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
836 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Jul 20, 2023
Recalls need to be fixed.
Air bags, Jun 2, 2023
My car had the Takata airbags that were recalled. It says the recalls were repaired but my vehicle is saying that the driver-side airbag has malfunctioned. I haven't been in any accidents. So I contacted Mercedes and they could not find verification that the previous open recalls were ever fixed.
Other or unspecified, Feb 11, 2023
Rear subframe is rusted and corroded
Suspension, Jan 16, 2023
Car was inspected by Mercedes Benz of St. Paul (MN). The rear subframe of the car was corroded (inside out) and the crossmember became disjointed from the rear subframe. I could have been in an accident while driving my C300 with a corroded out rear subframe. I was extremely lucky not to be in an accident while I was driving my C300 with a major defect like corroded rear subframe that caused crossmember to become disjointed from the rear subframe. I was lucky enough to avoid serious injury to myself and/or someone else if the rear subframe had collapsed due to unexpected corrosion. Mercedes Benz USA is aware of this defect since 2018 but they have not issued any recall. Since the rear subframe rusts out from inside, there will be no visible defect until the rear subframe fails.
Structure, Dec 20, 2022
My car has 85,000 miles on it and the Rear Trailing Arm Frame on the drivers side has rusted from the inside out. It is a good thing I have become aware of this, as it was about to break and cause me to lose control of my car. This needs to be recalled before someone gets hurt. In Canada and Germany Mercedes is fixing this for free. Why have Americans not been warned about this potentially deadly safety issue? I am reading many common experiences of cars with less than 50,000 miles on them.
Structure, Dec 12, 2022
-The rear subframe rusted through and broke. This made the vehicle extremely unsafe to drive. Braking caused the vehicle to veer right and was unsafe to stop. -Both a Mercedes dealership service center and an independent service center confirmed and verified the issue. -The part was inspected by the Mercedes dealership service center and the independent service center. -There were no warning lights or messages. The vehicle started making minor sounds in the rear of the vehicle prior to failure.
Suspension, Dec 11, 2022
While driving noticed that the car was making a clunking noise from the right rear and car was not stable while making a turn and started to swerve to the right while braking. Jacked up the car this afternoon and see that one of the rear links rusted off from the rear subframe due to rust. Subframe is made of very thin metal that is not resistant to rust. Fortunately I didn't need to perform emergency braking since car is very difficult to control now. Car no longer drivable and needs a new rear subframe to be installed. ~ $5,000 dollars.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350. The contact stated that after the vehicle was turned off, she attempted to restart the vehicle, but the engine failed to turn over. The contact stated that the next day the vehicle started; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the speedometer started to malfunction. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the contact was unsure if the vehicle was diagnosed. Additionally, the contact stated that on a separate occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed that water had started to leak from the sun visor. The contact also heard water moving around on the floorboard. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.
Steering, Air bags, Seat belts, Oct 18, 2022
After repair done on the confirmed recall airbag computer/module my vehicle became immobile, malfuctioned. The vehicle warning lamps alerted the airbag malfunctioned, srs malfunction. I seeked service for repair of this recall by experts. This safety issue is still ongoing and urgency is needed for this to be resolved.
Other or unspecified, Oct 5, 2022
rusted rear subframe
Steering, Aug 31, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C350. The contact attempted to start the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle Electronic Steering Lock failure. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Suspension, Aug 8, 2022
The rear subframe is rusted and failing it is unsafe to drive. Mercedes is aware of the problem and has fixed the issue in Canada the UK and Germany free of charge. It would cost me around $4600.00 to fix out of my pocket. I have emailed the dealer where I take my car for service as well as corporate Mercedes in Germany and I am waiting for a reply. Why should I pay when they know it’s not safe and it’s a manufacturer defect ? Are they waiting for a catastrophe before they recall?
