2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 836 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 23 C-Class model years with reports.
Of the 2008 reports, 25 involved a crash and 21 involved a fire. 30 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
149 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Dec 30, 2013
RIGHT REAR LIGHTS WENT OUT ON CAR, STARTED SMELLING MELTING PLASTIC. STOPPED AND CHECKED THE PLUG THAT WENT INTO THE LIGHTS HAS MELTED. *TR
Exterior lighting, Dec 29, 2013
THE PASSENGER TAIL LAMP BULB CARRIER, GROUND WIRE, AND CONNECTING PLASTIC HARNESS ALL MELTED CAUSING MY TAIL LAMPS TO APPEAR DIM AND EVENTUALLY MELTED TO THE POINT THE PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHTS, REAR RUNNING LAMPS, REAR PASSENGER TURN SIGNAL AND REAR FOG LAMP ALL COMPLETELY QUIT FUNCTIONING. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY OR GOOD WILL EVEN KNOWING IT TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THE PARTS THAT THEY CLAIMED HAVE BEEN UPDATED (ALTHOUGH THEY APPEAR TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME) AND HAD THEM REPLACED. TIME WILL TELL WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A PERMANENT FIX TO THE PROBLEM. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Dec 29, 2013
REAR TAILLIGHTS STARTED SMOKING. IT WAS ALL BURNED OUT CAUSING REAR RIGHT TAILLIGHT TO MALFUNCTION. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Dec 29, 2013
RIGHT READ BRAKE LAMP HARNESS MELTED CAUSING MALFUNCTION OF THE BRAKE LAMPS. WARNING INDICATOR IN THE DASH. I AM WORRIED ABOUT A FIRE. ALSO LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS STOPPED WORKING FOR NO REASON. CHECKED THE BULBS AND THEY ARE BOTH GOOD. *TR
Exterior lighting, Dec 25, 2013
MY RIGHT REAR TAIL LAMP WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE DIRECTIONAL WAS BLINKING RAPIDLY. THE MALFUNCTION REQUIRED THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE RIGHT REAR BULB CARRIER. THE CAR WAS NO LONGER ON WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. I UNDERSTAND THAT TAIL LIGHT FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR, USUALLY CAUSED BY WIRING DEFECT. THE DEALER NEVER INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS MODEL. I HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE MALFUNCTION HOWEVER THEY WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Dec 20, 2013
REAR LIGHTING FAILURE (TAILLIGHT). FAILURE CAUSING MY VEHICLE LIGHTS TO VERY DIM AND SOME BULBS ARE NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL. OCCURS WITH LEFT TAILLIGHT (BRAKE LIGHT). I SEE SOME BURNING ON PLASTIC PANEL THAT BULBS GOES IN. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Dec 16, 2013
STARTED TO GET THE MESSAGE TO CHECK MY REAR, RIGHT TURNINF SIGNA, FOG LAMPS, BRAKE LIGHTS. CHECKED ALL THE BULBS AND THEY ARE FINE. PUT THE HARNESS BACK AND REALIZED IT WAS A LITTLE HOT AND WHEN I LOOKED THE WIRE TO THE FAR RIGHT I THINK IS EXPOSE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IT IS BURNT THROUGH THE PLASTIC. MESSAGE COMES OFF AND ON DURING DRIVING. *TR
Exterior lighting, Dec 5, 2013
THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL AND MY INSTRUMENTS INDICATED MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS ETC WENT OUT. I CHECKED AND SAW THE WIRE HARNESS WAS BURNT AND THE WIRES GOING INTO THE CONNECTOR WERE MELTED. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Nov 20, 2013
CONNECTOR (HARNESS) IS MELTED AND SHORTED THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR TAIL LIGHTS AND IS NOW INOP. *TR
Exterior lighting, Nov 19, 2013
WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, A WARNING MSG CAME UP FOR ME TO CHECK THE LEFT TAIL AND BRAKE LIGHTS. I GOT HOME AND CHECKED THE LIGHTS ON THE LEFT SIDE AND NONE OF THEM WERE WORKING. I HAD THESE CHECKED AND WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE BULBS. WAS TOLD REPLACING THE BULBS WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE WIRE HARNESS HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE AND MELTED THE WIRING AND THE BOARD!!! THIS IS THE 3RD MERCEDES I HAVE HAD AND I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM IS I LIVE 1 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM DEALERSHIP AND I DON'T HAVE THE EXTRA TIME TO TAKE OFF FROM WORK AND HAVE THIS CHECKED! AND THAN BE TOLD, I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. IF THERE ISN'T A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, THIS WILL BE MY LAST MERCEDES! *TR
Exterior lighting, Nov 12, 2013
WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE WHO INFORMED MY TAILLIGHT WAS NOT WORKING ON MY PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN PULLED OVER, TAILLIGHT ILLUMINATED BUT VERY DIMLY. ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE ROUGHLY JUNE 2012 WHEN PURCHASED. WAS NOT DISCLOSED THAT THIS WAS A POSSIBLE ISSUE AT TIME OF PURCHASE AND DID NOT DISCOVER THE ISSUE WITH MELTING OF WIRING HARNESS TO LIGHT PANEL UNTIL CHECKED 11-8-13. TOOK TO LOCAL DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE VEHICLE, AND MERCEDES IS PLANNING ON CHARGING ME $305 FOR REPAIR (PARTS ROUGHLY $50). THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A KNOWN DEFICIENCY WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM WITHOUT A DOUBT. I WILL BE MENTIONING THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION TO THE MERCEDES SERVICE PEOPLE (AS IF THEY DON'T ALREADY KNOW) AND ATTEMPT TO GET THEM TO FIX AT NO COST. *TR
Exterior lighting, Nov 7, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE NECESSARY REPAIR . THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
Exterior lighting, Nov 4, 2013
STARTED GETTING NOTIFICATIONS ON DASH THAT A LIGHT BULB WAS OUT IN THE LEFT TAIL LIGHT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE BROWN GROUND WIRE HAS MELTED PLASTIC AROUND IT ON BOTH THE MALE AND FEMALE SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR AND ALL OF THE BULBS HAVE CORROSION FROM A BAD CONNECTION OR ARCHING ON THE CONNECTORS. *TR
Exterior lighting, Service brakes, Nov 2, 2013
REAR TAIL LIGHTS MALFUNCTION. GROUND WIRE IN THE TAIL LIGHT HARNESS GETS VERY HOT TO THE POINT OF MELTING THE INSULATOR ON THE WIRE AND REAR LIGHT CONNECTOR (WHICH PROVIDES POWER TO THE TAIL LIGHT). THIS RESULTED IN THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS TO STOP WORKING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. MERCEDES WILL REPLACE THE PARTS IF THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR OUT OF WARRANTY. FURTHERMORE, THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE THE SAME AND THIS ISSUE WILL REOCCUR. *TR
Exterior lighting, Equipment, Oct 27, 2013
2008 MERCEDES BENZ C300 RIGHT REAR LIGHTING FAILURES IN THE BRAKE AND/OR TURN SIGNALS OF MY VEHICLE. THE FAILURE CAN CAUSE THE LIGHTS TO DIM AND OR CAUSE THE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Oct 22, 2013
MY RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR BOARD IS MELTED. ALL MY LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AT ONCE AND DEALER STATED ITS A FAULTY CONNECTOR BOARD THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SAME ISSUE SO MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. MB NEEDS TO RECALL THIS ISSUE BC IT MAKES NO SINCE I HAVE TO PAY 400.00 FOR A WELL KNOWN ISSUE THAT IS HAZARDOUS WHICH THE DEALER ADVISED. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags, Oct 20, 2013
ALL EXTERIOR LIGHT BULBS KEEP BURNING . -SEAT BELT STAYS ON EVEN IS USED. AIR BAGS COMES ON AND OFF. THE ENGINE MAKES LIKE HIGH IDOL NOISE LIKE THE CAR WANTS TO MOVE EVEN ITS BRAKE. *TR
Exterior lighting, Oct 9, 2013
