MERCEDES-BENZ C204 · model year

2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C204

3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011MERCEDES-BENZC204 carries 3 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, 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 2011 C204 is engine with 1 filings, followed by steering (1) and electrical system (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 2011 C204. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
ENGINE1
STEERING1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20200228ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 MY VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTING IN ORDER TO TAKE ME HOME AT 9:40 PM. DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE ESL IN THE STEERING COLUMN I AM NOW FORCED TO WAIT HERE UNTIL A TOW TRUCK COMES. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS LOCATION AND WISH MY VEHICLE WOULD START KNOWING THAT IT HAS THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE AT THE BATTERY.

Mileage: 105,000

20191220ENGINE

THE ESL STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTIONED. THIS CAUSES THE CAR NOT TO START. I HAD THE AIRBAGS REPLACED DUE TO RECALL ABOUT 3 WEEK SALES EARLIER. THE CAR WAS WORKING PROPERLY THE DAY BEFORE AND THE NEXT MORNING THE CAR WON'T START AND A MESSAGE COMES UP ABOUT REMOVING THE KEY.

Mileage: 6,000

20191220STEERING

THE ESL STEERING LOCK MALFUNCTIONED. THIS CAUSES THE CAR NOT TO START. I HAD THE AIRBAGS REPLACED DUE TO RECALL ABOUT 3 WEEK SALES EARLIER. THE CAR WAS WORKING PROPERLY THE DAY BEFORE AND THE NEXT MORNING THE CAR WON'T START AND A MESSAGE COMES UP ABOUT REMOVING THE KEY.

Mileage: 6,000

Compare 2011MERCEDES-BENZC204 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C204 have?
The 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C204 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C204?
The most-complained component for the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C204 is ENGINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C204 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.