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 29, 2022
Pulled into parking space on side of street and turned off vehicle to pick up restaurant food. Returned to vehicle within 5 minutes, turned the key, and vehicle was dead. 93 year old mother was in car which was now stuck in parking space. We had to open the doors, due to vehicle windows not functioning, to try to prevent inside of car from overheating due to outside temperature. Called AAA, who arrived after about 45 minutes, tried to jump start car, indicated appeared battery was fine. Had to re-contact AAA to get car towed. Waited another 45 minutes for tow truck to arrive. Again checked battery and ignition, battery fine, car was locked in park and steering wheel was locked,. Towing technician had to lift up center console to reach underneath to switch to neutral. Technician had great difficulty getting car onto flatbed of tow truck because it kept slipping back into park. Adding to the difficulty was the location of the car in the parking space on the side of a busy street. Car was towed from Newport, RI to Tiverton, RI to Viti Mercedes dealer, who confirmed the problem. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The final bill to repair this issue was $2,214.15. Upon review of other incidents that occurred with this make, model and year, there have been a myriad of accounts of this same issue going back many years. Based on the numerous incidents of this type and the potential safety devastation this could have caused, the $2,214.15 paid for repair in addition to $55 for towing should be reimbursed. This is a major safety issue that could be detrimental to the driver, occupants, towing company and other people around the disabled vehicle.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Jun 23, 2022
The tail left bulb mount carrier part Number 204-820-15-00-64, one of the terminal in the back, is corroded. Also, one of the cable is burnt. In short, the tail lamp doesn’t work. It is a hazard problem since it affects the brake signaling, turning signaling and all other tail lamps signaling. For many years, I have read many incidents like this reported from owners like me and Mercedes has done nothing. I cannot use the vehicle in this condition because it is is a safety hazard.
Service brakes, May 24, 2022
I was driving and the brake pedal went to the floor I managed to get the car in the garage and brake fluid leaked all over the floor Had the car towed to the dealer inspection show both stainless steel brake lines corroded in the same place Leaked out brake fluid end result was 5000 dollar repair bill
Other or unspecified, Apr 7, 2022
Unknown
Other or unspecified, Apr 6, 2022
Unknown
Seats, Mar 30, 2022
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The front passenger seat is not able to make adjustments. Seat has moved out of the rails, one side moves and the others does not move. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Passengers are stuck in the front, not able to make any adjustments. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, they are saying that the frame of the seat that has been made by Mercedes is like a sheet metal and very very brittle. The shaft has been bent overtime and moves out of the motor. When it bends the shaft is shortened and will move only one of the sides. One side moves and the other side does not move. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, it was inspected by the manufacturer but no action been taken. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO warning lights or anything.
Suspension, Mar 10, 2022
The rear subframe is corroded, the rear subframe is a structural part of the car that Mercedes refuses to cover under warranty or issue a recall for even though it is issued under recall in Canada
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Mar 8, 2022
Both headlights wiring harnesses (right and left ) wiring has melted and all wiring is now exposed and touching and causing all light bulbs ( headlights-tail lights-turn signals-brake lights-ect) to be shortage out due to the original wiring not being constructed to resist the heat from the engine and environment.We had MB of Maidland,fl and Elite motors of Ococee,fl to view this issue with the only fix is out-of-pocket repair in the thousands of dollars.i have a neighbor with a MB experiencing similar problems
Structure, Jan 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the vehicle was to a State Inspection Station to be State Inspected however while inspecting the vehicle the mechanic found severe corrosion and rust holes in the rear subframe of the vehicle. The contact was informed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Service brakes, Jan 7, 2022
At only 59,000 miles, the brake lines of my Mercedes C300 suddenly developed a significant leak of brake fluid which caused the brake pedal to go all the way to the floor with minimum function. The car was immediately taken to the dealership where the service dept confirmed that all of the brake lines had become corroded and needed to be replaced. They also communicated that this was a common issue on these vehicles which I have further confirmed by identical complaints raised on the www.mbworld.org forum page. The manufacturer used faulty materials prone to premature corrosion and sudden failure for the brake lines on these vehicles which places drivers at a significant danger and safety risk. There should be an immediate recall of all of these vehicles to replace these defective brake lines subject to sudden failure at the expense of the manufacturer.
Exterior lighting, Jan 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the exterior headlights and taillights would independently illuminate while idle without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a camera was placed on the vehicle for four days; however, the failure did not occur while in the mechanic's possession. While the contact stated that the failure was intermittent, the failure had become more frequent recently. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Air bags, Seats, Sep 3, 2021
When I was driving, the passenger active headrest suddenly deployed and pop out. I’m glad on one was on the passenger seat, and the airbags did not deployed. I’m concerned about the safety of airbags accidentally deploy in the future with the broken headrest.
Suspension, Aug 17, 2021
Failure of rear subframe at passenger side connection to the lower thrust arm/trailing link that transmits force from wheel carrier to car frame. The bracket portion of the rear subframe for this connection tore loose at the weld to the carrier, possibly during moderate acceleration at an at-grade railroad crossing in downtown St Paul, MN. This occurred on 8/12/21 at roughly 4:15 in the afternoon. The car became difficult to drive and control, requiring the steering wheel to be turned slightly to the right and held there while the car was going straight. The dealership was contacted about the failed subframe but neither they nor the OEM has inspected the vehicle.