MERCEDES-BENZ C240 · model year

2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240

11 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001MERCEDES-BENZC240 carries 11 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, 2 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 2001 C240 is electronic stability control (esc) with 2 filings, followed by engine (2) and visibility (2). 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 2001 C240. 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.

11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

11 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
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
ENGINE2
VISIBILITY2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
AIR BAGS1
SUSPENSION1
STRUCTURE:BODY1

Recent Complaints

20230517VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2001 Mercedes-Benz C240. The contact stated that he was made aware of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 191V18000 (Visibility) after the vehicle was taken through inspection. Additionally, the contact stated that the sliding roof failed to close as designed. As a result, the contact had to remotely open and close the sliding sunroof repeatedly until properly closed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was denied the recall repair however, the contact stated that the vehicle had not been inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage 140,000.

Mileage: 140,000

20210308STRUCTURE:BODY

THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF ON MY 2001 MERCEDES BENZ C240 SHATTERED OR EXPLODED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT A HIGHWAY SPEED OF 55 MPH. IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT AND THE GLASS WAS SHATTERED OVER THE PASSENGER AND REAR SEATS. NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THOSE SEATS FORTUNATELY. MERCEDES DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL OR WARRANTY FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE TO DATE. I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET $1500.

Mileage: 87,400

20200616VISIBILITY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V918000 (VISIBILITY) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *BF CONSUMER STATED WHENEVER SUNROOF IS OPEN NOISE COULD BE HEARD.*JB

20190331ENGINE

MY 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 ENGINE COOLING OR SUCTION FAN RUNS CONSTANTLY AT HIGH SPEED NONSTOP AT STARTUP UNTIL VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT / MODULE (ECU / ECM) OR COOLING / SUCTION FAN WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I REPLACED THE ECU 5 TIMES AND THE COOLING / SUCTION FAN ONCE RELYING ON DEALER'S DIAGNOSES. MY C240 WOULD WORK FOR A WHILE BUT THE FAN WOULD MALFUNCTION AGAIN RUNNING CONSTANTLY AT HIGH SPEED. I NOTIFIED MERCEDES BENZ USA OF MULTIPLE FAN MALFUNCTIONS AND THE DEALER'S INABILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD TO FIND ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IF PROBLEM REOCCURRED. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED 4 MONTHS LATER WHICH I TOOK C240 TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THIS OTHER DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECU WAS BAD AND FOUND A 2004 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) P-B-20.40/26A THAT ADDRESSES THE SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. TSB STATES PROBLEM MAY BE CAUSED BY THE WIRING HARNESS BETWEEN THE ECU AND ENGINE F

20180109AIR BAGS

IN DECEMBER 2017, I WAS DRIVING ALONG A CITY STREET WHEN THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIRBAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. MY CAR WAS WELL-MAINTAINED, WITH MILEAGE OF 28,520. IT APPEARS THE SUSPENSION (LOWER BALL JOINT) ON THE RIGHT SIDE FAILED, CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE TO BLOW OUT AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AS WELL. THERE WAS NO COLLISION, YET THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH AN EXTREMELY LOUD BANG THAT SERIOUSLY DAMAGED MY HEARING, PERHAPS PERMANENTLY. AN ONLINE SEARCH INDICATES THAT MERCEDES HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS DEPLOYING UNNECESSARILY, BUT I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF A RECALL.*JS

Mileage: 28,520

20180109SUSPENSION

IN DECEMBER 2017, I WAS DRIVING ALONG A CITY STREET WHEN THE DRIVER'S FRONT AIRBAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED. MY CAR WAS WELL-MAINTAINED, WITH MILEAGE OF 28,520. IT APPEARS THE SUSPENSION (LOWER BALL JOINT) ON THE RIGHT SIDE FAILED, CAUSING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE TO BLOW OUT AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE AS WELL. THERE WAS NO COLLISION, YET THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH AN EXTREMELY LOUD BANG THAT SERIOUSLY DAMAGED MY HEARING, PERHAPS PERMANENTLY. AN ONLINE SEARCH INDICATES THAT MERCEDES HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS DEPLOYING UNNECESSARILY, BUT I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF A RECALL.*JS

