2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electrical System

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the ignition was not reading the key, and the steering wheel was locked. The message to remove the key from the ignition was displayed. Additionally, the fuel gauge was inoperable and not reading the fuel level. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a locked steering wheel and the steering wheel lock needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were ordered to complete the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,100.

I researched that the sunroofs on these models are faulty and have caused water/electrical damage under the carpeting and seats of the vehicles. That is what has happened with my 2011 C300 Sport.

Melted taillight socket board.

Due to apparently deficient sunroof water drain system design, rainwater and condensation entered the passenger compartment under the carpeting, potentially damaging the vehicle's electrical wiring. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. A dealer has inspected and confirmed the damage. Initial symptoms of the problem were wet carpeting and the sound of water sloshing around under the floor of the passenger compartment.

ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 MY VEHICLE WAS NOT STARTING IN ORDER TO TAKE ME HOME AT 9:40 PM. DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE ESL IN THE STEERING COLUMN I AM NOW FORCED TO WAIT HERE UNTIL A TOW TRUCK COMES. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS LOCATION AND WISH MY VEHICLE WOULD START KNOWING THAT IT HAS THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF VOLTAGE AT THE BATTERY.

I WAS LEAVING WORK. I UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY FOB, PLACED THE KEY FOB IN THE IGNITION, AND IT FAILED TO START. I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITHOUT A WAY TO LEAVE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MY PROBLEM LIES WITHIN A "FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH" THAT ONLY MB CAN REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THE C-CLASS MODELS AND I AM HOPING MB CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE WITH A RECALL.

I AM WRITING TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE DID NOT START AFTER THE KEY WAS PUT INTO THE IGNITION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START AT ALL. THE TOW SERVICE WAS CALLED. THE TOW REPAIR REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THE PROBLEM MAY BE THE "IGNITION SWITCH," AS THE BATTERY WAS FINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE ENTIRE IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST WAS $1214. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. FORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS IN A SECURE PLACE -- THE HOME GARAGE. HOWEVER, HAD IT BEEN IN ANOTHER LOCATION, A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD COULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000 MILES, SO IT IS INCONCEIVABLE AS TO WHY AN IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THIS IS AN ITEM THAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY.

PASSENGER SIDE LOWBEAM LIGHT BURNT OUT APPROX 2 MONTHS AGO, BULB REPLACED. FIVE DAYS AGO PASSENGER SIDE LOWBEAM LIGHT BURNT OUT AGAIN. PARKED CAR AFTER ABOUT A 15 MILE DRIVE, WITHIN 30 MINUTES CAR WAS ON FIRE AND ENTIRE FRONT END BURNT COMPLETELY. SHOULD THERE BE A RECALL FROM MERCEDES FOR FAULTY WIRING TO HEADLIGHTS BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR THEIR HOME DESTROYED IF FIRE STARTS WHILE CAR PARKED IN GARAGE?

SIMILAR TO THE RECALL ISSUE (AND OPEN INVESTIGATION), THE GROUND WIRE FOR THE REAR LEFT TAIL LIGHT OVERHEATED, MELTING THE LIGHT CARRIER.

WE HAVE THE RECALL AND I AM SORRY I DO NOT HAVE THE NUMBER WHERE THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE TAIL LAMPS COULD MELT CATCHING FIRE CAUSING THE REAR LAMP TO GO OUT. MINE HAS DONE SO. MY WIFE DRIVES 35 MILES 1 WAY TO WORK EACH DAY AND BECAUSE IT WAS AT NIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENED I HAD TO GO OUT ON I-64 WHICH IS A 70MPH INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND DO A TEMP FIX SO SEE COULD GET HOME. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHICH AT TIME PARTS WERE NOT AVAILED AND THE DEALER WAS TO CONTACT ME WHEN THEY RE AVAILED, WHICH THE YOUNG LADY EVEN WHEN THEY SENT OUT THE CONTACT BUT DID NOT BOTHER TO TELL THE REST. IT HAD BEEN SO LONG WE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE RECALL AND IT WASN'T TILL WE RECEIVED THE NOTICE ABOUT THE TAKATA INFLATOR RECALL WERE WE INFORMED THAT THE TAIL LAMPS ARE ON RECALL. NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE INFLATOR RECALL AND THAT THE MANUFACTURE HAS TRIED NOTHING TO MAKE US CONFIDANT ABOUT THIS WE FEEL VERY UNSAFE. BACK TO THE TAIL LAMPS WE DID MISS AN APPOINTMENT BUT DID CALL BACK TO GET ANOTHER ONE. WHEN THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAD NO APPOINTMENT ON THIS AND COULD NOT HELP ME WITH ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION I COULD NOT LEAVE THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. I CALLED THE DEALER(TYSINGER MERCEDES)AND THE OFFERED NO SOLUTION AND WAS GIVEN MERCEDES CORPORATE NUMBER SPOKE WITH THE CUSTOMER REP EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANAGERS WHO HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO ME AND NOW I AM IN THE SAME SITUATION AS STARTED. IS THERE ANY THING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME GET TIS MATTER FIXED?

