2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 140 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 14th highest complaint count among 23 C-Class model years with reports.
Of the 2005 reports, 17 involved a crash and 10 involved a fire. 17 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: air bags
63 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Air bags, Seat belts, Dec 7, 2010
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE CAMSHAFT SOLENOID HAD LEAKED OIL INTO THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE SRS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BELT HARNESS AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WIRING TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,668.
Steering, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Other, Power train, Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Electronic stability control (ESC), Oct 2, 2010
FIRST, MY STEERING WHEEL WIRE WAS REPLACED FROM A FAULTY SRS LIGHT COMING ON AND THE ESP LIGHT COMING ON. I HAD TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS. NEXT, EUROMOTOR CARS SAID THE STEERING WHEEL COLLAR WAS BROKE. I HAVE NEVER HAD THAT FIXED BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME AND I FELT THEY SHOULD REPLACE THE COLLAR SINCE THEY REPLACED THE STEERING WIRE. NOW MY CAR DOES NOT START AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DOES NOT LIGHT UP. I CANNOT UNLOCK THE DOORS WITH THE REMOTE KEY AND I CANNOT UNLOCK THE TRUNK OF THE CAR. MY CAR JUST SITS BECAUSE I FEEL I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY OF THIS ANY MORE. I HAVE PUT $6,800 IN REPAIRS IN THIS CAR. I DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. I FEEL MY CAR IS UNSAFE. MY CAR WAS FIRST SERVICED AT HERB GORDON'S AUTO GROUP IN SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND. I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE SERVICE SO I DECIDED TO TRY EUROMOTORS AND THE SERVICE WAS WORSE. THEY CONTINUE TO PUT IN CODES SO THERE WILL NOT BE A RECALL AND THE CONSUMER HAS TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. PLEASE HELP IN RESOLVING SOME OF THE ISSUES I HAVE HAD WITH THIS 2005 C230 KOMPRESSOR MERCEDES BENZ. I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR THIS CAR TO BE ENTERED INTO THE RECALL FOR THE STEERING WIRE REPAIR JUST AS THE E320. I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 4,000 MILES ON IT IN 10/2005. THANK YOU. *TR
Air bags, Sep 23, 2008
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ C240. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAGS MAY NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE SEAT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE RECURRED. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
Air bags, Sep 23, 2008
FRONT AIRBAG MALFUNCTON. *TR
Air bags, Sep 17, 2008, crash
THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER AND ROLLED AND CRASH DOWN AND THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS CONSIDERED TOTALED. SUSTAINED SEVERAL INJURIES FROM AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING. *TR
Air bags, Feb 5, 2008, crash
I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG RELEASE MECHANISM; OF MY CAR A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ C55 AMG, IS DEFECTIVE. I WAS INVOLVED IN 2 ACCIDENTS, 1ST A RIGHT FRONTAL WITH SEVERE DAMAGE NEEDING $26,000 IN REPAIRS, AND THE 2ND A LEFT FRONTAL THAT CAUSED SO MUCH DAMAGE THAT MY INSURER MAY TOTAL THE VEHICLE. THE 2ND ACCIDENT CAUSED MULTIPLE FRACTURES IN MY NECK VERTEBRAE AND COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL OR LEFT ME QUADRIPLEGIC BUT DUE TO MULTIPLE NEUROSURGERIES BY THE EXPERT IN THE FIELD, I SURVIVED. IN NEITHER ACCIDENT DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY AND I AM STRONGLY CONCERNED THAT THE RELEASE MECHANISM IS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE REPAIR YARD AWAITING A DECISION TO REPAIR OR SALVAGE(NO WORK HAS BEEN DONE YET) SINCE THE 2ND ACCIDENT. *TR
Air bags, Feb 4, 2008, crash
AIRBAGS FOR C-55 AMG FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING TWO SEPARATE HIGH-IMPACT FRONTAL IMPACTS (DURING WHICH THE CAR WAS NEARLY TOTALED EACH TIME) THE CONSUMERS FATHER WAS SEVERELY INJURED IN THE 2ND CAR ACCIDENT. *JB
Air bags, Aug 22, 2006, crash
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON SHIFTING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD INTO A TREE WITHOUT WARNING; AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT MINOR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE POLICE WERE ALERTED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE DAMAGE. A NHTSA RECALL, #05V560000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE AIRBAGS HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING INSPECTION BY A MANUFACTURING REPRESENTATIVE.
Air bags, Jul 27, 2006
I HAVE A MERCEDES BENZ C230. SATURDAY MY AIR BAG DEPLOYED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK SEAT AFTER LEAVING MR. BUBBLES CARWASH. MY FIANCEE DROVE MY CAR TO THE MERCEDEDS DEALERSHIP NEARBY AND THEY SHUT OFF AIRBAG SYSTEM UNTIL I COULD BRING MY CAR IN FOR INSPECTION. MONDAY MORNING I CALLED TO HAVE MY CAR SCHEDULED FOR MAINTENANCE ON TUESDAY FOR THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG TO BE REPAIRED AND FOR THE SYSTEM RESTRAINT MALFUCTION LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD TO BE REPAIRED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE TIRE SO THEY WERE NOT GOING TO WARRANTY THIS PROBLEM. TO BE HONEST, I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT. WHY WOULD AN AIR BAG DEPLOY EVEN IF THERE WAS A TIRE PROBLEM? I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO GO OVER A SPEED BUMP AT THIS POINT. *NM
Air bags, Jun 19, 2006
I RECEIVED A NOTICE IN APRIL THAT MY CAR WAS RECALLED BECAUSE OF AIR BAG SAFETY ISSUES. MERCEDES HAS NOT RECTIFIED THE SITUATION. *JB
Air bags, May 30, 2006
IN MARCH 2006, WE RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE #2006-020005 FOR OUR 2005 MERCEDES C230, FOR AN ISSUE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE. OVER THE LAST 70 DAYS, I HAVE CALLED LEITH MERCEDES IN RALEIGH, NC FIVE TIMES TO SCHEDULE THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIR UNDER THIS RECALL AND I AM TOLD THE PARTS ARE STILL ON BACKORDER FROM GERMANY AND IT WILL BE 6 TO 8 WEEKS BEFORE THEY CAN CONDUCT THE REPAIR. *JB
Air bags, May 11, 2006, crash
SUBMISSION FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF PAYMENT FOR DAMAGED TO C230 2005 MERCEDES BENZ IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT CERTIFIED MAIL. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE AIR BAGS IN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE FAILED PRIOR TO THE CONSUMER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE. *NM
Air bags, Nov 12, 2005, crash
1) 2005 MB C230K 4 DOOR SEDAN VEHICLE - ON BOARD COMPUTER REPORTED SRS FAILURE. 2) VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS SRS FAILURE REPORTED BY COMPUTER. DEALERSHIP REPORTEDLY REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. FAILURE NOTICE NO LONGER BEING REPORTED BY ON BOARD COMPUTER. 3) FRONT SIDE COLLISION OCCURRED TODAY 11/12/05 - WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROX. 35 MPH - NO AIRBAGS, INCLUDING SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG, DEPLOYED ON MY VEHICLE, BUT BOTH DEPLOYED ON THE OTHER VEHICLE. NOTE MY VEHICLE, DUE TO IMPACT, WAS TURNED 90 DEGREES FROM IMPACT TO FRONT OF MY VEHICLE - POLICE OFFICER REPORTED INCIDENT FROM HIS EXPERIENCE DEFINITELY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED SIDE, POSSIBLY FRONT, AIRBAG ON MY CAR. *JB