MERCEDES-BENZ C176 · model year

2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C176

1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012MERCEDES-BENZC176 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 2012 C176 is air bags 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 2012 C176. 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
AIR BAGS1

Recent Complaints

20200210AIR BAGS

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 17V017000 (AIR BAGS) WAS RECEIVED. AFTER CONTACTING THE LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES BENZ OF CATONSVILLE (6631 BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE, CATONSVILLE MD) AND THE MANUFACTURER THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE STILL NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Compare 2012MERCEDES-BENZC176 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C176 have?
The 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C176 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C176?
The most-complained component for the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C176 is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ C176 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.