"How reliable is the 2004 Mercedes Benz C Class?"

"Based on 20 NHTSA complaints, the 2004 Mercedes Benz C Class has a median complaint mileage of 24776 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2004 Mercedes Benz C Class?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Mercedes Benz C Class is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 20 total complaints filed."

2004 Mercedes Benz C Class: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 20 complaints

Total Complaints

24,776mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

9,437 25th Percentile

24,776 Median Mileage

58,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling

Tread/Belt

Unknown Or Other

Side/Window

Seats

Exterior

Electric Power Assist System

Motor

Power Adjust

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THIS DEFECT/CONCERN IS A GENERAL SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH RESPECT TO ALL VEHICLES WHICH SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY ENACTMENT OF STANDARDS TO BE USED BY ALL MANUFACTURERS. MAINLY THE STANDARDIZATION OF THE LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF KEY CONTROLS AND SWITCHES ON ALL AUTOMOBILES. IN TODAYS DRIVING, DRIVERS AR..."

"THE RIGHT REAR TIRE HAS A SPLIT ABOUT 1.5 INCHES LONG PROCEEDING DIAGONALLY THROUGH THE TREAD TO NEAR THE SIDEWALL. THERE IS NO OTHER DAMAGE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE NEAR THE SPLIT OR EVIDENCE OF CONTACT WITH ANYTHING. I DRIVE LONG DISTANCES OFTEN AND WONDER IF THIS IS SOME TYPE OF DANGEROUS DEFEC..."

"NEW 2004 C230K COUPE. DRIVERS SEAT HAD SLIGHT ROCKING MOTION FORWARD AND BACK FROM THE DAY OF PURCHASE. NOTIFIED DEALER - SAID WAS NORMAL. ROCKING MOTION GOT WORSE AND AGAIN NOTIFIED DEALER AT 5000 MILES ON ODOMETER. DEALER SAID SEAT ADJUSTER WAS COMING LOOSE FROM SEAT FRAME, APPARENTLY THE BOLT..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 6 NC: 2 IL: 2 MD: 2 TX: 1 GA: 1 MI: 1 MN: 1 LA: 1 CA: 1

Who Files Complaints?

45%

Original Owners

55%

Second+ Owners

Mercedes Benz C Class — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1995	64	100,000	Electrical System	2
2001	25	17,700	Electrical System	0
2002	46	65,000	Electrical System	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28