2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 Complaints

RECEIVED IN-DASH NOTIFICATIONS THAT ALL LIGHTS ON LEFT SIDE OF CAR WERE OUT. TOOK TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHICH FOUND THAT LEFT REAR TAILLIGHT HOUSING HAD MELTED. HAD NEW LIGHTING CARRIER INSTALLED AND WIRES REPAIRED. *TR

CALIPER ON THE BRAKES WERE STICKING CAUSE THE ROTORS TO WARP- REPLACED ALL PARTS AFTER 3,000 MILES SAME THING HAPPENED-- TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEAL SHIP - REPLACED NEW CALIPERS ROTORS-3500 MILES LATER SAME THING HAPPENED TOOK THE CAR BACK AGAIN - REPLACED ALL THE PARTS 5000 MILES LATER SAME THING IT IS NOW JUNE AND THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK AGAIN. *TR

THE LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT HAD A BULB THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST UNDER $10. IT NEEDED MORE THAN A BULB AS THE WIRING HAD MELTED AND IT REQUIRED A NEW LEFT REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY KIT WITH A NEW HARNESS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT A COST OF $300. THE AUTO SHOP TECHNICIAN SHOWED HOW THE WIRING HAD COMPLETELY MELTED AND NEEDED TO REPLACE THE COMPLETE REAR LIGHT MODULE. THIS HAD TO BE A DEFECTIVE PART AND MERCEDES HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO COVER THE COST. THE MELTED WIRES POSE A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE COMPUTER CHIP KEY POD AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED, STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAULT. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP, UNABLE TO TURN IGNITION ON. NO ADVANCE NOTICE THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, ALMOST 50 MILES AT A COST OF $240. THE REPAIR WAS $707.00 AND INVOLVED REPLACEMENT OF STEERING COLUMN LOCK ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BY MERCEDES AND THEY HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THIS PROBLEM SEEMS PREVALENT ON THE INTERNET. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS HAVING A VEHICLE THAT CANNOT BE OPERATED, NOR REPAIRED BY ANYONE OTHER THAN AN AUTHORIZED MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. THIS PROBLEM STRANDS THE DRIVER AT A PLACE WHEREVER THE PROBLEM MAY OCCUR. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP RETURN THE FAULTY PART IF NHTSA WOULD LIKE TO INSPECT IT. THE MERCEDES BENZ STEERING COLUMN LOCK PROBLEM IS NOT FROM WEAR AND TEAR, MORE LIKELY A SOFTWARE PROBLEM BETWEEN THE IGNITION AND THE KEY. AS A CONSUMER, I FEEL RIPPED OFF TO THE TUNE OF $1,000 TO PAY FOR A PROBLEM THAT MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT, YET HAS NOT INITIATED A RECALL TO REPAIR THE FAULT. *TR

I PARKED VEHICLE IN A PUBLIC PARKING LATE AT NIGHT. I WAS WITH MY SON, I TRIED TO TURN ON VEHICLE AND IT DID NOT START. I WAS STRANDED LATE AT NIGHT WITH MY SON WITH NO RIDE. I HAD TWO MECHANICS LOOK AT IT, ONE OF WHICH WAS A MECHANIC FOR THE MERCEDES DEALER. BOTH STATING IT WAS THE STEERING LOCK MODULE, THEY BOTH TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MERCEDES C300. THIS PROBLEM COSTS $1300 TO FIX WITH THE DEALER, THE PART ALONE IS OVER $550. READING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ONLINE, IT IS VERY COMMON IN THE 2008-2009 MODELS, NORMALLY OCCURRING AROUND 3-4 YEARS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, AND IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM! THESES ARE FAIRLY NEW VEHICLES AND IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT! *TR

WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING THE RIGHT TAIL LAMP, BRAKE LAMP, FOG LAMP DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTION, THE GROUND WIRE INSULATION AND CONNECTOR ON THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAD MELTED FROM OVERHEATING. WE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ALL LIGHTING ON THE RIGHT REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND SECONDS LATER, ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BURNED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. *TR

ELECTRICAL SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD LEAD TO FIRE. LEFT REAR TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY UNIT MELTED DUE TO IMPROPER GROUND DUE TO FAULTY WIRING HARNESS. TALKED WITH MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND WAS ADVISED THAT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUES. WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT MERCEDES HAS A REPAIR KIT BUT WANTS ME TO PAY $200 TO HAVE THE SAFETY ISSUE FIXED. MERCEDES REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED AND FORCED TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL TO FIX THIS DEFECT. IF YOU GOOGLE 2009 C300 BRAKE LIGHT RECALL YOU WILL FIND COUNTLESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE INCLUDING IDENTICAL PHOTOS OF THE MELTED BULB ASSEMBLY UNIT. I WOULD HOPE FOR THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE THAT THE NTSB COULD REVIEW THIS ISSUE FURTHER BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUS INJURED. *TR

THE LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. I HAD TO REPLACE THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS ATTACHED TO THE BULB BRACKET. THIS WAS REPLACED ON 2/13/2013. EXACTLY ONE MONTH LATER, THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING ON 3/13/2013. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE SAME ASSEMBLY OF PARTS. I HAVE NO DAMAGE TO THE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. MERCEDES BENZ HAD A RECALL ON THE (MERCEDES BENZ M-CLASS YEAR 2009) FOR THE REAR LIGHTS. *TR

DRIVING AT NIGHT. INSTRUMENT WARNING OF NUMEROUS FAILED TAIL LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES AT THE SAME TIME. PULLED OVER AND OPENED TRUNK. TRUNK WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND BURNING PLASTIC SMELL. OBSERVED ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS ON BOTH TAIL LIGHT BULB HOLDERS MELTING AND SMOLDERING. VISUAL FLAME (SMALL) ON GROUND WIRE ON RIGHT TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR. OBSERVED BOTH BULB HOLDER ASSEMBLIES AND THEIR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY FIRE/HEAT ONLY AROUND THE BROWN (GROUND) WIRES. REMOVED ASSEMBLIES AND WAS ABLE TO RESTORE SOME TAIL LIGHT FUNCTIONS BY CLEANING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS OF MELTED PLASTIC. NOTED CORROSION AROUND GROUND TERMINAL PIN OF CONNECTORS. NO INDICATION OF MOISTURE OR WATER LEAKS IN AREA. NO FUSES BLEW. ALL BULBS GOOD. TAIL LIGHT OPERATION NOW INTERMITTENT. WILL CONTACT DEALER TO REPLACE PARTS - FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM DUE TO FIRE AND THE CIRCUIT NOT BEING PROTECTED BY FUSE. *TR UPDATED 3/28/13 *CN..UPDATED 09-09-14 *BF