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: electrical system
222 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Jul 4, 2026
The tail lamps of my car do not function appropriately - the right tail lamp is completely dead most of the time and the left tail lamp constantly dims and flickers. Mercedes previously issued a recall campaign (no. 2014050001) because "DAG determined that oxidation on the ground pin connector for the rear tail lamps of subject vehicles can result in a dimming of the tail lights or loss of tail lamp functions. . . . [t]he loss of a rear tail lamp reduces the rearward visibility of subject vehicles . . . and may increase the likelihood of a rear end crash." The recall has been performed on my car, but the issues and danger continue to persist. I visually inspected the pin connectors of the tail lamps, confirmed that they still suffer from oxidization (and that they may have slightly burned due to the oxidization), causing the same continuing issues that were at the heart of the prior recall campaign. I reached out to Mercedes' corporate customer service, explained to them in writing that the same issues continue to exist (oxidization of the pin connectors which continue to cause tail lamp malfunction), showed them photos of clear oxidization of the pin connectors, and pleaded with them regarding the continued danger that is caused by the malfunctioning tail lamps. Despite the continuing clear defects and obvious dangerous conditions, Mercedes has refused to provide any assistance to repair the tail lamps. This is a serious design defect, and a quick google search confirms that it continues to be a widespread problem. At minimum, Mercedes should be pressed by the NHTSA to repair my tail lamps, free of cost. However, given that it appears that it continues to be a widespread problem that could potentially affect thousands of cars that continue to be road worthy, the NHTSA should investigate the extent to which Mercedes should be pressed to issue a second wider recall, because the first recall has not resolved the defects and dangerous conditions.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags, May 8, 2026
I have messages on my instrument panel stating I have airbag malfunction going on I also have tail lights that are not working and after trying to replace the bulbs it still don't work so obviously it's the light bulb panel so I went and looked at recalls and says that these are all recalls on my car but that they were fixed. so I don't know why I have them all bad again so I need to know what to do
Electrical system, Mar 12, 2026
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine, seat belt, and air bag warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the headlights and navigation lights failed to activate for a while. There was burning odor inside the vehicle with the heat activated or turned off. The contact also stated the vehicle failed to start for three days before eventually being able to start. The contact attempted to charge the battery, which resulted in a visible spark. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a sound module and the Signal Acquisition Module (SAM) failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 217,000.
Electrical system, Mar 6, 2025
While driving the car on [XXX] at 9pm on sunday, [XXX] in lane two during a heavy rain a audible clicking noise came from the drivers side front of the dash instrument cluster area and all of the lights on the car simultaneously turned off without ever touching the light switch i was unable to see the road in front of the vehicle also the windshield wipers quit working and the radio and navigation display went off and closed and opened and closed( turned off and then on and off again) the instrument cluster went dark as well, luckily i was able to turn the steering and apply the brakes and steer the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road and come to a complete stop after several attempts to turn the headlights back on i determined that the vehicle was not safe to drive , and had the vehicle towed to a reputable mechanic, and upon diagnosis he contacted me and stated that the drivers side front signal acquisition module A. K. A. the (sam) module had failed due to water intrusion into the fuse panel sam module area , the mechanic stated that i should file an incident /complaint form with your office , upon searching the MERCEDES BENZ forums and sites on the www i found many customers with a broad range of models (w204)approximately this same year model have identical complaints and nothing has been done by MB usa to remedy the problem, i believe this matter to be a major safety concern and i am wondering why this matter hasnt been taken into consideration by your agency and by MB usa as a safety recall to replace the failing modules and retrofit the fuse panel sam module area to prevent water intrusion thats causing the obvious safety concern and possible liability on the part of the MB/ DAIMLER corporation. it seems this is clearly a problem and it needs fixed we are terrified to drive the vehicle for fear of a repeat incident. Sincerely the [XXX] family INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Jan 6, 2025
