Total Complaints
7 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ 230 · model year
2004 MERCEDES-BENZ 230
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004MERCEDES-BENZ230 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 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 2004 230 is air bags:side/window with 1 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (1) and power train:automatic transmission (1). 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 2004 230. 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.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120603ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. REPAIR DONE TO FIX ISSUE FOUND AS STATED BY MERCEDES PARK PLACE TECH IN DALLAS TX - 'FOUND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE SENDING INCORRECT SIGNALS DUE TO OIL DAMAGE. ALSO FOUND AIR INTAKE TEMP SENSOR WITH OIL DAMAGE. NECESSARY TO REPLACE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND INTAKE TEMP SENSOR. REPLACED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS AND BOTH O2 SENSORS. THE TOTAL CHARGE WAS $3432.12. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM DUE TO MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT HAD SUBSEQUENT RECALL 2009100001. THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY CAR ON 7/25/2011. BY THIS TIME I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIR AND THEREFORE NO ISSUE WAS FOUND OR REPAIR REQUIRED.. I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD BE REFUNDED FOR THE THIS REPAIR SINCE IT WAS A RECALL. *TR
Mileage: 86,314
20120227ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY TODAY 2/27/1980 WHEN MY 2004 MERCEDES 230 WENT FROM 65 TO 35MPH ALMOST WAS KILLED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME!!!! LOOKED ONLINE TODAY TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WELL I WENT TO ONE SITE OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THEIR IS ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY BY MY OWN CAR!!!!! 2/27/1980 130PM THIS HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY NOW IAM HAVING IT TOWED AND REPAIRED AND I HAVE SORE NECK ALSO. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE. I SEE ONE SITE ALONE HAD OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR IS CLASSACTION LAWSUIT ALREADY PENDING FROM OCT 2010 ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY AND INJURED MY NECK!!!!!!! PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS THEIR HAD TO BE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME KILLED TODAY AND OTHERS INJURED 65-70 MPH TO 35 MPH IN A SECOND ON THE HIGHWAY ISN'T SAFE. *TR
Mileage: 124,000
20120227POWER TRAIN
WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY TODAY 2/27/1980 WHEN MY 2004 MERCEDES 230 WENT FROM 65 TO 35MPH ALMOST WAS KILLED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME!!!! LOOKED ONLINE TODAY TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WELL I WENT TO ONE SITE OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THEIR IS ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY BY MY OWN CAR!!!!! 2/27/1980 130PM THIS HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY NOW IAM HAVING IT TOWED AND REPAIRED AND I HAVE SORE NECK ALSO. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE. I SEE ONE SITE ALONE HAD OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR IS CLASSACTION LAWSUIT ALREADY PENDING FROM OCT 2010 ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY AND INJURED MY NECK!!!!!!! PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS THEIR HAD TO BE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME KILLED TODAY AND OTHERS INJURED 65-70 MPH TO 35 MPH IN A SECOND ON THE HIGHWAY ISN'T SAFE. *TR
Mileage: 124,000
20070205ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
TL*- CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HER 2004 MERCEDES BENZ C230 THERE WERE EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF FROM AN UNKNOWN AREA. THE FUMES CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HAVE A HEADACHE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AT 25,000 MILES ,AND SHE WANTED THE DEALER TO CHANGE THE AIR RECIRCULATION, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T CHANGE IT DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THE DEALER BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
Mileage: 26,555
20051205POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
DT; THE CONTACT STATED TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. ON THREE OCCASIONS THE CAR REVVED WITHOUT GEARING DOWN BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. ON ALL OCCASIONS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 24,705
20050609EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
DT: CONTACT STATES THERE IS A CHEMICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER BOX TWICE AFTER A WEEK THE ODOR RETURNED. THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAPPENED THE SERVICE DEALER FINALLY STATED IT WAS CORROSION IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE PADDING UNDERNEATH THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS REPLACED.*AK *SB *NM
20050510CrashAIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
DT: THE CONTACT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT LIKE IN THE CENTER OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS, AND NEITHER ONE OF THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HE SAID THE VEHICLE WAS HIT PRETTY HARD AND THEY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THE AIR BAGS COULD DEPLOY IF HIT IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS, AND THAT MAYBE WAS THE REASON WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER SAID PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, AND THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. ALSO, MANUFACTURER SAID THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE AIR BAGS MESSED UP, AND THEY WERE GOING TO DO AN INVESTIGATION. THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE SINCE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
Compare 2004MERCEDES-BENZ230 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ 230 have?▼
The 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ 230 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ 230?▼
The most-complained component for the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ 230 is AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ 230 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.