Total Complaints
12 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS · model year
12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2006MERCEDES-BENZC-CLASS carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2006 C-CLASS is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by exterior lighting:headlights (1) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (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 2006 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.
Total Complaints
12 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
BATTERY WENT DEAD ON OUR 2006 C320 MERCEDES THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE CAR WAS RESTARTED AND THE DEALER CLLAIMS THE BAG CAN DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNIG IF NOT REPAIRED THE CAR ONLY HAS 36000 MILES THEY REFUSED TO FIX PROBLEM WIYH OUY BEING PAID BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS 30 DAYS OUT OF WARRANTY.
Mileage: 36,000
HIGHWAY CRUISING AT STEADY STATE SPEED, APROX 65 MPH. RIGHT FRONT TIRE FAILURE. CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED. PULLED OFF TO SHOULDER AND REPLACED TIRE WITH SPARE. TIRE IS BEING REPLACED. DAMAGED TIRE IS AVAILABLE. *JB
Mileage: 11,025
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE WEARING SUNGLASSES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS NOT READABLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. UPDATED 09/15/06. *JB
Mileage: 1,500
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE WEARING SUNGLASSES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS NOT READABLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. UPDATED 09/15/06. *JB
Mileage: 1,500
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE BRAKE PEDAL SHAKES WHILE DEPRESSED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.
Mileage: 9,000
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE BRAKE PEDAL SHAKES WHILE DEPRESSED. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.
Mileage: 9,000
THE MERCEDES CLK350 VIN [XXX]- THE PASSENGER SEAT AND DRIVER SEAT WHEN RELEASED TO ALLOW A REAR PASSENGER OUT OF THE CAR CAUSES THE HEAD REST TO AUTOMATICALLY DESCEND AND CAN TRAP THE REAR OCCUPANTS HAND IN PLACE AS IT DID WITH A 10 YEAR CHILD IN MY CAR. THE CONTROL TO RAISE THE HEADREST IS DISABLED WHEN THE SEAT IS IN THIS POSITION THEREBY NOT ALLOWING ANY METHOD TO RELEASE THE TRAPPED HAND. I SPOKE WITH MERCEDES THIS MORNING AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS HOW IT IS DESIGNED AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT BUT WOULD TELL THEIR ENGINEERS. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE EVERYONE NEEDS TO USE THE FRONT SEAT TO ASSIST THEMSELVES WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Mileage: 3,800
I BOUGHT A NEW 2006 C230 ON 2/27/2006 . I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT AND AFTER 10-15 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE TIRE ON DRIVER REAR SIDE WAS SHREDDED. I REPLACED THIS TIRE WITH THE SPARE TIRE. AFTER ALL REMAINING TIRES WERE CHECKED THAT WERE GOOD TO DRIVE...I DROVE ANOTHER 15-20 MINS AND DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE SHREDDED. AT THIS TIME I HAD TO CALL AAA AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN BEVERLY HILLS. THIS DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS SOMETHING HAD IMPACTED THE WHEELS OF THE CAR AND THAT SHREDDED THE TIRES. I ALSO LOOKED AT THE WHEELS MYSELF AND I DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE WHEELS WHERE THEY WERE POINTING TO SAYING THERE IS SLIGHT RAISED OR INDENTATION . THEY TOLD ME MERCEDES WILL NOT COVER FOR THE WARRANTY OF THE TIRES AND WHEELS. I FEEL THAT I DID NOT DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR TO CAUSE THIS DAMAGE AND I SHOULD NOT BE AT FAULT FOR THIS AND THAT THE MERCEDES COMPANY SHOULD COVER THIS COST AND REIMBURSE THE COST OF
I BOUGHT A NEW 2006 C230 ON 2/27/2006 . I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR ON THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT AND AFTER 10-15 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE TIRE ON DRIVER REAR SIDE WAS SHREDDED. I REPLACED THIS TIRE WITH THE SPARE TIRE. AFTER ALL REMAINING TIRES WERE CHECKED THAT WERE GOOD TO DRIVE...I DROVE ANOTHER 15-20 MINS AND DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE SHREDDED. AT THIS TIME I HAD TO CALL AAA AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN BEVERLY HILLS. THIS DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS SOMETHING HAD IMPACTED THE WHEELS OF THE CAR AND THAT SHREDDED THE TIRES. I ALSO LOOKED AT THE WHEELS MYSELF AND I DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE WHEELS WHERE THEY WERE POINTING TO SAYING THERE IS SLIGHT RAISED OR INDENTATION . THEY TOLD ME MERCEDES WILL NOT COVER FOR THE WARRANTY OF THE TIRES AND WHEELS. I FEEL THAT I DID NOT DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR TO CAUSE THIS DAMAGE AND I SHOULD NOT BE AT FAULT FOR THIS AND THAT THE MERCEDES COMPANY SHOULD COVER THIS COST AND REIMBURSE THE COST OF
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE LURCHED CONTINUOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH. THERE WAS ALSO A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTED GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN BACK TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE.
Mileage: 5,100
MANY NEWER CARS ARE EQUIPPED WITH BLINDING, BLUE-GREEN, HEADLIGHTS THAT ARE A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD BE PROHIBITED. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBLEMS. FIRST, WHEN SEEN FROM ANY ANGLE, THESE HEADLIGHTS ARE HIGHLY DISTRACTING, IN THAT THEY DRAW ONES EYES FROM THE ROAD AHEAD AND ON EITHER SIDE; THE REASON THAT THEY ARE DISTRACTING IS THAT THEY ARE OF A NOTABLY DIFFERENT COLOR AND ARE MUCH BRIGHTER THAN THE TRADITIONAL INCANDESCENT LIGHTS. SECOND, WHEN VIEWED FROM ANY ANGLE, THE LIGHT "FLARES" ABOUT ONES EYES, FORMING SPIKES THAT RADIATE OUTWARDS FROM THE LIGHT ITSELF, THEREBY OBSCURING ONE'S VIEW OF THINGS ABOVE, BELOW AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LIGHT ITSELF. THIRD, WHEN VIEWED FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THE LIGHTS ARE OFTEN BLINDING, DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE ROAD IS FLAT OR HILLY, THE RESULT BEING TO OBSCURE ALMOST EVERYTHING AHEAD, ABOUT THE SAME AS TRADITIONAL INCANDESCENT LIGHTS ON "HIGH"BEAM. FOURTH, WHEN VIEWED FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON ROADWAYS THAT ARE NOT PERFECTLY LEVEL,
THE TRANSMISSION OF MY NEW CAR, 2006 MBZ C280, HAS FAILED THREE TIMES. THE CAR GOES INTO A FALSE NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AND THEN EVENTUALLY FALLS INTO GEAR. AFTER THIS EPISODE, THE CAR CONTINUES TO DRIVE IN A LOW GEAR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED: 1. REPLACING THE VALVE BODY ON THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION AND UPLOADING THE NEW SOFTWARE 2. REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION WITH A COMPLETELY NEW TRANSMISSION FROM THE DEALERSHIP 3. REPLACING THE VALVE BODY OF THE NEW TRANSMISSION. *JB
Mileage: 3,500
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.