Mercedes BENZ C Class Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

On Friday [XXX] at approximately [XXX]. My wife and I were driving our 2024 C-Class 300 (~8,000 miles on this vehicle) on [XXX] and entering the intersection of [XXX]. Riverside, CA 92506 when all of sudden the car just died (the engine stopped running, pushing the gas pedal with no power) and all the dashboard lights came on flashing like crazy. This incident paced my wife and I in a very venerable bad not safe situation. If there was any traffic at in this intersection at that moment it would have been a bad situation. I called MB Walter's they could hear the sounds which were loud and they ask me to open and close the doors to see if sound would stop and wait 5 minutes and try to restart. Waited 5 minutes car started and we drove it to Walter's. The week before I had it back in the service department because the finger print function was not working any longer. They supposedly replaced the software package and then this major issue happen. The service department at Walter's has tried at least two times to download a new software package however this vehicle is not allowing it to accept it. They said engineers from the East coast were trying to help but nothing has been accomplished. It is becoming frustrating and allowing the overall safety concern has been increasing for my wife and I. What if this happens again and we are on the freeway or a street with traffic which both situations could cause a severe accident and harm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The driver’s seat in my car moves backward on its own while I’m driving. I’ve taken the car to the dealership several times, but the issue still hasn’t been resolved. This is extremely dangerous and frightening. It has happened twice on the highway, Several times in the dealership’s garage, And most recently, while I was pulling out of a parking spot: Half of my car was still in the parking area and the other half was already in the street. The road had a curve, so other drivers couldn’t see me until they got very close, which could have caused a serious accident. This is a serious safety concern that needs immediate attention.

See attached document for complaint.

I was driving and all of a sudden a loud sound started occurring and the sound appeared to come from my breaks as if they were about to give out. The car is currently at Mercedes getting looked at. I’m concerned for my safety as I have taken this car in for two other issues in the last couple of months.

The vehicle was in drive, as I was turning right, the vehicle shifted from p(park) to n(netural) on the roadway. The car would not allow me to shift back to drive. I had to literally turn the car off and then back on in the middle of the road in order to put it back in drive Thankfully, there was not a vehicle nearby at the time, which could have caused a major accident or lost of life. At the time there was not a warning message at the time. Three days later tire pressure warning with fluctuating numbers occurred. I have only had this vehicle, purchased new for under five months. The vehicle is currently sitting in the service department at the Mercedes dealership waiting on a diagnosis(4) days so far. I will no longer feel safe and fear for my safety in that vehicle.

Within the first week of ownership (delivery on 1/15/24), the car's parking and/or front collision sensors started malfunctioning on a regular basis. The sensors repeatedly gave off false alerts when the car would approach intersections even though no obstacles were in front of, or behind, the car. The false alerts were quite startling and they consisted of loud alarms and warning images in both the driver's display and the car's heads up display. The repeated false alarms posed a significant safety hazard because they initially caused me to slam on the brakes risking a rear end collision. Once I realized the sensors were malfunctioning, I started to ignore them which is equally dangerous if a real collision needed to be averted. The car is currently in the service department, and it has been there for a total of 29 days thus far. It was initially thought that a software update would resolve the problem, but that did not work. After the software update was completed, a new "parktronic" module was installed. That also did not solve the issue. I am now being advised that the car is issuing fault codes related to the airbag system. It seems that there are some serious electrical problems that are plaguing the vehicle. The service department has advised me that they have no clear date on when this issue will be resolved.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes Benz C. The contact stated that while driving on the highway, the vehicle began to lose power, riding rough. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel injection failure. The vehicle read diagnostic code P1CEF85. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

I am reporting a safety defect involving the panoramic sunroof on my 2021Mercedes-Benz Coop vehicle. The panoramic sunroof has malfunctioned due to an apparent design or manufacturing defect. The sunroof fails to open / close and makes grinding or popping noises which malfunctioned unexpectedly. This issue occurred without misuse and during normal operation of the vehicle. The defect creates a safety concern because it can distract the driver, allow water intrusion that may affect electrical components, and/or cause sudden glass or mechanical failure while driving. The vehicle has been taken to a Mercedes-Benz dealership for diagnosis and the issue was not resolved due to denied coverage. I was informed that the repair would be costly despite the issue appearing to be a known defect in Mercedes-Benz panoramic sunroof systems. I believe this defect may affect other Mercedes-Benz vehicles with panoramic sunroofs and should be investigated for a potential safety defect or recall.

The contact owns a 2021 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and failed to exceed 30 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle did not require a restart. The contact also stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The contact was informed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the same diagnostic information was provided, and the contact was informed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,078.

Driving and something came from underneath the vehicle and cause me to swerve in all the airbags deployed

My car had a coolant leak last year a hose broke and I have a 2021. My son’s mercedes sis the same thing on 11/23/2025. I have researched ma y others with this same issue. There should be a recall on that hose or whatever the problem Is.

2021 Mercedes-Benz C300 with M254 2.0L turbo engine experienced sudden cylinder head failure at 44,000 miles due to manufacturing porosity in the cylinder head and camshaft bore scoring. Dealer confirmed defect. This is a known, recurring issue on 2021–2023 M254 engines with multiple documented failures under 50k miles. Sudden loss of compression and misfires create a safety risk of engine failure or fire while driving. TSB NUMBER LI07.16-P-074000 (February 2023, updated multiple times). This is a known production/early break-in issue with the M254 engine, not the result of owner misuse or delayed maintenance.