2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 Complaints

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300.The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was swinging from side to side. The contact desperately pumped the brake pedal, and the vehicle was able to stop swinging. The contact checked the vehicle and notice that the subframe was fractured on the driver’s and passenger’s side rear. The dealer was contacted and stated that they were aware of the failure; however, there was no recall on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 101,058.

Rear Sub frame faiIure / rusted and rotted On this site alone there are complaints listed under 3 different heading Structure (30) / SUSPENSION (38) / UNKNOWN OR OTHER (20) all related to the rear sub frame. not to mention 100's on the web. I nearly died when I hit the brakes the car lurched to the left at highway speed. My mechanic told me that the rear Subframe was rotted and the rear control arm is no longer connected to the sub frame He insisted that the car is UNSAFE to drive. He was very surprised as the car only has 70,000 miles on it and in good shape with no rust anywhere else on the car. I did a quick search of the issue on the web and immediately found that MB has had this issue across the world in various models manufactured in 2011-2014. Presently, there are recalls in Germany and Canada for this issue. I contacted my MB Service department and was informed that no recall for this issue exists in the US and they would not cover the costs to repair. The repair could cost between $5k to $7k They told me that I would need to contact MB North America Customer Service. I find it amazing that MB Service, Dealers and North America HQ are all aware of this issue but the Company will not issue a recall or stand behind their product. This not some minor defect. When a major structural component of the car is compromised the lives of vehicle occupants and others on the road are at risk of death due to a major accident. The vehicle is now undriveable and will cost several thousands of dollars to repair. MB is fully aware of this issue and refuses to do anything about it. NHTSA needs to address this issue and make the Manufacturer stand behind their Quality pledge which as a consumer you are paying for when purchasing what you expect to be exceptional German engineering and what you are given is a a product with a known defect that will not be addressed.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear subframe has rusted out and left side arm has separated- my car has been routinely maintained and primarily housed in garaged parking. It does not have a history of flood or water damage. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My steering and breaking was impacted even at low speeds < 30 MPH. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - Vehicle failed a Maryland state safety inspection and was deemed unsafe to drive. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, inspected by Maryland state certified safety inspector Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? I noticed decreased accuracy in my steering upon breaking and decreased function in breaking- my inspection revealed that all breaks were intact and working.

When fuel tank is greater than approximately 3/4 full there is a strong fuel odor that seems to emanate from the rear passenger side of the vehicle; at lesser fuel quantities the odor is not noticeable. On one occasion I detected what appeared to be fuel dripping from underneath the vehicle. Took vehicle to dealership for troubleshooting and was informed "fuel leaks at the fuel pump" and it was recommended that the fuel pump and fuel sender be replaced. Additionally, the leak apparently damaged the electrical wiring harness to the fuel pump and that also needs to be repaired. There were no warning lamps or messages displayed that alerted me to this problem. Obviously, this is a hazard to safety.

A dealer inspection found a rusted away rear subframe with holes in it and near total failure and undriveable. The part is being removed by a dealer and its whereabouts after that will be unknown. Garage kept and continually cleaned a car such as this should not experience the visible decay it has after such a short time. A defect definitely existed in the sub-par metal products used during production. This issue presents a catastrophic situation if not realized in time. A factory recall is in order.

Rear Subframe Rot. The vehicle was purchased July 2021 from Automax Of Frederick Maryland. I took the car to Euromotors of Bethesda and they informed me about the issue so I took it back to the dealership because the car was sold to me like this and the owner of the dealership let me know that his "guys" would have never passed it in the MD inspection if a hole was about to be there or severe rust. However it was still sold and now I have the problem of where one of my control arms are rusted out and the car is not safe to drive. The dealer also let me know that the rust was just "surface rust" and it was nothing to worry about. The dealer ask me to bring the car in to inspect and lifted and let me know they would put a ticket on it if the car gave me any problems they would take care of it. Never got anything from them.

Had to replace the rear sub frame due to extensive rust and erosion. Major safety concern. This was brought to my attention at a routine maintenance service appointment. Almost as is they knew they should be looking for this problem. We are the only owners of this car. It is a garage parked car. No rust elsewhere just at the welded connection on the rear sub frame.

I was driving my C 2011 MB and suddenly when applying the Brakes the car had a severe pull to the left and a loud noise from the rear driver side wheel. I made an appointment with my mechanic to have the issue looked at. There were no warning lights or other symptoms until basically the complete failure of the rear suspension. My mechanic informed me that the rear Subframe of the suspension on the vehicle had completely rusted out and the components holding the brake assembly and sway bar were almost at the point of becoming disengaged from the vehicle. He stated that the car is unsafe to drive. He was very surprised as the car is garage kept an in good shape with no rust anywhere else on the car. I did a quick investigation of the issue on the web and immediately found that MB has had this issue across the world in various models manufactured in 2011-2014. Presently, there are recalls in Germany and Canada for this issue. I contacted my MB Service department and was informed that no recall for this issue exists in the US and they would not cover the costs to repair. They told me that I would need to contact MB North America Customer Service. I find it amazing that MB Service, Dealers and North America HQ are all aware of this issue but the Company will not issue a recall or stand behind their product. This not some minor defect. When a major structural component of the car is compromised the lives of vehicle occupants and others on the road are at risk of death due to a major accident. The vehicle is now undriveable and will cost several thousands of dollars to repair. MB is fully aware of this issue and refuses to do anything about it. NHTSA needs to address this issue and make the Manufacturer stand behind their Quality pledge which as a consumer you are paying for when purchasing what you expect to be exceptional German engineering and what you are given is a a product with a known defect that will not be addressed.

--the rear subframe is severely rusted at 2 spots where the suspension and the body come together. If hit a hard bump or pothole it could break and cause a large safety issue. The rear subframe is $4751.00

Rear Sub-Frame completely rusted out on car that has only 68800 miles and garaged kept since new. The suspension failure is an obvious engineering issue. No rust anywhere else on the car. The vehicle sways and bangs there is almost no metal left on the framework that all of the other rear suspension components mount to and rely on for stability. I have pictures to show what an obvious pre-mature failure this is from a touted high end auto manufacturer. Mercedes Benz should be investigated and made to repair these vehicles.