MERCEDES-BENZ C230 · model year

2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230

44 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000MERCEDES-BENZC230 carries 44 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 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 2000 C230 is electrical system with 7 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (5) and electrical system: instrument cluster/panel (4). 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 2000 C230. 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.

44
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

44 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL4
POWER TRAIN2
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER2
AIR BAGS2
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW2
SUSPENSION2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1

Recent Complaints

20160510SUSPENSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ C230 N/A. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPRING COIL HAD FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 290,000. UPDATED 06/30/16 *BF UPDATED 08/17/16*LJ *CN

Mileage: 290,000

20130411ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO READ MY MILEAGE FOR MANY YEARS NOW. I HAVE A 2000 C230. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE CLUSTER HAD TO BE REPLACED @ AROUND $1000.00. FOUND THIS TO BE UNACCEPTABLE SINCE THE CAR AT THE TIME WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. IT'S A SHAME MERCEDES BENZ DOESN'T RECALL THIS PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

20120124SUSPENSION

DRIVING TO WORK AT 3:45 A.M. (EASTERN TIME) MY CAR FELT LIKE IT HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD I PULLED OVER TO EXAMIN THE VEHICLE. I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING UNTIL I GOT TO WORK WHEN IT WAS MORE LIGHT OUT. I REMOVED THE WHEEL AND FOUND THE COIL SPRING TOWER HAD RIPPED ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF???? I NOTICED RUST AND NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE LESS THE SHOCK THAT GO HIT BY THE SPRING. THIS HAS TO BE A RECALL OR SOME MANUFACTURE TSB. THE CAR IS SUPER CLEAN HAS 157,000 ON THE CLOCK. I INSPECTED THE OTHER WHEELS THEY APPEAR OK IT'S THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT. *TR

20110919AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES C230. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND INJURED THE PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 210,000.

Mileage: 210,000

20110318ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOMETER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE A CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT WOULD COST $800 TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE ODOMETER. UPDATED 10/07/11

Mileage: 80,000

20110318ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOMETER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE A CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER IT WOULD COST $800 TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE ODOMETER. UPDATED 10/07/11

Mileage: 80,000

20110307ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES C230. THE CONTACT STATED THE ODOMETER FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE GAUGE CLUSTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

Mileage: 88,000

20110131POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

2000 C230K MERCEDES. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION AND EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION WITH DEALER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE TRANSMISSION PAN WAS DISTORTED AND BENT. ALSO, THE LOW BEAM LIGHT WAS OUT ON THE DASHBOARD.

20110131ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

2000 C230K MERCEDES. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION AND EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION WITH DEALER *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE TRANSMISSION PAN WAS DISTORTED AND BENT. ALSO, THE LOW BEAM LIGHT WAS OUT ON THE DASHBOARD.

20100715ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR STATE INSPECTION AND DID NOT PASS DUE TO THE ODOMETER BEING INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL THE FAILURE AND WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,663.

Mileage: 80,663

20100715POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR STATE INSPECTION AND DID NOT PASS DUE TO THE ODOMETER BEING INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL THE FAILURE AND WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,663.

Mileage: 80,663

20100615VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ C230. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT LIQUID HAD SPILLED INTO THE GEAR SHIFT. SECONDS LATER, THE WINDOW CONTROL BUTTONS NO LONGER FUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE WINDOW SWITCH COMPONENT WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000.

Mileage: 75,000

20100208ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON ANY OTHER STREET MY MERCEDES BENZ C230 ENGAGES THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE BY ITSELF CAUSING THE CAR TO VEER SHARPLY TO THE LEFT FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS. MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. DEALER STATES THAT THE ISSUE IS A FAULTY YAW RATE SENSOR AND CHARGES OVER $1,000 TO REPAIR BUT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION TO SERIOUSLY INJURE SOMEONE OR EVEN WORSE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS EVENT IN MORE DETAIL, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A OCCURENCE WITH MB OCCURING IN SERVAL VEHICHLES OVER THE YEARS. THIS MUST BE RECALL EM

Mileage: 127,000

20090824POWER TRAIN

2000 MERCEDES C230 DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED 4 TIMES ON THIS CAR, AND THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THIS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS COLLISION, AS DRIVERS BEHIND ARE NOT AWARE THAT I'M SLOWING DOWN/STOPPING. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WHEN THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED, IT WAS ALSO NOT POSSIBLE TO SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. DURING THE LAST FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION WORKED OK. *TR

Mileage: 137,000

20090824EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

2000 MERCEDES C230 DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED 4 TIMES ON THIS CAR, AND THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THIS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS COLLISION, AS DRIVERS BEHIND ARE NOT AWARE THAT I'M SLOWING DOWN/STOPPING. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WHEN THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED, IT WAS ALSO NOT POSSIBLE TO SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. DURING THE LAST FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION WORKED OK. *TR

Mileage: 137,000

20090218LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LID SPRINGS FAILED IN THE CLOSED TRUNK LID POSITION. IF THE TRUNK LID IS MANUALLY LIFTED, IT MAY NOT REMAIN IN THE UP POSITION AND COULD INJURE SOMEONE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HINGE SPRING BRACKET AND ASSOCIATED SPRINGS. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $829.17. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V285000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK:LID:LOCK). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

Mileage: 35,000

20090123ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PIXELS WENT OUT ON ODOMETER FOR MY CAR WHICH SEEMS TO HAPPEN WITH ALL MERCEDES. 1. PIXELS STARTED TO GO OUT OVER THE MONTHS. 2. 3 YEARS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. 3. REPLACED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER $1,000. *TR

Mileage: 70,000

20070306ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

TL -THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING A 2000 MERCEDES C230. THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN AND THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. KB

Mileage: 100,000

20060908POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

2000 KOMPRESSOR C230 WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. UPON INSPECTION MECHANIC CHANGED THE SHIFTER. *KB

Mileage: 66,138

20060827ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FAILURE OF THE TURN SIGNALS, WIPERS AND POWER WINDOWS AND THE LOCK SYSTEM THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE EIS SYSTEM OR THE KEY SYSTEM. THIS CAUSED A SAFETY HAZARD OF WHICH NO CONTROL OF ABOVE SYSTEMS. THE CAR WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP 7 DAYS TO THE TUNE OF OVER $800.00 . *JB

Compare 2000MERCEDES-BENZC230 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 have?
The 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 has 44 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230?
The most-complained component for the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL.
Is the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 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.