MERCEDES-BENZ 203 · model year

2002 MERCEDES-BENZ 203

1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002MERCEDES-BENZ203 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 203 is seats with 1 filings. Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2002 203. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

1 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEATS1

Recent Complaints

20080822SEATS

SEAT CONTROL MODULES ARE STAYING POWERED WITH THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION IN 2001-2003 MERCEDES BENZ C320'S. IN REVIEWING OTHER OWNER COMPLAINTS ON BENZWORLD.ORG, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DIE AND THE DRIVER TO BE STRANDED (AND POTENTIALLY WORSE PROBLEMS). MERCEDES CALABASAS CHARGED ME APPROXIMATELY $1200 TO REPLACE BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SEAT CONTROL MODULE AND APPROXIMATELY $175 TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

Compare 2002MERCEDES-BENZ203 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ 203 have?
The 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ 203 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ 203?
The most-complained component for the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ 203 is SEATS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ 203 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.