2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO TURN ON AND THE STEERING LOCK ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE STEERING LOCK AND THE CONTROL UNIT. THERE WAS NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE. AFTER RETRIEVING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING, THE BRAKE EBR, ABS, ESP AND POWER STEERING FAILURE MESSAGES APPEARED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,033.

INTERMITTENTLY MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WILL GO ON, GAS GAUGE SLOWLY GOES TO EMPTY, REAR BREAK AND BLINKERS NO LONGER WORK, INTERIOR LIGHTING, AND SUN ROOF DO NOT WORK. I CAN NOT LOCK MY CAR SOMETIMES AFTER FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. IF IT HAPPENS RIGHT WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON, I CAN TRY TO TURN IT OFF AND RESTART AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS RIGHT WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON OR SOMETIMES IT NEVER HAPPENS. *TR

I TURNED THE KEY AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. LIGHTS WORKED. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE IT JUMP STARTED, DID NOT WORK. I THEN HAD IT TOWED AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT A CERTIFIED MERCEDES DEALER THAT IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT CALLED ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK EIS/ESL ALSO REFERRED TO AS TECHNICAL SERVICES BULLETIN LI80-57-P051521. TOTAL COST: $1250 THIS IS MY CAR'S 3RD KNOWN DEFECT: 1) REAR TAIL LIGHTS WOULD CATCH FIRE AND FAIL (FINALLY RECALLED BY MB AND REPAIRED) 2) COMMAND KNOB FOR SATELLITE RADIO AND GPS FAILED AND NOW 3) EIS/ESL DEFECT. *TR

WENT TO START MY CAR. TRIED JUMPING IT OFF THINKING IT WAS THE BATTERY CHECKED ALL THE FUSES. SPENT $70 TO HAVE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. COME TO FIND OUT IT IS THE EIS SWITCH AND MERCEDES WILL NOT SELL HIM THE PARTS TO FIX ONLY MERCEDES CAN FIX. MY GUY SAID HE COULD FIX FOR $700, MERCEDES DEALERSHIP SAID OVER $1000. COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. AS MY CAR WAS AT MY MECHANIC SHOP ANOTHER MERCEDES CAME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ( UNBELIEVABLE ). MERCEDES TAKES PRIDE IN THE VEHICLES YET WITH A COMMON PROBLEM THEY WILL NOT FIX FOR FREE ( SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM ) THIS WILL BE MY LAST MERCEDES I OWN. AUDI WILL BE MY NEXT CAR. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MERCEDES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CHECK SIGNAL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V177000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,000. THE VIN WAS UNVAILABLE.

I CAME TO A STOP BECAUSE MY CAR WAS GIVING ME ERROR CODES FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING(TURN& REVERSE) AND THEN THE FUNCTIONING LIGHTS WERE DIMMED. I TOOK A LOOK AT THE ASSEMBLY WHERE THE LIGHTS WERE PLACED AND NOTICED WHERE THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL WIRES WERE PLUGGED IN TO THE BULB ASSEMBLY THAT IT BURNED THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FIXED THE RIGHT SIDE BUT NEGLECTED TO CHECK THE LEFT BECAUSE AT THE TIME IT WAS NOT MALFUNCTIONING (AT THAT TIME I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY). NOW, ON MARCH 8, 2015 (MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY) I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL MBUSA BECAUSE THE LEFT SIDE IS NOW BEGINNING TO ACT ERRATICALLY, AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO BURNING (YET) I WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I CHECKED THE BULBS WHICH WERE GIVING ME ERRORS AND NONE OF THE BULBS WERE BURNED OUT. I BEGUN TO DO RESEARCH AND I FOUND THERE TO BE A RECALL FROM THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V-177, BUT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL YET I HAD REPORTED THE VERY SAME ISSUE MUCH EARLIER THAN 2014. AS I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND MBUSA THEY BOTH SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL REFUSING TO ACCEPT THAT THEY MADE AN ERROR IN THEIR WIRING AND NEGLECTING TO FIX BOTH SIDES THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN. *TR

A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES BENZ C300 CARD MODEL YEAR 2008 AND UP. THE STEERING IGNITION SWITCH FAILS. THIS IS A DEALER FIX ONLY AND COSTS APPROXIMATELY $1500-$2000 DOLLARS. WHEN YOU GO TO START YOUR CAR NOTHING COMES ON, NO LIGHTS NO NOTHING. THE CAR IS BASICALLY DISABLED AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE KEY WOULD REMAIN STUCK IN THE IGNITION. IN ADDITION, ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WOULD REMAIN ON. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

WENT TO STORE AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR, THE TRUNK RELEASED NORMALLY AND DOORS UNLOCKED NORMALLY WITH THE KEY FOB. INSERTED THE KEY INTO IGNITION SWITCH. ABLE TO TURN KEY, BUT CAR WOULD NOT START. TRIED LOCKING AND UNLOCKING DOOR WHICH WORKED AGAIN. WAITED ANOTHER MINUTE AND CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. TRIED MOVING STEERING WHEEL, BUT IT WAS LOCKED AND COULD NOT TAKE CAR OUT OF PARK, BUT MADE SURE IT WAS ALL THE WAY INTO PARK. TRIED TO START CAR AGAIN, THIS TIME I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A RELAY CLICKING FROM UNDER THE DASH, BUT STILL NO START. AFTER ANOTHER MINUTE, I TRIED AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT STARTED. I CAUTIOUSLY DROVE HOME AND PARKED AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ANY LONGER AS THE IGNITION SWITCH ALSO CONTROLS THE STEERING LOCK AND THERE EXIST THE POSSIBILITY OF THE STEERING BECOMING LOCKED WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, AS SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE POSTED AS HAPPENING TO THEM. A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE EXIST SINCE THE STEERING COULD LOCK WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE TO REPAIR THIS BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.