MERCEDES-BENZ Complaints

The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. While driving at approximately 15 mph, the contact observed smoke emanating from under the hood. The vehicle was driven to her work location and parked. Upon exiting the vehicle and opening the hood, she observed orange flames coming from the engine compartment. A parking attendant extinguished the fire, and a police and/or fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and diagnosed with a fuel line leak that caused the engine harness to come apart. The leaking fuel hose from the high-pressure fuel pump caused damage to the high-pressure pump, engine harness, vacuum transducer, and coolant feed line from the thermostat to the firewall. The following components needed replacement: high-pressure fuel pump, rubber fuel hose, engine harness, pressure transducer, and intake manifold. The vehicle was repaired. Five months later, the contact experienced another failure she believes was associated with the engine fire. While parked and attempting to start the vehicle, it did not start. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and diagnosed with a faulty starter that needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,422.

I am requesting that my 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB be added to the recall associated with high-voltage battery safety issues. My vehicle is exhibiting the same symptoms described in NHTSA Recall No. 26V073000, but my VIN is not currently included. I was instructed not to fully charge the vehicle and warned that it may pose a fire hazard if parked inside my garage. These warnings indicate a serious safety defect involving the high-voltage battery system. The vehicle cannot be safely stored at my residence, and its normal operation is substantially impaired. The safety risk is significant: the vehicle may overheat or catch fire during charging or while parked. This creates a danger to occupants, nearby structures, and the public. The problem has been acknowledged by the manufacturer in communications but no permanent repair is available. The symptoms and restrictions match those described in the existing recall. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate and determine whether my vehicle should be added to the affected VIN list, as it appears to suffer from the same high-voltage battery defect and presents the same safety hazards.

I manually opened the power lift gate of my 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450. While loading items into the rear of the SUV, the power lift gate closed autonomously and without warning, striking me on the right side of my face and neck. No hands-free gesture was made. Key fob was secured in my purse (in shopping cart) at a distance and was not activated.The lift gate did not detect my presence and did not stop or reverse. The impact resulted in localized swelling and tenderness to my face/jaw area.

Sudden complete engine failures occurred in my Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van during highway operation while transporting freight, creating a serious safety hazard due to immediate and total loss of engine power in active traffic conditions. The first engine failure occurred at approximately 303,000 miles. The second failure occurred at approximately 140,000 miles after engine replacement. In both cases, there were no prior warning signs, diagnostic alerts, abnormal noises, or performance issues before sudden and catastrophic engine shutdown. Both incidents occurred while I was operating the vehicle at highway speeds during commercial freight delivery. The engine failed without warning, resulting in immediate loss of propulsion while in traffic. On both occasions, I was forced to rapidly maneuver the disabled vehicle to the shoulder under reduced control and arrange emergency towing to safely remove the vehicle from the roadway and prevent a potential collision or injury. These failures created a significant highway safety risk due to the abrupt loss of power while merging, traveling in traffic flow, and operating at speed. A sudden engine shutdown in these conditions could result in a rear-end collision, loss of control, or multi-vehicle accident, particularly in high-speed or heavy traffic environments. The repeated nature of catastrophic engine failure following engine replacement raises concern about a potential underlying defect in the engine system, components, or related assemblies, or possible unresolved mechanical or installation-related issues. The recurrence of identical failure conditions under similar operating circumstances increases concern that this may not be an isolated incident. Vehicle Information: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter used for commercial freight delivery First engine failure: ~303,000 miles Second engine failure: ~140,000 miles (replacement engine) Failure type: Sudden, complete engine shutdown with no warning at highway speed