MY 2011 MERCEDES C 300 HAS A FAILED IGNITION LOCK THE CAR STOP ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, I HAD TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK TO PICK IT UP AND TOW TO SHOP $$$ AND I BEGIN TO DO SOME RESEARCH THERE ARE SO MANY CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THIS NEED TO BE ON THE RECALL LIST AND ALSO IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR PLEASE HELP

STEERING WHEEL LOCK MECHANISM FAILURE. IT KEEPS THE CAR FROM STARTING. MY LOCAL DEALER STATED THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE IN MERCEDES. AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, AN ABNORMAL SMOKE ODOR WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO INSKIP MERCEDES, LOCATED AT 1557 BALD HILL ROAD, WARWICK, RI 02886, TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SIGNAL ACQUISITION MODULE MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,282.

MY REAR LEFT TAIL LAMP LIGHTS WAS GOING DIMMER AND NOW IT DOES NOT WORK I CHECKED WIRES AND ONE LOOKS LIKE IT'S BURNING ...I'M NOT SURE

CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD , LOST POWER, STOPPED, ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OFF, PULLED IT TO THE SIDE, FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALER ALTERNATOR GONE BAD, WAITING FOR NEW ONE FOR INSTALATION AT THE DEALER, SURPRISING TO SEE A ALTERNATOR ON MERCEDES GONE WRONG IN 30000 MILES

ELECTRONIC INGITION SYSTEM MALFUNCITON CAR WANT START, ALL LIGHTS ON,RADIO WORKS BATTERY SEEMS TO BE OPERATING , TOOK TO DEALER EIS IS THE ISSUE, COST IS EXTREME, AFTER READING REVIEWS THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES. NO RECALL HAS BEEN AUTHORRIZED...THIS IS AN ISSUE MERCEDEZ BENZ

TOTAL FAILURE OF IGNITION SYSTEM, DROVE THE CAR PARKED IT, WENT TO GET BACK IN 20 MINUTES LATER WOULD NOT START, TRIED BOTH KEYS NO LUCK. CAR WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE EITHER KEY BEING INSERTED INTO IGNITION. 37 DAYS OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY LUCKILY ENOUGH THIS COMPLETE VEHICLE FAILURE HAPPENED AFTER MY WIFE AND I JUST FINISHED A ROAD TRIP TO VIRGINIA, IF THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED AT SOME REST STOP, OR GOD FOR BID WHILE WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD OF BEEN A HUGE SAFETY RISK. *TR

SUN ROOF AND LIGHTS INSIDE THE CAR STOPPED WORKING SUDDENLY CAUSING COMPLETE DARKNESS INSIDE THE CAR AT NIGHT TIME. *TR

PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN AUGUST OF 2011. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS DIED 3 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE IGNITION. THE SECOND TIME, JUST 6 WEEKS AGO, THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG SO AFTER 8 DAYS, THEY GAVE THE CAR BACK TO ME. OF COURSE WHILE THEY HAVE IT, IT STARTS RIGHT UP. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT I WOULD GET IN THE CAR AND IT SIMPLY WOULD NOT START, WON'T LOCK OR UNLOCK AND TRUNK WOULD NOT OPEN. NOT EVEN WHEN I TRIED THE KEY MANUALLY. IT SOUNDS ELECTRICAL TO ME. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, ONE OF THE MECHANICS TOLD ME HE HAD NOT SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH MB IN 25 YEARS. I AM EXTREMELY UNHAPPY AND WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER MB EVER AGAIN. *TR

REPEATEDLY, VEHICLE REFUSES TO START ON FIRST TRY. INSERT KEY, STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKS. TURN IT, ALL LIGHTS COME ON. TURN TO START AND NOTHING HAPPENS. TURN SWITCH ALL THE WAY OFF AND THEN TRY AGAIN AND IT STARTS. *TR

LEFT SIDE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBELY MELTED AND CAUGHT THE TRUNK ON FIRE. I HAVE 10 OF THESE C300S THAT ARE AFFECTED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE SPOKE WITH MERCEDES ON THIS ISSUE AND THEY ARE DECLINING TO DO THE REPAIR AT NO COST. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED NO MATTER WHAT..I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND YET THERE IS NO RECALLS OR TSBS ON THIS ISSUE. ANY HELP ON THIS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.. *TR