2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 Complaints

FRONT LIGHTS SOCKET OVER HEAT AND MELTING. MANUFACTURE AND DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO REPLACE, HOWEVER CAR STILL IN FULL EXTENDED WARRANTY SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN CAUSE FIRE

IN THE MORNING, I TRIED TO START MY 2009 C300 AND THE CAR DID NOT START AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED OUT OF THE BLUE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AT DELRAY BEACH, FL. THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE STEERING/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RELATED TO IGNITION SWITCH. THE FOLLOWING REPAIR STATED ON MY REPAIR REPORT: - STEERING LOCK COMPLETE REPLACEMENT - ADDITIONAL TIME TO DRILL OUT THE OLD LOCK MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP SERVICE CHARGED ME $1,464.00 FOR THE DEFECTED STEERING LOCK/IGNITION ELECTRICAL ASSEMBLY. I SEARCHED ON INTERNET AND A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM (PLEASE SEE THE LINK PROVIDED BELOW). I CALLED THE MERCEDES-BENZ USA HEADQUARTER AT NJ AND TALK TO A DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER AND EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT MY CAR HAS ONLY 44K MILEAGE AND THE STEERING LOCK/IGNITION ELECTRONIC MALFUNCTION IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECTED AND IT IS NOT CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR & TEAR AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HENCE THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED WITHOUT CHARGE AND JUSTIFY FOR RECALLS. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS LIKE TALKING TO THE WALL AND BASICALLY MERCEDES-BENZ DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND HIT THE CUSTOMER WITH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR COST. I AM CONCERN IF THE STEERING LOCKS/IGNITION ELECTRICAL PART MALFUNCTIONS, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING DRIVING AND OTHER CASES. THANK YOU. P.S.: PLEASE REFER TO THE FOLLOWING JUST TWO WEB SITES. THERE ARE MORE TO SEE IF YOU SEARCH: HTTP://WWW.CAR-RECALL.COM/MERCEDES-BENZ/C300/2009 HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2009/MERCEDES/C300/STEERING/PROBLEM.ASPX HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/MERCEDESBENZ/C300/2009/

IN THE MORNING, TRY TO START MY 2009 C300 AND THE CAR DID NOT START AND THE STEERING GOT LOCKED OFF OF THE BLUE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AT DELRAY BEACH, FL. THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED TO BE RELATED TO: MANUFACTURING DEFECTED STEERING/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RELATED TO IGNITION SWITCH. THE FOLLOWING REPAIR STATED ON MY REPAIR REPORT: -STEERING LOCK COMPLETE REPLACEMENT -ADDITIONAL TIME TO DRILL OUT THE OLD LOCK MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP SERVICE CHARGED ME $1464.00 FOR THE DEFECTED STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY. I SEARCHED ON INTERNET AND A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM (PLEASE SEE THE LINK PROVIDED). I CALLED THE MERCEDES-BENZ USA HEADQUARTER AT NJ AND TALK TO A DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER AND EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT MY CAR HAS ONLY 42K MILEAGE AND THE STEERING LOCK IS MANUFACTURING DEFECTED AND IT IS NOT CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR & TEAR AND THEREFORE THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED WITHOUT CHARGE. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS LIKE TO TALKING TO THE WALL AND BASICALLY MERCEDES-BENZ DOES NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND HIT THE CUSTOMER WITH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR COST. WE AS OWNER OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ SHOULD UNIT AND COMPLAIN TO MERCEDES HEADQUARTER AND NHTSA AND REQUEST THIS DEFECT SHALL BE CONSIDER AS A RECALL. I AM CONCERN IF THE STEERING LOCKS BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTED PART WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING DRIVING AND OTHER CASES. THANK YOU. HTTP://WWW.CAR-RECALL.COM/MERCEDES-BENZ/C300/2009 HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2009/MERCEDES/C300/STEERING/PROBLEM.ASPX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

ELECTRONIC STEERING FAILURE. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. GEAR SHIFT LOCKED IN PARK. CAN TURN KEY, BUT THE ONLY THE CENTRAL DASH WORKS WITH MESSAGE "TAKE KEY FROM IGNITION". NO START UP LIGHTS ON. VEHICLE LOCKS, UNLOCKS, RADIO WORKS, BUT WON'T START. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED IN THE GARAGE WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND NOT IN MOTION. $800 OUT OF POCKET FOR NEW EIS AND BLUE KEY + LABOR. SEEMS TO BE VERY FREQUENT ISSUE WITH 2008/2009 C300 MODELS. RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED AND OWNERS REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES INCURRED GIVEN THE NUMBER OF REPORTS AND SAFETY RISKS AS SOME HAVE REPORTED IT HAPPENED TO THEM WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. DON'T NEED TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS REALLY HURT. *TR

I PARKED MY 2009 C300 WITH ONLY 42K MILES ON IT IN THE GARAGE AT NIGHT. NEXT MORNING I TRIED TO START, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO START OR MOVE THE GEARS HAD TO CALL MERCEDES ROAD SERVICE TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A MERCEDES DEALER AT DELRAY BEACH, FL. THIS HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING WRONG. DIAGNOSE WAS MADE AND DETERMINE TO BE ?STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY COMPLETELY NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH ADDITIONAL TIME TO MANUALLY DRILL OUT THE OLD LOCK.? THIS WAS DUE TO A DEFECTED STEERING IGNITION SWITCH SECURITY ASSEMBLY. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $1600.00 FOR THE DEFECTED PART. I TALK TO THE DELRAY BEACH MERCEDES-BENZ SERVICE DEALERSHIP DIRECTOR AND SUPERVISOR ANS AS WELL AS MBUSA REGIONAL CASE MANAGER. IT WAS JUST WASTE OF TIME AND NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. MERCEDES-BENZ ABSOLUTELY DID NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT OTHER THAN CHARGING PEOPLE FOR REPAIR OF A DEFECTED COMPLETE STEERING SECURITY ASSEMBLY. THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED RECALL AS TO DO WITH STEERING LOCK. *TR

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO START OR MOVE THE GEARS HAD TO CALL MERCEDES ROAD SERVICE .TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A MERCEDES DEALER. *TR

PARKED MY CAR OVERNIGHT AND WENT TO START IT IN THE MORNING AND WOULD NOT START. THE KEY WOULD TURN BUT GOT NO LIGHTS ON THE DASH AND RADIO WOULD NOT WORK. THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT UNLOCK. TRIED TO JUMP IT BUT SAME RESULTS. BATTERY TESTED FINE, CHECKED ALL THE FUSES AND THEY WERE ALL GOOD. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET THE STEERING LOCK FAILED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MORE THAN FREQUENT ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. THIS HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING WRONG. I'M GLAD I WAS HOME AND NOT HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? *TR

STEERING WHEEL GOT LOCKED WHEN THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. LUCKILY, I WAS DRIVING OFF THE HIGHWAY APPROX. 10 MPH. TARIFFING EXPERIENCE!!! *TR

DROVE MY C300 TO WORK IN THE MORNING. WENT TO LEAVE A FEW HOURS LATER AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. RADIO, ALARM, DASH AND LOCK/UNLOCK ALL WORK BUT YOU CAN NOT HEAR THE STEERING LOCK DISENGAGE WHEN YOU PUT THE KEY IN. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND MERCEDES HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO FIX IT. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 6 MONTHS. IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO AFTER BUYING A MERCEDES BENZ? *TR