Home · 2016 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid · Complaints

What 315 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (315)Crash / fire / injury (16)Engine (99)Fuel system (67)Electrical system (37)Body & structure (32)Visibility & wipers (23)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Steering (17)Brakes (9)Airbags (7)Wheels (7)

Newest first · 315 complaints · page 8 of 13

Oct 12, 2022Engine

Check engine light code P052E

NHTSA ODI 11489056

Oct 9, 2022Transmission & drivetrainEngine

my engine failed at 82k odometer miles . replaced it with a new engine for $10065 . and they said it was fixed and working normal , 2nd engine failed at 111000 miles . and has warranty. they refuse to fix it for a 3rd time ...... this is a common problem with m274 engines. please help us m274 engine owners.... its a very widespread known problem...

NHTSA ODI 11488550

Oct 8, 2022

I took my 2016 Benz through a car wash and realized the glass in front of my sunroof that is part of windshield is loose . I can hear wind coming through when I drive . This is driving hazard .

NHTSA ODI 11488476

Oct 3, 2022

I bought my 2016 merecedes benz c300 4 matic with the engine light on .when I did a diagnostic on it came back to a po52e is bad . It had 73000 on it when I bought . Now I sit at 77000 miles with the bad part .

NHTSA ODI 11487621

Sep 23, 2022

Crank case ventilation system malfunction

NHTSA ODI 11485968

Sep 19, 2022Engine

Crank case to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11485163

Sep 14, 2022Brakes

I have a 2016 C300 that was diagnosed with a severe brake booster issue. Last week, I had to brake hard while traveling 65 mph on a highway and they failed; luckily I was able to avoid catastrophe by maneuvering around the obstacle. I researched to see if this was a known issue and learned that some Mercedes models between 2008-2012 had recalls due to brake booster corrosion issues, but Mercedes might have a worse issue than just a few models prior to 2012, based on my experience!

NHTSA ODI 11484382

Sep 12, 2022Engine

At approximately 65K miles, my PCV valve is bad and needs to be replaced at a cost of $1600. I saw lots of customer complaints for the same issue online, I think Mercedes should cover this item under recall.

NHTSA ODI 11484045

Aug 26, 2022Visibility & wipers

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon purchasing the vehicle, the driver's side sunroof corner was slightly raised. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH, she heard the panoramic sunroof glass sliding back and forth. The contact stated that she held the sunroof glass while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to open the sunroof, it slightly opened and the force itself closed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11481384

Aug 16, 2022

The check engine light came on. I pulled the code and it was P052E, and requires the replacement of the crankcase ventilation system. I am told that this happens on virtually all C300s and (and maybe the GLC300 also). I think this should be recalled.

NHTSA ODI 11479600

Aug 8, 2022Fuel system

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 45-60 MPH, the vehicle began to stall. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal several times but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump and fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11478130

Jul 26, 2022

CEL light- with code P052e positive crankcase ventilation regularly valve. Vehicle only has 62,000 miles

NHTSA ODI 11475899

Jul 25, 2022Engine

Check engine light came in so I took it to a local auto shop. They ran the diagnostics and the code that appeared was P052E(Positive Crankcase Ventilation Regulation Valve Performance).

NHTSA ODI 11475641

Jul 22, 2022Electrical systemFuel systemCrash

I was moving my car from one parking space to another space in front of my house. As I was pulling into the new space, I stopped to check the position of my car. As I lifted my foot off the brake, the car unexpectedly started to lurch forward. When I released the brake pedal, the car suddenly accelerated and proceeded to jump the curb and run into the front of my house. Luckily, no one was injured. There was some damage to the exterior of my house. I have reported this issue to the car manufacturer, Mercedes Benz. In response, they have opened a case to research it further.

NHTSA ODI 11475320

Jul 18, 2022Engine

PCV valve causing check engine light to come on. 50,000 miles on vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11474469

Jul 13, 2022Engine

Engine light was up at around 48700mile, diagnosis reading stated "PCV Regulator Valve Performance"

NHTSA ODI 11473638

Jul 13, 2022Brakes

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while crossing a pay toll, she was depressing the brake pedal to the floorboard but the vehicle failed to decelerate and rear-ended into a truck. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The contact stated there was no need to call and report the incident, no police report was filed. The contact stated she continued driving to her destination. The contact stated when she stepped out of the vehicle, she noticed the bumper, the grill, and the Mercedes-Benz logo and bracket were fractured. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the brake pads, the rotors, the bumper, the Mercedes-Benz logo, and the bracket to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact asked the dealer what was the cause of the failure but the dealer did not have a diagnosis for the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,900.

NHTSA ODI 11473680

Jul 12, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

This is a plug-in hybrid car and twice in the last two weeks, the car while in motion on the road, has randomly turned off the engine and lost power. The gas pedal is unresponsive and all the alarms on screen flash and I have to coast to a stop. Most recently it was on a busy road and I barely missed being rear-ended. This is an unsafe situation and has happened twice and the only thing which I can do is come to complete stop, turn off the car and restart it and the problem goes away.

NHTSA ODI 11473539

Jul 12, 2022

Check Engine light came on. Upon running the scan from three different reputed repair shops, they show same P052e Positive Crankcase ventilation valve replace message. It first came two months back, reset the code but it still came up.

NHTSA ODI 11473566

Jul 11, 2022Engine

This is a known problem with The Mercedes cars from 2015 through 2018. The Service advisor said this is a know issue with this year, I asked can you do it for free because it is a Merc issue. He said he cannot do it. The cost for this repair is $2500 in Mercedes show room. These should be recalled and repair it for free for the customers.

NHTSA ODI 11473348

Jun 30, 2022Engine

Hello, I have 2016 Mercedes Benz c300(W205). Recently I got a Check Engine Light with P052E71. And the solution is to replace the Crankcase Ventilation Valve/Oil Separator, Intake Manifold. These parts are positioned on the right side bottom of the engine. It was a labor intensive work which required to remove multiple parts to gain access to the oil Separator. Considering the Issue Persists from W205 and Mercedes Benz has not done anything to rectify it, the cost is actually burdened upon the customer.

NHTSA ODI 11471877

Jun 23, 2022Engine

P052E emissions code

NHTSA ODI 11470665

Jun 10, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

While driving the check engine light came on. The inside of the car started to smell like gas. A diagnostic check was performed at the Mercedes dealership and it was determined that there were 2 faults: low boost signal & ME control unit this was due to oil leaking from the crankcase vent line through the engine wiring harness and into the ME (engine module).

NHTSA ODI 11468718

Jun 6, 2022Electrical systemEngine

The contact owns a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle and locking the doors; after a while, the vehicle would independently unlock the doors and then start up without driver input. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

NHTSA ODI 11467780

Jun 6, 2022

After locking car and walking away, engine starts, lights go on, and car doors become unlocked.

NHTSA ODI 11467774

← NewerOlder →

Working with the data? Download all 315 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 2016 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid verdict →