ALL RIGHT REAR LIGHTS FAILED. STARTING TO GET MESSAGES OF REAR LEFT LIGHTS FAILING, BUT NON HAVE ACTUALLY FAILED YET. I TOOK OFF THE BACK PANEL IN THE TRUNK TO CHANGE THE BULBS AND FOUND THE WIRING HAS MELTED THROUGH THE PLASTIC HOUSING UNIT, IT LOOKS LIKE THE WIRES AND THE UNIT HAVE BEEN BURNED. AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER, HE SAID IT WAS STARTING TO HAPPEN TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR TOO. THIS IS COSTING ME $500 FOR THE ENTIRE REPLACEMENT! I'VE READ SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. I'M AMAZED THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ISSUED YET. BURNING UP WIRES IN THE TRUNK HAS TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD! *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Oct 8, 2013, fire
AS REPORTED MULTIPLE TIMES BY OTHERS, TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR IS INSUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THE HEAT EMANATING FROM THE GROUND (BROWN) WIRE. CONNECTOR BURNS. CABLE COVERING MELTS. ALL TAIL LIGHTS (INCLUDING BRAKES, TURNING AND REVERSE) STOP FUNCTIONING. - SAFETY ISSUE- (NOT TO MENTION GAS TANK SITTING NOT TOO FAR FROM SOURCE OF FIRE) PRELIMINARY SYMPTOMS: RANDOM WARNING MESSAGES IN DASHBOARD ABOUT LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONING. ONE TAIL LIGHT DIMMER THAN THE OTHER. REPAIRS REQUIRED: NEW CONNECTOR/NEW PINS PLUS REGROUNDING TO AVOID CERTAIN RECURRENCE AUTHORIZED DEALERS KNOW WELL ABOUT THE PROBLEM. "RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED" "RECALL IS SURELY COMING" BUT WILL NOT REPLACE IF OUT OF WARRANTY REFERENCES: PRIOR REPORT CHAIN NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10499828 PICTURES AND MULTIPLE INFORMATION HTTP://MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/C-CLASS-W204/465331-TAIL-LIGHT-CONNECTOR-MELTED.HTML. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 25, 2013
KEEP GETTING THE "CHECK RIGHT REAR TAIL AND BRAKE LAMP", "CHECK RIGHT REAR SIDEMARKER LAMP", AND "CHECK RIGHT REAR TURN SIGNAL". THE BLINKER WILL WORK FINE, THEN AFTER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING IT BLINKS VERY FAST AND THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. SOMETIMES NONE OF THE LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT REAR PANEL WILL TURN ON, SOMETIMES THEY WILL. OR THEY WILL WORK FOR 10 MINUTES AND THEN GO OUT ALONG WITH THE WARNING SIGNS. I LOOKED AT THE BULBS TODAY TO SEE IF ANY WERE BURNED, AND THE HARNESS WAS BURNED AND BROWN! I HAVE SMELLED SMOKE A FEW TIMES WITHIN THE LAST MONTH AS WELL. THIS ISSUE IS GETTING WORSE. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD AND MUST BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE ADVISE! *JS
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 10, 2013, fire
THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE TAIL LAMP ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS FRIED & FILLED WITH SMOKE AND NOW THE TAIL LAMP GOES VERY DIM & ALMOST OFF, BUT REPLACING WITH NEW BULB DOESN'T HELP. *TR
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 4, 2013
TAIL LIGHT MESSAGE. FOUND HARNESS MELTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT. NOW I GET A MESSAGE FROM BOTH SIDES. *JB
Exterior lighting, Aug 28, 2013
THE INFORMATION SYSTEM IN MY CAR GAVE ME THE SYMBOLS FOR THE RIGHT BACK LIGHTS. I CHECK AND REALIZED MY LIGHTS WERE OUT. I OPENED THE WIRING IN THE TRUNK. THE BROWN WIRE ON THE OUTER SIDE BURNED THROUGH THE CONNECTOR AND THE LAMP CARRIER. *TT
Exterior lighting, Aug 28, 2013
REAR LIGHT FAILURE DUE TO MELTING. THIS FAILURE IS SEEN ON THE RIGHT TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY. SOME OF THE ELECTRICAL PARTS ARE MELTED IN THIS ASSEMBLY. *TT
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 26, 2013
HTTP://JAMAICA-GLEANER.COM/GLEANER/20130717/BUSINESS/BUSINESS81.HTML HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL PASSENGER REAR LIGHTS - WIRE HARNESS IS BURNT AND NOT WORKING . SPOKE WITH MB DEALERSHIP/SERVICE DEPT , THEY SAID I WILL NEED TO HANDLE THE REPAIR OUT OF MY OWN POCKET . I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY CAR AS THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS/SIGNAL ARE NOT OPERATIONAL AND NO FUNDS FOR THE REPAIR . THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO THE CONSUMERS AND NEED TO BE RECALL IMMEDIATELY !!! *TR