Total Complaints
584 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ C300 · model year
584 NHTSA complaints, 20 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011MERCEDES-BENZC300 carries 584 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 20 crashes, 6 fires, 22 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 C300 is air bags with 250 filings, followed by suspension (57) and electrical system (43). 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 C300. 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
584 filings
Crashes Reported
20 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 250 |
| SUSPENSION | 57 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 43 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 37 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 34 |
| STEERING | 34 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 33 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 19 |
| ENGINE | 10 |
| POWER TRAIN | 9 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 9 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 9 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 6 |
| SEATS | 4 |
| STRUCTURE | 4 |
Rear brakes backing plates rotted prematurely despite garage kept and well maintained status. While driving, noticed loud scraping and grinding noises from the rear left wheel. Took to mechanic and he found severe rust, with deep corrosion and flaking "rotted". He said I was lucky because this was very close to causing the entire brake assembly to fail, which would lead to serious braking problems or "locked out wheel" and loss of control on a highway which would have put me and others at risk. Had similar rust issues with this car that were fixed in the recent past including rusted brake lines and rusted rear subframe. There is definitely something wrong with the manufacturing as the rear subframe had been recalled and got it fixed that way less than a year ago.
Rear brakes backing plates rotted prematurely despite garage kept and well maintained status. While driving, noticed loud scraping and grinding noises from the rear left wheel. Took to mechanic and he found severe rust, with deep corrosion and flaking "rotted". He said I was lucky because this was very close to causing the entire brake assembly to fail, which would lead to serious braking problems or "locked out wheel" and loss of control on a highway which would have put me and others at risk. Had similar rust issues with this car that were fixed in the recent past including rusted brake lines and rusted rear subframe. There is definitely something wrong with the manufacturing as the rear subframe had been recalled and got it fixed that way less than a year ago.
Car was Off and parked when brake line failed. Further inspection was able to identify that brake pipes was slowly corroded thought entire lower part of the brake system causing critical failure of brakes. Extreme safety issue due to the material of metal/coating and position of brake pipping. If operator was not observant, operator/driver would not have any braking and could cause harm.
The driverâs side door handle broke and I was unable to leave the car unless it was unlocked and rolled the window down to open it from the outside through the window. If there was a loss of power and you pulled on the latch and it broke you would be delayed in exiting. There are multiple videos on after market parts to repair the plastic pin that breaks. Tesla seems to be recalling their vehicles for a similar problem recently, why not Mercedes for a known problem????
The electronic steering wheel lock went out causing the car to not start. Upon checking the Internet to see if anyone else was having this problem I found that it was a problem many Mercedes Benz owners have had and it's an expensive one. It's not just with my particular model and it's not limited to older models of the brand either.
The electronic steering wheel lock went out causing the car to not start. Upon checking the Internet to see if anyone else was having this problem I found that it was a problem many Mercedes Benz owners have had and it's an expensive one. It's not just with my particular model and it's not limited to older models of the brand either.
The electronic steering wheel lock went out causing the car to not start. Upon checking the Internet to see if anyone else was having this problem I found that it was a problem many Mercedes Benz owners have had and it's an expensive one. It's not just with my particular model and it's not limited to older models of the brand either.
I drove vehicle to Publix with no problems. When i tried to start vehicle, key turns but car does not start. There is no cranking sound. I called a mechanic friend and after extensive diagnosis he determined it was the ESL Module which controls the steering. Fortunately i was not driving the vehicle when the ESL Module failed. There is a recall on Mercedes Benz c300 from 2012-2017 for the ESL Module problems but the 2011 is not included. It should be recalled since it is a safety hazard and it appears others have had similar problems according to comments on Google. I have a handicapped wife i take care of and having issues with the steering can cause accidents and injuries. There were no messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. There needs to be a recall or further inspection done on the 2011 Mercedes Benz c300. Car will be towed to a Mercedes Benz dealership for Diagnostics.
