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS" COMES UP AGAIN PLUS THE YELLOW "ENGINE LIGHT". *TR

NHTSA ODI 10712755

← Newer

Working with the data? Download all 435 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 2015 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid verdict →