2009 Mercedes Benz C: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 21 complaints
21
Total Complaints
7,000mi
Median Mileage
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Top Issue
4
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

1,400 25th Percentile
7,000 Median Mileage
14,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
4
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
STEERING
2
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
1
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
1
SEAT BELTS
1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
VISIBILITY
1

Severity Assessment

4
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I PURCHASED A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300 LUXURY SEDAN IN OCTOBER 2008 IN ATLANTA, GA. I DROVE THE CAR OFF THE LOT WITH 37 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I HOUSE THE CAR IN MY GARAGE. I'D HAD THE CAR IN MY POSSESSION FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS WHEN I WOKE ONE CHILLY MORNING TO DISCOVER A CRACK IN THE D..."
"I WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE I WAS RUN OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A CENTER MEDIAN STEEL BARRIER. MY MERCEDES C300 IS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP) AND ACTIVE SEATBELT RESTRAINTS (BOTH OF WHICH FAILED IN THE CRASH). THE ROADS WERE SLICK, HOWEVER, WHEN A CAR SWERVED OVER ON ME AND I A..."
"I WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WHERE I WAS RUN OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A CENTER MEDIAN STEEL BARRIER. MY MERCEDES C300 IS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP) AND ACTIVE SEATBELT RESTRAINTS (BOTH OF WHICH FAILED IN THE CRASH). THE ROADS WERE SLICK, HOWEVER, WHEN A CAR SWERVED OVER ON ME AND I A..."

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 3 complaints
Median: 7,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NJ: 5 CA: 5 AL: 4 TX: 3 LA: 1 GA: 1 PR: 1 DC: 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