I drove vehicle to Publix with no problems. When i tried to start vehicle, key turns but car does not start. There is no cranking sound. I called a mechanic friend and after extensive diagnosis he determined it was the ESL Module which controls the steering. Fortunately i was not driving the vehicle when the ESL Module failed. There is a recall on Mercedes Benz c300 from 2012-2017 for the ESL Module problems but the 2011 is not included. It should be recalled since it is a safety hazard and it appears others have had similar problems according to comments on Google. I have a handicapped wife i take care of and having issues with the steering can cause accidents and injuries. There were no messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. There needs to be a recall or further inspection done on the 2011 Mercedes Benz c300. Car will be towed to a Mercedes Benz dealership for Diagnostics.
The ESL or electronic steering lock is a very common issue with this year and model at around the 70k mile mark. You cannot start the car once this goes out and itâs over $2k to fix
The ESL or electronic steering lock is a very common issue with this year and model at around the 70k mile mark. You cannot start the car once this goes out and itâs over $2k to fix
The ESL or electronic steering lock is a very common issue with this year and model at around the 70k mile mark. You cannot start the car once this goes out and itâs over $2k to fix
The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the rear lights became inoperable and failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that rear lighting wires were burned, causing an electrical failure within the rear light assemblies. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V177000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
The ESL is going out and is causing the car to not detect the key.
Rear subframe , so I went in for an alignment and was quickly notified and denied service due to my rear sub frame being broken. Car is reported to be unsafe by the tire company.no lights etc. My family and I could of seriously been hurt. I can retrieve a statement from dun tire in auburn and from mercedes. They are charging me 641.00 and I'm without a vehicle for 2wks
Rear subframe , so I went in for an alignment and was quickly notified and denied service due to my rear sub frame being broken. Car is reported to be unsafe by the tire company.no lights etc. My family and I could of seriously been hurt. I can retrieve a statement from dun tire in auburn and from mercedes. They are charging me 641.00 and I'm without a vehicle for 2wks
Subframe rusted resulting in failure of left rear suspension mount causing dangerous loss of control of car under braking.
1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel system failure is a highly critical safety concern, and my life is at risk. It causes malfunctions with the vehicle, for example, the OBD-based emissions test has flagged a lot of (codes P219A, P0300, P0304, P0410, P0305, P0303, P0171, P0301) 5 of the cylinder misfire codes with the check engine light on, as well affecting other parts in the vehicle function properly, acceleration issues, car stalling as though itâs going to shut off. This is a serious matter and Mercedes-Benz is failing to prioritize customer safety, over cost especially when known faults in the vehicle can lead to potentially life-threatening incidents such as fuel leaks and fire hazards. Yes, the vehicle is available for further inspection upon request immediately each day my life is at risk. 2.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and other's safety are put at risk every time
1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel system failure is a highly critical safety concern, and my life is at risk. It causes malfunctions with the vehicle, for example, the OBD-based emissions test has flagged a lot of (codes P219A, P0300, P0304, P0410, P0305, P0303, P0171, P0301) 5 of the cylinder misfire codes with the check engine light on, as well affecting other parts in the vehicle function properly, acceleration issues, car stalling as though itâs going to shut off. This is a serious matter and Mercedes-Benz is failing to prioritize customer safety, over cost especially when known faults in the vehicle can lead to potentially life-threatening incidents such as fuel leaks and fire hazards. Yes, the vehicle is available for further inspection upon request immediately each day my life is at risk. 2.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and other's safety are put at risk every time
1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel system failure is a highly critical safety concern, and my life is at risk. It causes malfunctions with the vehicle, for example, the OBD-based emissions test has flagged a lot of (codes P219A, P0300, P0304, P0410, P0305, P0303, P0171, P0301) 5 of the cylinder misfire codes with the check engine light on, as well affecting other parts in the vehicle function properly, acceleration issues, car stalling as though itâs going to shut off. This is a serious matter and Mercedes-Benz is failing to prioritize customer safety, over cost especially when known faults in the vehicle can lead to potentially life-threatening incidents such as fuel leaks and fire hazards. Yes, the vehicle is available for further inspection upon request immediately each day my life is at risk. 2.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and other's safety are put at risk every time
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.