Mileage: 28,520

20170714ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

ESP LIGHT, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FADING, ACCELERATION SENSOR AND MULTIPLE LEAKS IN THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AXEL SEAL, SPARK PLUGS VALVE LEAKS, OIL LEAKS, TRANS BELL. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN ESP LIGHT THAT TURNS ON ONCE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, A BURNING SMELL THAT COMES THROUGH THE CAR. MULTIPLE LEAKS DISCOVERED AND THE CLUSTER LIGHTING ALSO FADES OUT ONCE THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE MAKING THE READINGS UNREADABLE. BENZEL AND BUSCH GENERATED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT DISCOVERED MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. MBUSA WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE ESP LIGHT, THE FADING OF THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE MULTIPLE LEAKS FOR A CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 55K AND HAS HAD ALL PROPER MAINTENANCE DONE. THEY REFUSED TO CONSIDER ALTHOUGH OTHER VEHICLES SAME YEAR AND MODEL HAD HAD RECALLS FOR SOME OF THESE ITEMS.

Mileage: 1

20170714ENGINE

ESP LIGHT, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FADING, ACCELERATION SENSOR AND MULTIPLE LEAKS IN THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AXEL SEAL, SPARK PLUGS VALVE LEAKS, OIL LEAKS, TRANS BELL. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN ESP LIGHT THAT TURNS ON ONCE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, A BURNING SMELL THAT COMES THROUGH THE CAR. MULTIPLE LEAKS DISCOVERED AND THE CLUSTER LIGHTING ALSO FADES OUT ONCE THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE MAKING THE READINGS UNREADABLE. BENZEL AND BUSCH GENERATED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT DISCOVERED MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. MBUSA WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE ESP LIGHT, THE FADING OF THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE MULTIPLE LEAKS FOR A CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 55K AND HAS HAD ALL PROPER MAINTENANCE DONE. THEY REFUSED TO CONSIDER ALTHOUGH OTHER VEHICLES SAME YEAR AND MODEL HAD HAD RECALLS FOR SOME OF THESE ITEMS.

Mileage: 1

20170714EXTERIOR LIGHTING

ESP LIGHT, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FADING, ACCELERATION SENSOR AND MULTIPLE LEAKS IN THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AXEL SEAL, SPARK PLUGS VALVE LEAKS, OIL LEAKS, TRANS BELL. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN ESP LIGHT THAT TURNS ON ONCE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, A BURNING SMELL THAT COMES THROUGH THE CAR. MULTIPLE LEAKS DISCOVERED AND THE CLUSTER LIGHTING ALSO FADES OUT ONCE THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE MAKING THE READINGS UNREADABLE. BENZEL AND BUSCH GENERATED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT DISCOVERED MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. MBUSA WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE ESP LIGHT, THE FADING OF THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE MULTIPLE LEAKS FOR A CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 55K AND HAS HAD ALL PROPER MAINTENANCE DONE. THEY REFUSED TO CONSIDER ALTHOUGH OTHER VEHICLES SAME YEAR AND MODEL HAD HAD RECALLS FOR SOME OF THESE ITEMS.

Mileage: 1

20160408ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THEN VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SLAMS ON BRAKES (SOMETIMES ALL 4 WHEELS, SOMETIMES ONLY 1 WHEEL--WHICH CAUSES VEHICLE TO YAW). AT FIRST, THIS PROBLEM WOULD ONLY OCCUR AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 40 MINUTES. NOW IT CAN HAPPEN UP TO 3 MINUTES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. ON 1 OCCASION SYSTEM CAUSED THE WHEELS TO SKID FOR ABOUT ONE SECOND, WHICH MADE ME LOSE TRACTION. PROBLEM HAPPENS ONLY WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. INDEPENDENT OF WHETHER ON HIGHWAY OR IN A TURN.

Mileage: 107,000

20141112ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ C 240. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ESP CONTROL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

Mileage: 170,000

Compare 2001MERCEDES-BENZC240 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 have?
The 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240?
The most-complained component for the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 is ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and VISIBILITY.
Is the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 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.