Check Right Tail and Brake Lamps warning light will not go off for months. They are working fine but the light won't go off. Googling on MB World, it shows Mercedes is aware of this problem and a recall is needed to get it corrected being safety issue with warning lights not working properly. See all info. below from owners, conversations and work done by dealers, etc. People note it is a middle school education problem. Please alert me when the recall is confirmed to get this important problem fixed. [XXX] Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Power train, Electrical system, Sep 18, 2024
I drove my car to get lunch. Came back out to go back to work and the car would not start. Would not even turn over. My Radio did not turn on and I couldn't even roll my windows back up. Luckily they were only cracked open a small amount. My steering wheel cannot be turned, it's locked in it's current position. I am told the ESL (Electronic Steering Lock) and possibly the EIS is the cause of this problem. The display on the dash says "Take your key from ignition" and that is all I get. Had to have my car towed and now I have a dead car with the windows partially open that I cannot close.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Sep 4, 2024
Headlight harness on drivers and passenger side is melting and my lights are flickering. I was advised to night drive my vehicle at night, because it could start an electrical fire. This is caused by heat from the lights.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakes, Aug 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving and activating the turn signals, the taillights were inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated while driving and depressing the brake pedal to come to a stop, the brake lights were significantly dimmed except for the third brake light. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with electrical failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V177000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Dec 2, 2023
Last week just before Thanksgiving my car of 134,000 miles wouldn't start. Had it towed to my mechanic only to find out like so many others that the Electronic Steering Module(ESL) is 1,500.00 defective. Yet with this being a common issue there is no recall. guess I'm going to a Toyota.
Suspension, Electrical system, Air bags, Mar 14, 2023
i was driving in the highway 50 mph and i was braking and my car slipped in the other line of the highway and almost had and accident !!!! and cars switched off when driving almost had incident!!!! i saw that many people have the say problem like me about rusted component please do something because people are losing their lifes.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Feb 15, 2023
While driving and when parked the headlights flicker on and off. I have no headlights while driving at night, during adverse weather conditions and during dawn hours. I could crash into other drivers, or they could crash into me because they can’t see me. When a parking bulb blows it fuses and melts everything together causing the replacement of the entire headlight unit, this has happened twice.
Electrical system, Aug 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch and the steering lock had failed and needed to be replaced. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the parts were available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Nov 10, 2021
Steering lock malfunction and unable to start car. Vehicle has completely shut down.
Steering, Electrical system, Aug 8, 2021
electrical ignition switch and electronic steering lock the component malfunctioned with no symptoms. i got stranded for 5 hours past midnight car has been inspected by a shop and Mb dealer no warning lights and no symptoms
Electrical system, Jun 19, 2021
Rear passenger tail light housing melted together the connector/ harness to the housing. Limiting the power to the light bulbs and or blowing them before they should be burnt out or not working at all periodically. Effectively limiting the safety of having the brake light or parking lights or even the blinker work like they're supposed too
Steering, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Apr 29, 2021
MY VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY GIVES ME WARNING/ALERT MESSAGES OF HEADLIGHT/SIGNAL/PARKING LAMP ISSUES. UPON INSPECTION AND TAKEN TO CERTIFIED, RELIABLE MERCEDES REPAIR SHOPS, LIGHTS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONING, YET ALERTS CONTINUE ON MY DISPLAY/DASH. MORE IMPORTANTLY THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK (ESL) HAS FAILED ON MORE THAN ONCE COSTING VERY CONSIDRABLE AMOUNTS OF REPAIR BILLS, AND IT HAS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING, I PARKED THE CAR WHICH HAS BEEN PERFECTLY MAINTAINED AND WITH LOW MILEAGE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS, MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN HAVE IT TOWED TO BE REPAIRED.
Steering, Electrical system, Oct 30, 2020
CAR WAS PARKED BY SIDE WALK NEXT TO MY HOUSE. INSERTED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURNED IT. THE CAR DID NOT START, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. NO LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED ON TRUCK BED SINCE IT'S REAR-WHEEL DRIVE. DEALER TOLD ME IT'S THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCK CYLINDER. COST $1500 TO FIX. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. NOT FAIR.
