2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 479 complaints · 6 recalls
Most-reported system: AIR BAGS (232 complaints · 48.4%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 15
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 14
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2010 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution AIR BAGS appears in 232 of 479 owner complaints (48.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. AIR BAGS: 232 complaints, 48.4% of reports AIR BAGS 232 · 48.4% · 11 crash reports SUSPENSION: 48 complaints, 10.0% of reports SUSPENSION 48 · 10.0% FUEL SYSTEM: 41 complaints, 8.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 41 · 8.6% STRUCTURE: 34 complaints, 7.1% of reports STRUCTURE 34 · 7.1% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 23 complaints, 4.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 · 4.8% · 3 fire reports STEERING: 19 complaints, 4.0% of reports STEERING 19 · 4.0% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 18 complaints, 3.8% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 18 · 3.8% · 2 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 9 complaints, 1.9% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 9 · 1.9% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 8 complaints, 1.7% of reports ENGINE 8 · 1.7% · 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 81 complaints, 16.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 81 · 16.9% · 3 crash reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
AIR BAGS 232 48.4% 11 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 48 10.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 41 8.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 34 7.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 4.8% 0 crashes · 3 fires
STEERING 19 4.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 18 3.8% 0 crashes · 2 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 9 1.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 8 1.7% 0 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 81 16.9% 3 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2011; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2012. 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 2017-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q4: 78 owner reports 78 2018-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2018-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2018-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2018-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2019-Q1: 37 owner reports 37 2019-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2019-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2019-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2020-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2021-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2022-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2022-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2022-Q3: 28 owner reports 28 2022-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2023-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2023-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2024-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2011 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 12V557000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V557000 Recall campaign 14V177000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V177000 Recall campaign 16V081000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V081000 Recall campaign 16V363000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V363000 Recall campaign 17V177000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V177000 Recall campaign 19V010000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V010000 Investigation EA13008 ● Investigation EA13008 Investigation EA21002 ● Investigation EA21002
  • Campaign 16V081000 was reported 1,116 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16V363000 was reported 1,221 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V177000 was reported 1,513 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V010000 was reported 2,179 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 3
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 5
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 3
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 10
2016-Q4 Owner reports 10
2017-Q1 Owner reports 8
2017-Q2 Owner reports 23
2017-Q3 Owner reports 10
2017-Q4 Owner reports 78
2018-Q1 Owner reports 19
2018-Q2 Owner reports 14
2018-Q3 Owner reports 18
2018-Q4 Owner reports 14
2019-Q1 Owner reports 37
2019-Q2 Owner reports 16
2019-Q3 Owner reports 14
2019-Q4 Owner reports 11
2020-Q1 Owner reports 8
2020-Q2 Owner reports 4
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 6
2021-Q1 Owner reports 4
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 10
2021-Q4 Owner reports 7
2022-Q1 Owner reports 6
2022-Q2 Owner reports 12
2022-Q3 Owner reports 28
2022-Q4 Owner reports 16
2023-Q1 Owner reports 17
2023-Q2 Owner reports 4
2023-Q3 Owner reports 6
2023-Q4 Owner reports 4
2024-Q1 Owner reports 5
2024-Q2 Owner reports 10
2024-Q3 Owner reports 6
2024-Q4 Owner reports 6
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 12V557000
Recall campaign 1 14V177000
Recall campaign 1 16V081000
Recall campaign 1 16V363000
Recall campaign 1 17V177000
Recall campaign 1 19V010000
Defect investigation 1 EA13008
Defect investigation 1 EA21002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (6)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V557000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the fuel filter flange cracks, it will leak fuel which may lead to a fire if an external ignition source is present.
    Remedy:
    Mercedes-Benz will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel filter, free of charge. The recall campaign is expected to begin in February 2013. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V177000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    Dimming or failure of the tail lights reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of stopping or turning, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Mercedes will notify owners, and dealers will replace the bulb holders if not previously updated and replace any corroded connectors, free of charge. The recall began on August, 18, 2014. Owners may contact Mercedes at 1-800-367-6372.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V081000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V363000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. Owners were sent an interim notification October 2016. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V177000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V010000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 479 complaints · page 1 of 20

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources