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)

2 of 315 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 7, 2017BrakesEngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 71 MPH, A KNOCKING SOUND WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO THRUST BACK AND FORTH AS IF IT WERE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. ALSO, A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE SPEED SUDDENLY REDUCED TO APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE SPEED WOULD NOT INCREASE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER (SMITH MOTORS IN HAVERHILL, MA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WAS FAULTY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. AFTER THREE MONTHS AT THE DEALER, THE MOTOR WAS REPLACED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, A SCREECHING NOISE WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 354.

NHTSA ODI 11044245

Nov 30, 2016BrakesCrash1 injury

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER CAR ON A PAVED, AND DRY, ROAD. SHE WAS FOLLOWING BEHIND A SUV, THAT APPLIED THE BRAKES ABRUPTLY. SHE HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING HER CAR AND SHE WOUND UP HITTING THE SUV IN FRONT OF HER. WHILE THIS DOES SOUND UNUSUAL, IT IS FOR THIS CAR (2016 MERCEDES BENZ C300). THE SALESMAN TOLD US THAT THIS CAR WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTI-COLLISION. SYSTEM CALLED "COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS". IT IS SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE A LIGHT ON THE DASH. IF THE CAR GETS EVEN CLOSER YET, IT IS SUPPOSED GIVE AN AUDIBLE ALARM. IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T RESPOND AND THE CAR GETS EVEN CLOSER TO THE CAR IN FRONT, THE SYSTEM SHOULD DEPLOY THE BRAKING SYSTEM UNTIL THE DRIVER ENGAGES. EVEN IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T DEPLOY THE BRAKES, THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO STOP BEFORE A COLLISION. IN OUR CAR, THIS SYSTEM DID NOT FUNCTION. THERE WAS NO LIGHT, NO AUDIBLE ALARM, AND NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE BRAKES. THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION WITH A MAZDA CRV. SO FAR, MERCEDES BENZ HAS NOT CALLED ME BACK. I FILLED OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE TWO WEEKS AGO TO INFORM THEM OF THE PROBLEM. OUR CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE BODY SHOP AWAITING MERCEDES TO GET BACK TO US. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I KNOW TO TRY AND GET MERCEDES TO CONTACT ME. THIS FEATURE WAS GROSSLY MISREPRESENTED BY THE SALESMAN AT ANAHEIM HILLS MERCEDES AND HE HAS BEEN REPRIMANDED FOR IT. WHAT IS WORSE, THE CAR COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS SYSTEM COMPLETELY FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10928892

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 →