2001 Mercedes Benz C Class

Routine

Owners filed 14 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System3
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Suspension1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Nov 20, 201093,100 milesCA

BATTERY DRAIN, SEEMS TO COME FROM DEFECT IN SEAT CONTROLLER MODULE. SEE 19 PAGES OF FORUM: HTTP://WWW.BENZWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/W203-C-CLASS/1196568-MERCEDES-C320-BATTERY-DRAIN-11.HTML MERCEDES C240 2001, BUT MANY OTHER MODELS AND YEARS AFFECTED. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jul 7, 20101,284,000 milesFL

2001 MERCEDES C240. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS AND THE ACCELERATOR FAILED. THE ENGINE WOULD GO FULL THROTTLE WHEN IN GEAR. SHE HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MECHANIC. HE FOUND THE CAR COMPUTER HAD SAID THE ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR WAS BAD. A NEW ACCELERATOR WAS PUT IN AND NO MORE PROBLEM. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Jan 28, 2010100,000 milesNC

MERCEDEZ BENZ C 240 YEAR 2001 HAS MANY DEFECTS THAT REQUIRED SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS . THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY HELP.*CW

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Apr 20, 200911,400 milesTX

APRIL NOV 2004, I PURCHASED A 2001 C240 MERCEDES FROM PRINCETON MERCEDES IN NEW JERSEY. ONE MONTH AFTER DRIVING THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AS IF IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATED. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK IN FOR REPAIR. THEY TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. HOWEVER 4/19/08 I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM OF DECELERATION WHILE DRIVING I WAS TOLD THIS TIME THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING AND I BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM 4 YEARS AGO; HOWEVER THEY DID NOT WAS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I WANT TO KNOW WAS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT ON THESE TYPES OF CARS. I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL CHAT ROOMS AND THERE ARE VARIOUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THE CAR WILL STOP IN TRAFFIC OR ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT NOTICE. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A GAS STATION: HOWEVER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS MAJOR TRAFFIC BUMPER TO BUMPER. I WANT THIS PROBLEM RESEARCHED. I BELIEVED THAT MERCEDES KNEW ABOUT A FLAW WITH THIS TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Apr 15, 200972,193 milesOH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ C240. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A CRANKSHAFT CENTER AND THERMOSTAT ISSUE. THE CRANKSHAFT CENTER CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND IT WOULD NOT START UNTIL THE ENGINE COOLED OFF. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $700. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH SHOWED THAT ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD ALSO BE NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,193.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Jan 14, 2008115,000 milesMD

STALLING IN TRAFFIC CAUSED BY FAILURE OF CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *TR

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed May 16, 200775,000 milesWA

THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FAILED IN THE C-240, 2006. I CALLED FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSIS, AND WAS GIVEN A DATE THAT PUT THE CAR JUST OUT OF EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. I DISCOVERED THIS AFTER THE FACT. I HAD ASSUMED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER JUST NEEDED CHARGING AGAIN, AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED. IF I HAD ANY IDEA THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE A $3,000.00 FOR REPAIRS. I WOULD HAVE RUSHED BACK IN DECEMBER 2005 WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH FOGGED WINDOWS.*AK

Unknown or Other
Filed May 23, 2006FL

2001 C240 CEILING FABRIC SAGS. *TS THE FABRIC IN THE CONSUEMR'S DAUGHTER IN LAWS 2002 C240 ALSO SAGS ANS IS ONLY BEING HELP UP BY THE INTERIOR LIGHT***NAR***

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed May 11, 200410,168 milesNJ

VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH 2001 MERCEDES C240. *MR THE KEYLESS ENTRY REMOTE FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER AIMED TOO HIGH. THE FM RADIO RECEPTION WAS POOR. THE CLUTCH WAS RUBBING. THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH.

Electrical System
Filed Mar 29, 200431,384 milesCA

STEERING WHEEL LOOSE AND MAKING NOISE WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT, DEALER FOUND POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKING AND WAS REPLACED. NEXT DAY ENGINE LIGHT ON,ABS SYSTEM FAILS, ESP ELEC,STABILITY,PROGRAM FAILS, BAS BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM FAILS, THE CAR DOES NOT CHANGE GEAR AND WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED EVENTHOUGH I'M PRESSING HARD ON THE GAS PEDAL. DEALER ATTEMPTED FIXING THE PROBLEM 4X AND STILL THERE FOR THE 5TH TIME. EACH TIME THEY FIND DIFFERENT CAUSES LIKE CRACKED THRUST ARMS AND WAS REPLACED. THEN THEY SAID THERE'S AN OPEN CIRCUIT AT THE RIGHT SPEED CENSOR AND THEY REPLACED RIGHT REAR SPEED SENSOR.ANOTHER CAUSE FOUND CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR OPEN CIRCUIT.. IGNITION SYSTEM REPLACED. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash
Filed Mar 20, 2004CO

VEHICLE BREAKDOWNS. *JB

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jan 15, 200417,700 milesCA

AFTER LEAVING MY 2001 CLK320 MERCEDES AT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS NOTIFIED THAT MY BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE REQUIRING PADS/ROTORS AND OTHER RELATED ITEMS ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT EVERY 1000 MILES OR SO, A LIGHT BULB OR SOMETHING ELECTRICAL WILL FAIL AND I USUALLY FIND THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND GET THE PROBLEM FIXED. THE BRAKE SYSTEM (WHICH IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY) WAS THE LAST STRAW! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A 50,000 DOLLAR AUTOMOBILE WITH ONLY A LITTLE OVER 17,000 MILES ON IT.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jan 23, 2003NY

VEHICLE HAS STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY TWICE. ONCE HE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A GROUNDING PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME HE HAD IT TOWED, HE WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM. THEN HE BEGUN TO HAVE PROBLEMS OPENING THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY, THEN ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS OPEN THEN IT WOULD NOT ENTER THE IGNITION TO START THE AUTO. HE THINKS THIS CAR IS A LEMON. VEHICLE IS A MERCEDES C20, 2001. TS

Suspension
Filed Apr 29, 2002FL

C240 MODEL. THERE IS VIBRATION AND A SLAPPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 35-70 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES EXCESSIVELY AS WELL. TIRES WERE REPLACED, WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED AND CAMBER / CASTER WERE ADJUSTED HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXIST. CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD THAT HIS DRIVING HABITS AND THE VARIABLE WEATHER CHANGES CAUSED THE PROBLEM. *TT

14 of 14 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20121000Routine
200813120Routine
20069200Routine
20055200Routine
200415120Routine
20039000Routine
200231020Routine
2001 — this page14000Routine
20008000Routine
19997100Routine
19986100Routine
19973010Routine
19966100Routine
199549021Fatalities reported
199415050Routine
19911000Routine

Compare every C Class year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.