CSR

Mercedes-Benz · NHTSA safety record

2023 Mercedes-Benz C 300

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

22

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C 300 have filed 22 safety complaints with NHTSA between May 2023 and November 2025. The most complained-about system is forward collision avoidance, named in 10 of them (45%). The typical failure was reported at 3,900 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 9 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (9)

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK

26V481000 · July 24, 2026

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CLA, 2019-2022 A-Class, 2022-2023 C-Class, 2024 CLE, 2020-2026 GLA/GLB, and 2023-2024 GLC vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific model information. The micro-switch in the driver's door lock may corrode and fail to detect an open door, preventing the electronic parking brake or "Auto-Park" feature from engaging automatically. This may result in a vehicle rollaway.
The risk
A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the driver's door lock, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 18, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 31, 2026.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 310,667 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

25V255000 · May 12, 2025

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, GLC, EQE SUV, EQE, EQS SUV, and EQS vehicles that were incorrectly repaired under recall 24V-115. An incorrect fuse box that was not designed for the vehicle may have been installed.
The risk
An incorrect fuse box can result in a sudden loss of drive power or a loss of critical safety functions such as the restraint systems or instrument cluster, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Additionally, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the main fuse boxes, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2025050003/4.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 443 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

25V253000 · May 2, 2025

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2025 C 300, and 2023-2024 AMG C 43 vehicles. The driver-side seat belt cover may not be properly installed on the seat belt tensioner, which can cause the seat belt anchor to come loose.
The risk
A loose seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt covers, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2025040012.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 46 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

24V446000 · June 14, 2024

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C 300 vehicles. The bolt securing the electrical wire to the pre-fuse box could be improperly tightened, causing the wire to overheat. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024070005.
The risk
An overheated wire can cause a fire and a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and rework the wiring harness, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 2, 2024. Owner may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 1,058 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

24V115000 · February 16, 2024

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C300, AMG C43, S580e, S580, Maybach S580, Maybach S680, AMG SL43, AMGSL63, GLC300, EQE350, EQE500, EQS450, EQS580, AMG EQS, 2023 S500, AMG SL55, AMG EQE, 2024 E350, E450, AMG C63e S, CLE300 Coupe, CLE450 Coupe, and GLC300 Coupe vehicles. The 80-Amp fuses may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the fuses to fail.
The risk
An 80-Amp fuse that fails can result in a sudden loss of drive power or a loss of critical safety functions such as the restraint systems or instrument cluster, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Additionally, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the main fuse boxes, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024030008.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 31,848 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

23V880000 · December 21, 2023

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2024 GLE, GLS, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, GLC, CLS, AMG GT, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The fuel pump may shutdown, causing a loss of drive power.
The risk
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 28, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on February 23, 2024, April 19, 2024, June 28, 2024, August 9, 2024, October 1, 2024, and December 2, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 23V-445.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 79,676 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

23V463000 · June 30, 2023

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C300 and 2023 AMG C43 vehicles. The ground connections for the electrical wiring harness may not be secured properly, which can result in the electrical wiring harness overheating.
The risk
An overheated wiring harness can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the ground connections for the electrical wiring harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6373. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023070016, 2023070017, 2023070018, and 2024070016.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 1,558 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

23V462000 · June 30, 2023

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C300 and 2023 AMG C43 vehicles. The transmission wiring harness may be the incorrect length, which can result in harness damage and a loss of drive power.
The risk
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the transmission wiring harness routing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6373. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023070015.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 8,178 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

23V445000 · June 26, 2023

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2023 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS, SL, GT, GLC, GLE, GLS, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The fuel pump may shutdown, which can result in a loss of drive power.
The risk
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 14, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023070012.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 143,551 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 22.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 10 45%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 23%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 23%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 18%
ENGINE 2 9%
TIRES 2 9%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 5%
POWER TRAIN 1 5%
STRUCTURE 1 5%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 10.

2023 2025
2023 to 2025

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 2,000 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes C300. The contact stated that while traveling over a pedestrian crosswalk, the emergency braking mode was engaged. The accelerator pedal was applied but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle went into restricted mode. A Hyundai Elantra crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The driver in the Hyundai stated that the brake lights were not illuminated. There was no air bag deployment or fire. A police report was filed. The contact who was occupying the front passenger seat sustained an injury to her neck and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there were no restricted mode codes located.

