2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 Complaints

Brake line corrosion issues, related and reported along with the sub-frame assembly corrosion. After getting the sub-frame repaired XXX, corrosion and deformation of the tie rods and control arms caused vibration and noise at speed, and while cornering. Repaired XXX and vehicle inspection discovered no leaks in the corroded brake lines. After this repair, brake fluid warning light appeared. Very costly repair done at the MB dealership, in [XXX]. This is a common defective issue associated with the corrosion of the subframe, and should be attached to the subframe campaign, and reimbursed by the MFG. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a strong smell of fuel around the exterior of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the fuel odor was extremely strong, and the contact could not wind the windows down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.

My car’s left side rear subframe is cracked due to corrosion. I started hearing a weird noise a week ago, and my car suddenly veered to the left side when I pressed the brake. I almost crashed my car because the car moved to the left of the yellow line on the road. I searched about this issue on Google and found that many C-Class owners (W204 generation) are experiencing the same issue due to the design flaws/defects by Mercedes-Benz. Now I have to pay up to $10,000 for the repair that is due to a defective part. In other countries like the UK and South Korea, this issue is covered by Mercedes-Benz, but in the United States, it is not covered. The repair is done at owner’s expense. I fear driving now because my car steers to the left when I press the brake. The rear subframe must be recalled since this issue is now common to all C-Class models produced in 2008-2014, and if car accidents occur, many people can be killed. I almost crashed my car due to my rotten subframe. Please help.

The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof glass shattered and landed on the sunroof cover. There was no impact on the sunroof that could have caused the sunroof to shatter. The contact and his daughter did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

1. The (RH) rear suspension forward link attach point on the rear Suspension Cross-Member (Mercedes-Benz P/N: 204-350-01-41), separated from the sub frame due to internal corrosion of the Suspension Cross-Member. Part available for inspection. 2. When part failed, the RH rear wheel alignment was no-longer fixed; some loss of vehicle steering control was experienced, especially during braking and also turning. 3. Numerous reports of similar episodes of this failure are reported in owners' and maintainers' forums. The dealer service department was familiar with this Suspension Cross-Member part failure. 5. This vehicle passed a Maryland State safety inspection performed by the seller of the vehicle 6 months and 5000 mi prior to the part failure. 6. Part failed with no warning, during normal driving on secondary roads.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V010000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. MERCEDES BENZ OF BUFFALO LOCATED AT (8185 MAIN STREET, WILLIAMSVILLE, NY 14221), CONFIRMED PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

1 YEAR AFTER RECEIVING RECALL LETTER FOR TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL (PHASE 4). MERCEDES BENZ OF SAN DIEGO STILL WILL NOT REPLACE THE AIRBAG. THEY WILL NOT GIVE A DATE. THEY PROVIDED A TELEPHONE # FOR MERCEDES CORPORATE CUSTOMER CARE. THE MENU ITEMS FOR AIRBAG STATUS LEADS TO A CALL THAT IS NEVER ANSWERED AND/OR WILL EVENTUALLY DISCONNECT. DATE BELOW IS THE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL LETTER FROM MERCEDES. LAST CALL TO DEALERSHIP WAS 1/13/2020

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V017000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ OF PEMBROKE PINES (954- 644-5035, LOCATED AT 14199 PINES BOULEVARD, PEMBROKE PINES, FL 33027) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V017000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM (LOCATED AT 1 AMB DR NW, ATLANTA, GA 30313, 470-341-5000) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V017000 (AIR BAGS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTIFICATION IN DECEMBER OF 2017. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH RALLYE MOTOR (1600 NORTHERN BOULEVARD, ROSLYN, NY 11576, 517-625-1600) AND WAS ASKED IF A LETTER WAS RECEIVED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE DEALER THAT THE ONLY LETTER THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE MANUFACTURER WAS IN DECEMBER OF 2017. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.