Electrical system, Oct 26, 2020
MY EIS/ESL WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE. IT'S A COMMON ISSUE FOR MERCEDES AND IT PLAGUES EVERY MERCEDES. IT'S A SAFETY HARZARD AND HAPPENS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. MERCEDES ALSO CHARGES $1500 OUT OF WARRANTY TO GET IT FIXED WHEN IT'S A COMMON ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED.
Electrical system, Sep 21, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO NOT BE ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF MARIETTA (810 COBB PARKWAY, MARIETTA GA 30060, (770) 783-5171) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC LOCATED THE FAILURE CODE AT THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 140,000.
Electrical system, Jun 25, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN A PARKING LOT AND ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A MESSAGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATED TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE KEY WAS NOT RECOGNIZED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (ESC), Jun 19, 2020
EIS STEERING LOCK BATTERY FAIL. $12 BATTERY DIES AND EIS STAYS IN LOCK POSITION KEY DOESN'T RESPOND TO IGNITION SWITCH OR CAR UNLOCKING DOORS.
Steering, Electrical system, May 8, 2020
TURNED IGNITION KEY TO START VEHICLE. NOTHING HAPPENED. NO CRANKING OR CLICKING. COMPLETE SILENCE. STEERING WHEEL AND TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WERE BOTH LOCKED INTO POSITION AND COULD NOT BE MOVED EVEN THOUGH IGNITION WAS IN THE 'ON' POSITION. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH A DEFECT IN THE 'ELECTRICAL IGNITION SYSTEM/ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK (EIS/ESL)' AND IS THE SUBJECT OF A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THIS CONDITION OCCURRED ON ONE PREVIOUS OCCASION WITHIN THE LAST 45 DAYS. ON BOTH OCCASIONS VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY HOWEVER IF IT WERE OCCUR WHILE MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND DRIVER WOULD BE UNABLE TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED AND WIDELY KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT FOR WHICH THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BEAR THE COST OF CORRECTING (AT THE CURRENT TIME VEHICLE OWNERS ARE CHARGED BETWEEN $1200-$1700 TO PERFORM THE DEFECT CORRECTION OUTLINED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN). *TR
Steering, Electrical system, Mar 6, 2020
PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE WHOLE CAR SHUT DOWN AFTER BEING INSPECTED. IT SAID TO BE A INTERLOCK SWITCH PROBLEM I'LL HAVE TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BECAUSE IT WILL NOT TURN ON IT IS SHUT DOWN .
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags, Jan 16, 2020
PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR NOT WORKING WHEN SOMEONE SITS ON THE SEAT ALSO PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM NOT WORKING AND CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS TO STAY ON WHEN VEHICLE IS OFF AND MERCEDES DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT AND SAYS IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I NEED TO PAY TO HAVE THE WHOLE SYSTEM REPLACED
Electrical system, Sep 16, 2019
MY C300 STRANDED ME IN DEMING, NM. WE HAD LEFT EL PASO HEADING HOME TO PHOENIX. QUICK BIO BREAK IN DEMENT, AND THAT'S WHERE MY C300 WOULDN'T START. THE SHOP IN DEMING SAID THAT THE CAR WOULD NEED TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER IN EL PASO. TURNED OUT MY STEERING COLUMN CONTROL LOCK MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED THE PART AND TWO DAY AND $1,400 LATER I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK TO PHOENIX. BETWEEN TOWING, LODGING IN DEMING AND EL PASO, MEALS, ETC I WAS OUT OVER 2K. THIS IS SO I CAN START MY CAR. ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL MB DEALER MY SERVICE ADVISOR SAID HE SEES ONE OR TWO A MONTH WITH THIS PROBLEM. I PICKED UP THE CAR IN 2012 WITH 50K MILES. THIS ISSUE CAME 70K TROUBLE FREE MILES LATER. AMAZED THAT ONE LITTLE PART COULD STRAND ME WITH NO WARNING.