Total Complaints
5 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS · model year
1997 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997MERCEDES-BENZC-CLASS carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 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 1997 C-CLASS is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 1 filings, followed by suspension:front (1) and vehicle speed control (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 1997 C-CLASS. 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120512FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEEDS. ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR BEGAN BACKFIRING AND SPEED DROPPED FROM 65 MPH TO 30 MPH. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND BEGAN TO BACKFIRE MORE. TEMP WENT UP AND CAR STARTED SMOKING. PULLED OVER TO CHECK ON CAR AND IT NEVER RESTARTED AGAIN. CONTACTED MB ASSIST AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A JUMP WITH THICK GAUGE CABLES AND THEY COULD SEND A TECH BUT THE CHARGES WOULD BE AT MINIMUM $100. ITS BEEN OVER A WEEK AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. I'VE PUT BATTERIES IN FOB (THEY NEVER HAD ANY BEFORE) , CHARGED CAR BATTERY , CHECKED ALL FUSES, JUMPED CAR BATTERY AND NOW AM BEING GIVEN A P1570 IMMOBILIZER CODE . THE CAR ALARM HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED. . THIS CAR IS MAKING ABSOLUTE NO SENSE WITH THE ERRORS AND NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT NEARLY CAUGHT FIRE AND WONT START NOW... *TR
Mileage: 249,800
20120512FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEEDS. ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR BEGAN BACKFIRING AND SPEED DROPPED FROM 65 MPH TO 30 MPH. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND BEGAN TO BACKFIRE MORE. TEMP WENT UP AND CAR STARTED SMOKING. PULLED OVER TO CHECK ON CAR AND IT NEVER RESTARTED AGAIN. CONTACTED MB ASSIST AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A JUMP WITH THICK GAUGE CABLES AND THEY COULD SEND A TECH BUT THE CHARGES WOULD BE AT MINIMUM $100. ITS BEEN OVER A WEEK AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. I'VE PUT BATTERIES IN FOB (THEY NEVER HAD ANY BEFORE) , CHARGED CAR BATTERY , CHECKED ALL FUSES, JUMPED CAR BATTERY AND NOW AM BEING GIVEN A P1570 IMMOBILIZER CODE . THE CAR ALARM HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED. . THIS CAR IS MAKING ABSOLUTE NO SENSE WITH THE ERRORS AND NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT NEARLY CAUGHT FIRE AND WONT START NOW... *TR
Mileage: 249,800
20120512FireFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
WAS DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEEDS. ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR BEGAN BACKFIRING AND SPEED DROPPED FROM 65 MPH TO 30 MPH. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND BEGAN TO BACKFIRE MORE. TEMP WENT UP AND CAR STARTED SMOKING. PULLED OVER TO CHECK ON CAR AND IT NEVER RESTARTED AGAIN. CONTACTED MB ASSIST AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A JUMP WITH THICK GAUGE CABLES AND THEY COULD SEND A TECH BUT THE CHARGES WOULD BE AT MINIMUM $100. ITS BEEN OVER A WEEK AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. I'VE PUT BATTERIES IN FOB (THEY NEVER HAD ANY BEFORE) , CHARGED CAR BATTERY , CHECKED ALL FUSES, JUMPED CAR BATTERY AND NOW AM BEING GIVEN A P1570 IMMOBILIZER CODE . THE CAR ALARM HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED. . THIS CAR IS MAKING ABSOLUTE NO SENSE WITH THE ERRORS AND NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT NEARLY CAUGHT FIRE AND WONT START NOW... *TR
Mileage: 249,800
20100209SUSPENSION:FRONT
MY MERCEDES 1997 C-280, PURCHASED FROM THE MERCEDES DEALER, HAS EXHIBITED SEVERAL INHERENT DESIGN ISSUES. THE ISSUE THAT IS THE GREATEST SAFETY ISSUE IS THE CONSTANT DETERIORATION/DESTRUCTION UNDER NORMAL USE OF THE UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS, EVERY 50,000 MILES OR SO, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL FOR ANY MODERN CAR. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A CAR AT THAT FREQUENCY (AT $1000/ REPAIR), AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL FAIL. MOST PEOPLE EVENTUALLY GIVE UP. WHEN THESE BUSHINGS SUDDENLY FAIL, THE STEERING AND BRAKING ARE AFFECTED. IT IS ESPECIALLY NOTICED IN SHARP TURNING SITUATIONS, SUCH AS PARKING AND EMERGENCY ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS. PARTIAL CONTROL OF THE STEERING IS LOST AND WHEN THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ARE APPLIED IT BECOMES SEVERELY ERRATIC. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND MERCEDES BENZ USA AND BOTH HAVE DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT MUST BE EITHER A DESIGN FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT OR SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR THAT I HAVE, PURCHASED USED AS A 'STAR MARK' CAR FROM THE DEA
Mileage: 144,431
20020305ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL POWER. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER 80000 MILES. *AK *TS
Mileage: 80,000
Compare 1997MERCEDES-BENZC-CLASS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS have?▼
The 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 1997 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS 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.