Tire size is 235/40 R20. Both front tires were extremely worn in an uneven way with 1 having metal showing. Discount Tire inspected the tires and stated that we were, "Lucky to be alive given how dangerous it is to drive on tires worn so badly with metal exposed." Discount Tire in Lafayette, IN inspected the tires. We ordered new tires that would take at least a day to be shipped. Wouldn't even let us leave their parking lot with the car in the condition it was in due to safety concerns. Luckily, we carry a spare, and were able to use that to get home. Michelin reviewed the warranty claim submitted by Discount Tire, and denied the claim due to improper servicing. No warning alerts. The main issue is that the vehicle was recently serviced by the Mercedes dealer in Lafayette, IN on 3-24-26. They collected the payment and handed my wife the key. They did not volunteer ANY issue of ANY kind. She questioned if they even checked the warning alert about the brakes. They stated that the brake pads were in the yellow, and needed to eventually be changed, but it could wait. Several days later, I was riding in the vehicle and noticed a loud road noise. Could not initially detect any damage to the outer/visible areas of the tires such as a nail. But the sound persisted. When we stopped again, I turned the steering wheel to expose the inner part of the tires. There was zero tread on the inside of the driver front tire with sharp metal exposes. Immediately took the car to Discount Tire. They confirmed it was an OBVIOUS alignment issue causing the uneven wear. Shocked Mercedes didn't fix the problem. Should have never given us the key back due to the high level of danger. Midas fixed the alignment $120. Both the dealer and MB USA hq were notified. Neither made any effort to make things right in over a month. Dealer clearly violated Indiana Code 9-19-18-3. The maker is not doing the proper quality control checks. Filing a small claims court case as well.

I have had my car for almost two years. This problem has been on-going the whole time. It happens intermittently, I never know. I will be driving it and usually when I am making a turn or pulling onto a main road, you press the gas to go and the car hesitates and makes a loud brooooooooom sound like it is trying to go or figure out what to do and if you are pulling out onto a main road with on comming traffic, this is dangerous. We have seen information that on the 2019 and 2018 GLC300's this has been documented, my car is a 2020 but it's the same thing. It's like the car hesitates and slows down when it should go!

An authorized dealer returned a vehicle with loose hardware in a moving mechanical track, posing a risk of mechanical failure or distraction while driving.

Restraint system malfunction service required light displayed on dashboard while driving. Vehicle was purchased January 10, 2026. Mercedes Benz E350 4 matic sedan. Safety concerns for operator and public.

I am filing this safety complaint regarding my 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300, VIN [XXX] , license plate [XXX] . My vehicle is currently affected by an active safety recall: NHTSA Recall 26V281 / Mercedes-Benz recall campaign 2025060014. The recall concerns the instrument cluster / infotainment control unit software. According to the recall information, the instrument cluster display may briefly interrupt, reset, remain blank, or otherwise fail to display important driving-related information, which can increase the risk of a crash. I attempted in good faith to resolve this issue through authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships, including Mercedes-Benz of [XXX] Downtown LA, Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills, and Mercedes-Benz / Calstar Motors in Glendale. However, the dealerships refused or failed to accept the vehicle for recall service, failed to provide a repair order, and/or failed to provide a clear written explanation or remedy timeline. This creates a serious safety and consumer problem. I am left with a vehicle that is subject to an active safety recall, but the authorized dealers are not providing a practical repair path. The vehicle’s use, value, and safety are materially affected. I also use the vehicle for car-sharing/business purposes, and an open safety recall prevents or restricts the vehicle from being used for that purpose. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and review Mercedes-Benz USA’s handling of this recall, including the lack of available remedy, the refusal or failure of authorized dealers to accept the vehicle for recall service, and the lack of clear written guidance to the consumer. I am also requesting that Mercedes-Benz USA provide an immediate remedy, written safety instructions, a repair timeline, and appropriate accommodation, replacement, or repurchase review if the recall cannot be corrected within a reasonable time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

In multiple incidents, the tailgate has begun to close while I am loading or unloading items from the trunk, hitting me in the head. My natural reaction is to lift up, causing injury to my neck. The dealer unsuccessfully "fixed" the problem. Additionally, and unrelated to the closing problem, on multiple occasions, upon pushing the close button on the tailgate when it was in an open position, the tailgate reaches the floor of the trunk, then without locking, opens about one (1) foot. The dealer "could not duplicate" the problem. I have to manually close the tailgate. You ask when did this happen, the latest incident is the date reported below, but the two issues/problems have reoccurred time and time again since we bought the vehicle new.