2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 670 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 23 C-Class model years with reports.
Of the 2009 reports, 17 involved a crash and 19 involved a fire. 16 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: air bags
213 reports, newest first. Show all
Air bags, Jan 4, 2016
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V711000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE 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.
Air bags, Dec 31, 2015
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V711000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
Air bags, Dec 29, 2015
CARS SRS LIGHT WENT ON IN RED ON DASH AFTER GASING AND WASHING VEHICLE. TOOK TO NERVEDES DEALER AND TOLD SRS UNIT MALFUNCTIONING $800 ATTACHED DIAGNOSES PAID FOR FIX AND NOW THERE IS RECALL. WILL I BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE
Air bags, Dec 28, 2015
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROGRESSING FAILURE IN WHICH THE SRS WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO SUPPLY THE PART WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE A SPECIFIC DATE THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE SUPPLIED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
Air bags, Sep 2, 2015
SRS MALFUNCTION LEFT SIDE (DRIVER'S SIDE) WARNING. I FOUND THE WARNING GOES AWAY TEMPORARILY WHEN I MOVE THE WIRE GOING INTO THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE AROUND. FROM SOME RESEARCH, I'VE FOUND THAT DEFECTIVE BELT BUCKLES ARE A KNOWN ISSUE ON THIS CAR AND FAILURE IS COMMON WITH AGE.
Air bags, Jun 23, 2015, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE CONTACT VEERED TO THE LEFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A POLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WARNINGS FOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE, COMPLETE ENGINE POWER LOSS AND ENGINE SERVICE REQUIRED DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED STERNUM AND NECK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.
Air bags, Seat belts, Oct 16, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,100.
Air bags, Seat belts, Oct 26, 2012
RIGHT AFTER THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY ENDED, THE LEFT FRONT SRS MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON IN MY VEHICLE, ACCOMPANIED BY THE AIR BAG LIGHT. I DID RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM THIS MALFUNCTION. THE LIGHT DOES NOT GO OFF AND THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE TO FIX (APPROX. COSTS ARE OVER $1000.00 AT MY DEALERSHIP) AND SINCE IT HAS BEEN A RECURRING DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE YEAR AFTER YEAR, IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY MERCEDES AT NO COST TO MYSELF AND OTHER MERCEDES OWNERS. *TR
Air bags, Jan 19, 2012, crash
I WAS CROSSING TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC AND WAS HIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BY TWO SUVS. THE IMPACT OF THE COLLISION CAUSED ME TO GO AIRBORNE, I WENT FRONT END FIRST INTO A DITCH EMBANKMENT. THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE FRONT END AND OF THE FRONT END WAS PUSHED BACK INTO THE MOTOR AREA, CAUSING THE HOOD OF THE CAR TO BEND BACK TOWARDS THE FRONT WINDOW. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS WITH APPROXIMATELY $21,000 WORTH OF TOTAL DAMAGES. THE ONLY AIRBAG THAT DEPLOYED WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS. NEITHER THE FRONT AIRBAGS NOR THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED UPON THE COLLISION. I SUSTAINED A FRACTURED NECK AND BROKE MY LEFT ARM. THE BREAK WAS SO SEVERE THAT I HAD TO UNDERGO SURGERY TO HAVE PINS AND PLATES PUT INTO MY ARM. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT THE HARD FORCE OF THE IMPACT WAS THE CAUSE OF MY SEVERELY FRACTURED ARM WITH PERMANENT NERVE DAMAGE. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH MERCEDES BECAUSE I FELT THE FRONT AIR BAG AS WELL AS THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED UPON MY COLLISION INTO THE EMBANKMENT. MERCEDES REPLIED TO MY COMPLAINT STATING THE AIRBAGS WORKED PROPERLY. I PURCHASED THE CAR BASED ON THEIR ADVERTISED SAFETY FEATURES AND THE OUTCOME OF MY COLLISION WAS TOTALLY NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. BASED ON MY RESEARCH VIA THE MERCEDES C300 ONLINE CRASH TEST DEMONSTRATES THE FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYING WITH THE SAME FRONT END DAMAGE WITH A SIMILAR TYPE IMPACT. MERCEDES TOLD ME THEY SENT AN INSPECTOR OUT TO LOOK AT THE CAR BUT REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH DETAILS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION, STATING IT WAS CONSIDER INTERNAL INFORMATION. TO THIS DAY, I STILL DON'T KNOW WHY THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WITH THE AMOUNT OF FRONT END AND PASSENGER SIDE DAMAGE, I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. I WOULD LIKE A THIRD PARTY INVESTIGATION TO BE DONE TO DETERMINE IF THE AIRBAG DID DEPLOY PROPERLY. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE CAR AND WOULD BE WILLING TO SEND THEM. *TT
Exterior lighting, Air bags, Dec 29, 2011, fire
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHT AND TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE TAIL AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS AS WELL AS THE SRS AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE WIRE CONNECTOR FOR THE TAIL LIGHTS WAS MELTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,500. KMJ UPDATED 01/10/12*LJ UPDATED 03/29/2013 *JS
Air bags, Nov 30, 2010, crash
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. THE CONTACT HIT HIS CHEST ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND HIS HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO SENT SOMEONE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE NOT DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 24,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Air bags, Vehicle speed control, May 13, 2010, crash
I WAS DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY AT ~40 MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN BUT ACCELERATED. AND STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. EVERY TIME I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED SO THAT THE CAR STRUCK THE CAR IN FRONT TWICE. I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND WAS UNABLE TO. FINALLY, I PUSHED HARD ON THE BRAKE ENOUGH TO SLOW IT DOWN AND I WAS TEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE RACED BUT I WAS THEN ABLE TO TURN IT OFF. DESPITE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
Steering, Air bags, May 17, 2009, crash
MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A CRASH TODAY ON MAY 16, 2009 SHE WAS DRIVING MERCEDES 2009 C300 AND SHE SAID THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK SUDDENLY BEFORE SHE CRASH, SHE WAS DRIVING ONLY AT 15MPH THAT WHY THE IMPACT WAS NOT SO SEVERE, WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT SHE JUST HAS MINOR INJURIES. *TR