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)

3 of 435 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 9, 2022Electrical systemBrakesCrash

Car was parked in Garage with garage door open. Wife and I wanted to go biking and the bikes needed air in the tires. Pre-positioned one bike directly behind parked car and one parallel with the pneumatic air pump prepositioned to inflate the tires. Went to driver's side door and started car with foot on the brake and pushed the button. I then plugged in the adapter for the air pump into the cigarette lighter. The whole time the driver's side door was open and the car was not moving. I exited the car and walked backwards and knelt down abeam the left rear automobile tire to inflate the bike tire. I started the pump at the unit and started to connect the hose to the bike tire, I was then hit from behind by the car door which bent backwards as it passed over me in reverse at low speed. The bike may have saved me by creating a wedge to bend the door back and away from me. The car started down my driveway and dragged the bike parked behind it underneath wedged and sparking across the ground. I got some scrapes but jumped after the car and tried to stop it by trying to slow it with my weight and strength and it was not stopping or slowing. I was worried I may get run over a second time and let it continue to roll at low idle speed across the street and into the neighbor's car that was parked. I am positive the car was not moving after I started it and I didn't have my foot on the brake to engage the reverse function one I exited the vehicle. I believe that the car engaged in reverse once I started the air pump. Maybe it was a voltage or electrical spike. I have used this pump setup many times before to inflate the car's tires and my bike tires but never saw it do this before.

NHTSA ODI 11455877

Sep 9, 2020SteeringAirbagsBrakesCrash2 injuries

WHILE DRIVING MY 2015 C250 COUPE, I HAD TO BRAKE HARD AS I WAS TRYING TO AVERT STOPPED HEAVY TRAFFIC. WHEN I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS, THE STEERING WHEEL, COLUMN AND ENTIRE VEHICLE LOCKED UP. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL ENTIRELY. AS A RESULT, MY VEHICLE SLIDE INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. BECAUSE BOTH THE STEERING AND BRAKES LOCKING, I WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO AVOID THE STOPPED TRAFFIC. THE AIRBAGS ALSO DID NOT DEPLOY AS THEY SHOULD HAVE.

NHTSA ODI 11353979

Feb 22, 2018Body & structureBrakesDriver assistanceCrash

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROX. 20-25 MPH DURING DAY LIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS LIGHT BLINKED ON MY DASHBOARD FOR APPLYING THE BRAKES BECAUSE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS WELL AS BRAKE ASSIST PLUS SYSTEM GOT ACTIVATED AS WELL. BUT STILL MY VEHICLE END UP HITTING THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. THE BRAKE ASSIST PLUS SYSTEM WHICH IS CLAIMED BY MERCEDEZ TO TAKE BRAKE AUTOMATICALLY TO BRING THE SYSTEM TO HALT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY DID NOT WORK AND IT END UP HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE

NHTSA ODI 11074407

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 →