NHTSA complaint 11520942, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash

On 2/17/24 the vehicle was parked in front of my house. There is a slight grade. The vehicle had been parked for approximately 1 hour when my neighbor called me to tell me that the vehicle had rolled down the hill and into his storage building. The vehicle rolled on its own. I have video evidence that no one was in or around the car at the time of this occurrence. I also, have 2 eyewitnesses who can corroborate this story. Due to safety concerns, I immediately returned the vehicle to Mercedes. I have .MOV files and pictures JPEG that will not upload for some reason.

NHTSA complaint 11577612. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 3,900 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while reversing, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power, stalled and shutoff. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that no cause for the failure was found but updated the software. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 3,900.

NHTSA complaint 11540331. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES:SIDEWALL

towed · 2,000 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 equipped with Bridgestone RFT Tires, Tire Line: Turanza 100, Tire Size: 225/45/R18, DOT Number: VRJ7V4Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the driver's side tire exploded. The contact stated that a "0 PSI driver side front tire" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he observed that the driver's side tire had a portion blown out on the sidewall of the tire. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the blowout had been due to external sources and not tire structural integrity. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was no longer

NHTSA complaint 11543206, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
When going into Reverse the passenger side mirror angles down to see curbs. When putting back into Drive it should be going back up to normal angle, but 20% of the time it does not go back up. If you're driving in the dark you may not know it's reverted back up and get into a car accident. Dealership said there are no issues and a technician stated it goes back up at +9 mph. I've gone over 30 mph driving on public street only to realize it late. I am hoping this gets publicity before an accident occurs due to a defective safety-comfort feature.

NHTSA complaint 11699593. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

28,000 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that on occasion while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped without the brake pedal being depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed twice by the local dealer, and the contact was advised that the Forward Collision Avoidance sensors needed to be recalibrated; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where the vehicle was inspected, and the contact was advised that further diagnostic tests were required to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate

NHTSA complaint 11680376, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving down the highway, no external impact was made. The glass exploded from the inside out. It made a loud boom, it startled me on the highway resulted me to swerving on the road, which would have put me and other drivers at risk. There's plenty other MB drivers reported similar issues that stated. MB has also settled a class action lawsuit regarding such manner. UNKNOWN There were no warning signs prior to the event. The event spontaneous and sudden.

NHTSA complaint 11678947. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On 4 different occasions car brake assist activated causing car to come to an immediate stop and jerk. At stop light as I started to accelerate a left turn car came to an immediate stop almost causing the car behind hit rear end. Brake assist light activated. This happened twice. And twice when in reverse backing out of a parking space and backing into driveway. Dealership notified look at my car and stated they did not see anything wrong. 4th incident happened within 30 minutes after leaving Wilmington Mercedes Benz.

NHTSA complaint 11674663. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
While driving at 60mph my panoramic sunroof completely shattered. Nothing at all hit the sunroof to cause it to shatter. If my sunshade cover had not been on, the glass would have fallen on me while operating my vehicle. This is not only dangerous but unacceptable. It was also a distraction that could have caused an accident. Mercedes did not make me aware of the class action lawsuit they have with the panoramic sunroofs, and I feel that was neglectful on their part. Upon inspection from a service advisor at a Mercedes Benz dealership, they told me something must have hit it (nothing hit it) and want to charge me $4,000 to fix it.

NHTSA complaint 11662742. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES:SIDEWALL

towed · 16,000 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes Benz C300 equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tire Line: P Zero, Tire Size: 255/35/VR19, DOT Number: [XXX] . The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an unknown bumping sound heard. The contact pulled over and noticed that the passenger's side front tire was flat. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The infotainment screen showed a reading of the tire 0 PSI. The contact noticed there was a hole in the tire and the side wall was damaged, and the rim was damaged. The contact depressed the SOS button but received no assistance. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a tire center, but no assistance was provided.

NHTSA complaint 11615020, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mercedes-Benz C 300

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 11 3
2022 25 9
2021 14 7
2020 33 9
2019 66 17
2018 97 18
2017 215 15
2016 285 13
2015 379 11
2014 94 5
2013 258 6
2012 264 6 1
2011 480 6
2010 453 6

Other 2023 Mercedes-Benz models

Every Mercedes-Benz on this site — 216 vehicles, 576 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst