2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Structure

Interior door handle becomes inoperative due to breaking of some internal element. This prevents leaving the vehicle. Of concern is that in case of emergency, the occupant cannot exit the vehicle. If power is affected, the windows cannot be lowered which is the only way to exit using the exterior door handle. This is a well known defect of this series of Mercedes Benz to which the manufacturer has not accepted responsibility.

So i was using my car daily for go to work and I was on the highway and they happened a accident in front of me so I have to slow down due to the accident i was going 70 miles per hour and when made a hard break my car turn sideways due to the rear subframe was broke and I dint even notice that the part was rotten they i start looking online and I noticed that the majority of those car come with that factory issue.

Took my 2011 C300 4matic to a local mechanic after I noticed a dramatic pulling sensation to the left after braking. After mechanic's inspection, I was informed that the rear subframe was rotted out and that the vehicle is unsafe to drive. I still have the car available for inspection of the rear subframe. The rear subframe caused the pull to the side under braking, which alone could cause an accident. Since it also connects the suspension to the frame of the car, at any point a critical suspension component could break off from the subframe, likely causing total loss of control of the car and potentially an accident. I also took the car to a Mercedes-Benz dealership where they confirmed that the rear subframe would need to be replaced and that the car was not safe to drive. I contacted Mercedes-Benz corporate, but received no support. I was only informed that they are aware of this issue, but they will not assist in any way since there is no recall issued. I provided them with copies of the quote from the dealership.

Good morning. I previously reported incident [XXX] about a subframe issue w/ my 2011 Mercedes Benz C-300. This morning I received a warranty extension from the originally expired 4 years/50,000 mile to 20 years/unlimited miles. The notice says that repairs must be performed by an authorized Mercedes Benz dealership. I had the auto fixed privately and filed the NHTSA request. I called their CS and was told that I would need to visit a dealership, but to be honest I think that would be fruitless. Can MB be compelled to reimburse me for the cost incurred? Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

While driving down the highway at approximately 55mph, my car abruptly swerved left nearly causing an accident with the vehicle in the opposite line. My car was taken to my personal mechanic where he found the rear subframe to be completely broken on the left side due to severe rusting. Luckily the break lines were not damaged during the breakage. I investigated this issue online and it seems to be a very common issue in which no recall has been issued. This is a very serious safety issue that very easily could have resulted in a fatality on myself or other and future failures. It is my understanding that Mercedes Benz has a 30-year corrosion warranty but the subframe is not covered. How can this be?

Subframe rots prematurely. Known issue to Mercedes Benz and has been recalled and covered in both Germany and Canada.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH and slowing for traffic, the rear end of the vehicle started to drift to the right. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear driver’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had driven the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the entire rear subframe needed to be replaced due to extensive corrosion. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300.The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was swinging from side to side. The contact desperately pumped the brake pedal, and the vehicle was able to stop swinging. The contact checked the vehicle and notice that the subframe was fractured on the driver’s and passenger’s side rear. The dealer was contacted and stated that they were aware of the failure; however, there was no recall on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 101,058.

The contact's son owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while his son was reversing, he heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated that the ABS, the traction control, and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The driver called the contact and made him aware of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the rear subframe was fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

A dealer inspection found a rusted away rear subframe with holes in it and near total failure and undriveable. The part is being removed by a dealer and its whereabouts after that will be unknown. Garage kept and continually cleaned a car such as this should not experience the visible decay it has after such a short time. A defect definitely existed in the sub-par metal products used during production. This issue presents a catastrophic situation if not realized in time. A factory recall is in order.

I recently noticed a noise coming from the left rear side os the car when I would go over the slightest bumps. I was scheduled to have my breaks replaced and when the auto was on the lift, the mechanic noticed that the frame was cracked. The auto has never been involved in any serious accidents. I did some searching on Mercedes Benz forums and there are several references of similar occurrences. Those reporting the issue after visiting a dealer have hinted it's a known issue and caused by Winter weather. This doesn't seem reasonable for a car that is not new, but after 11 years shouldn't be happening. I am needing to proceed w/ the repair as the car has many more years of use, but would like to report this issue and if determined to be subject to a recall, be compensated for the whole/partial cost of any reasonable repair costs. Kind regards,

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while having a routine brake service performed, the contact was informed that the driver’s side rear subframe was rusted. The contact was informed that the failure might puncture the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 157,000.

I am contacting you about a certified pre-owned car I had purchased from Mercedes Benz Cincinnati. Following my most recent routine maintenance visit to the dealer, I received an email from Mercedes stating that they had identified that the rear subframe on my Mercedes C300 4Matic needed replacement and it was not safe to drive. It turns out that the two joints on the subframe were corroded. This type of a problem is not expected for a professionally maintained certified car by Mercedes that is at 58,481 miles. The issue has nothing to do with standard wear and tear, or user negligence, and it stems from the material used in the specific component. There is no other area on the vehicle that is displaying even the slightest amount of corrosion. The mechanic said that this is to do with the properties of the materials selected for the manufactured part, they have been seeing many cars of the same year with the same exact problem, and if the subframe joints were to break while the car is in motion, it could potentially cause a fatal accident. There were no warning lamps, message or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I contacted Mercedes and asked them to address this problem. After months of back and forth, I was told there were no safety recalls, and the car was out of standard warranty period. I was also told that the part was not currently available (and was on back order). As you may know, the subframe's job is to distribute high local loads over a wider area of the body structure and its failure could result in fatal accidents. The internet is full of customer complaints on this issue, yet there are no safety recalls issued.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was pulling to the right. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that the rear subframe of the vehicle had sustained severe rusting and corrosion causing the vehicle to pull to the right while braking. The contact was advised that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.

The rear subframe rusted out at 115k miles and it completely cracked. No other sign of rust on the vehicle. Kept in the garage. Definite safety issue.

Rear subframe of vehicle completely rotted/rusted out and destroyed. Was driving at around 60mph and all of the sudden, went to step on the brakes and the car swerved across the highway uncontrollably. Initially thought this was my brakes, but turns out, it is the rear subframe. Took it to a mechanic who said the car is not drivable and showed me how badly the subframe is destroyed. This is due to a Mercedes Benz manufacturing issue where they tried cost cutting which turned out very poor quality materials for this very important assembly. My car only has ~90,000 miles and is just about 10-11 years of age. This issue should never happen for a vehicle with such low miles and such a short life, especially from a prominent and distinguished automotive company. This is a MASSIVE SAFETY CONCERN, and I am lucky that I was not involved in a major accident where people were killed or seriously injured. I have research online about this problem, and turns out, it is VERY COMMON with this body style c300 ('08 - '14). There are hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals within the USA who are having this exact same issue with as little as 60,000 miles. Most are happening around the 90,000 mile mark however. It is astonishing how this subframe was not recalled by now and how Mercedes USA has not taken responsibility for this. In fact, this is a known issue by the manufacturer, and has actually been recalled in Canada (but not the USA?).. This issue needs to be addressed and recalled IMMEDIATELY before people are killed or seriously injured, and before more of these parts break. Please look into this very soon and contact me with any questions.

when braking the back of the car all of a sudden tried to break out to the right. After towing it to the dealer I was told that the subframe was broken due to corrosion. The car is otherwise in good condition without any visible sign of corrosion. When searching the internet for the problem I learned that a lot of these cars have the same issue and that there are recalls for it in Canada and Europe. I'm just glad that I didn't get into a bad accident, since this came without warning and the dealer didn't make me aware of the problem even though I did every service for the car with them for the last almost 12 years.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the rear of the vehicle swerved. The driver pulled over to the side of the roadway. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,500.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for a brake inspection, the mechanic informed him that the subframe was corroded, causing the vehicle to fishtail while braking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 108,500.

This car was taken to a local Mercedes Benz dealership for repairs. Upon inspection, the dealer ship stated that the rear subframe was rusted on the vehicle and it was not safe to drive. Typically, frames do not rust out in 11 years and 110,000 miles on the car. I called Mercedes Benz to ask about this problem and their customer service representative immediately asked if this was the rear subframe. This tells me that Mercedes Benz has had numerous calls about this issue before. The Service Advisor at Germain Mercedes Benz stated that he had seen this issue on multiple occasions. We went to an independent service shop for a second opinion and they also stated that they had made this repair on this model of car. We have a strong suspicion that Mercedes is aware of this problem and has done nothing with it.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact indicated that while driving at various speeds, a knocking noise was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, while abruptly braking the vehicle would pull to the left. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear subframe was fractured. The cause of the subframe failure was not determined and no further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.

driver door handle is loose

2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300. CONSTITUENT WRITES REGARDING SUBFRAME CORROSION SAFETY RECALL ON VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WOULD NOT TAKE RESPOSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED A GOOD WILL INCENTIVE OF $500.00 TOWARDS A USED VEHICLE OR 1000.00 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE.

I was told by the Service Department at the Fredericksburg, Va Mercedes Dealership/Service Department on October 29, 2021 that the Rear Sub Frame had rusted out and needed to be replaced. This apparently affects the basic functioning/stability of the car, handling, alignment and breaking. This is apparently an "known" issue with this car and was recalled in Canada, but not the USA. The car was inspected for Virginia registration/etc. in July 2021, so I am not sure when this defect became "obvious". However, I was told in April/May 2021 during basic maintenance that the breaks were wearing unevenly. I cannot provide a specific date of exactly when the car was not "handling properly".

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR SUB-FRAME HAD CRACKED AND SEPARATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT YET CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000