2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300 Unknown Or Other Problems

The driver’s side door handle broke and I was unable to leave the car unless it was unlocked and rolled the window down to open it from the outside through the window. If there was a loss of power and you pulled on the latch and it broke you would be delayed in exiting. There are multiple videos on after market parts to repair the plastic pin that breaks. Tesla seems to be recalling their vehicles for a similar problem recently, why not Mercedes for a known problem????

I drove vehicle to Publix with no problems. When i tried to start vehicle, key turns but car does not start. There is no cranking sound. I called a mechanic friend and after extensive diagnosis he determined it was the ESL Module which controls the steering. Fortunately i was not driving the vehicle when the ESL Module failed. There is a recall on Mercedes Benz c300 from 2012-2017 for the ESL Module problems but the 2011 is not included. It should be recalled since it is a safety hazard and it appears others have had similar problems according to comments on Google. I have a handicapped wife i take care of and having issues with the steering can cause accidents and injuries. There were no messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. There needs to be a recall or further inspection done on the 2011 Mercedes Benz c300. Car will be towed to a Mercedes Benz dealership for Diagnostics.

The ESL or electronic steering lock is a very common issue with this year and model at around the 70k mile mark. You cannot start the car once this goes out and it’s over $2k to fix

Rear subframe , so I went in for an alignment and was quickly notified and denied service due to my rear sub frame being broken. Car is reported to be unsafe by the tire company.no lights etc. My family and I could of seriously been hurt. I can retrieve a statement from dun tire in auburn and from mercedes. They are charging me 641.00 and I'm without a vehicle for 2wks

I just purchased a 2011 Mercedes C300. I was told that for the past 2-3 years the vehicle would constantly bald out the rear 2 tires and would need replaced every 3 months. As I was driving the vehicle I noticed that the rear tires would make weird noises as if it was hutting something. Upon further investigation the rear sub frame is rotted, which based on research appears to be a very common problem with these vehicles. The rear sub frame is rotted in which caused the lower control arms to completely rot off of the frame posing as a serious safety issue for me when driving with my children and a safety issues for others when I drive on the road. On top of that due to the lower control arms completely rotting off the frame it caused the control arms to hit the gas tank which could catch the car on fire. Mercedes has refused to issue this as a recall in due part to their negligence. Customers cannot afford to pay $5000 for a rotted subframe due to negligence from Mercedes. Please research how many vehicles have had rotted subframes for this vehicle. In Germany they will repair the rotted subframe free of charge. Mercedes needs to be held accountable for risking peoples lives.

I was told by 2 different vehicle repair shops that the subframe is broken. I just dropped it off at the Mercedes service shop near me to look at.

The car is not starting. no dashboard no lights no window function no seat function no radio. nothing. Ignition lights are not turning on and the car is dead. Car batteries were newly replaced but understand this could be EIS and Steering lock issues which is common in Mercedes Benz models. Why is Manufacturer not compensating / correcting for common errors on his Models?

my ESL (electronic steering lock. ) has went out when I did research this something that always happened please fix

I was in a collision and the airbags did not deploy. There was a recall on airbags for the Mercedes C300 within the year my vehicle was made, however, the recall did not include my VIN. Also, the sunroof drain is faulty, which was also recalled on other Mercedes C300s within the same production year, again not my VIN, but upon inspection by a certified dealership, it appears to be the same issue as other recalled vehicles.

Recently I was driving and heard a knocking/creaking noise in the left rear. When braking I felt as though I was going to lose control of the vehicle...vehicle appeared to fishtail and pull to the left. I first noticed it on [XXX] when I was driving on the highway in excess of 60 MPH. On [XXX] I brought it to my mechanic (Genesee Auto Repair, 40 Liberty Street, Salem, NH (603)898-1899) and my mechanic informed me that the left rear subframe had rotted out and told me that I should not be driving the car. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating there was a problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The sam box (electrical system fuze panel) located under the hood is in a spot where if the lid isn't on correctly water will drain from the windshield right into the sam box and cause the vehicles electrical system to deploy the steering wheel airbag. That's at least what happened to me. It was raining out that day and I guess I went over a bump that caused the lid of the sam to get out of place. I drove home and the car seat for a few hours. I went out upon unlocking the door as soon as I pulled the handle to open the driver side door the steering wheel airbag blew and the vehicle is now in srs mode. The dealership had told me that it's a design flaw but wants me to pay for the diagnostic. No lights were on and I did not file a police report.

the rear subframe on my car rotted out. Before they called a recall/extended warranty,I paid to have it fixed. Since it is a 2011, I was not about to pay $7,000-$9,000 to get a new one. I made the best decision with the information I had at the time. It broke in June of 2022. I had the car fixed with a used subframe from Atlantic Auto. Once I realized there was FINALLY a recall/Extended warranty, I submitted All necessary paperwork and have been denied. I wrote to Mercedes Benz Corporate office. They contacted the Warwick store. Went back and forth All summer and they have refused to reimburse me the &2,299. that I spent to fix the car. It says the decision is made on a case by case review. They have denied my claim. I have all the correspondence between myself and Mercedes Benz.

Over the weekend my vehicle driver side interior door handle became inoperable not allowing me to open my door from the inside. The handle flaps back & forth with no connect to the inside of door panel not making be able to get out of my vehicle. I was stuck & had to climb over to passenger side to get out. It only opens from outside . It has been functioning well for the life of me owning the vehicle, never giving me any problem until now, suddenly with no warning that it was breaking. My Mercedes dealer said I need a whole door panel & they have had several calls from other C300 owners where this handle broke also recently. So they are aware & admitted so. This is a recall or factory defect in my eyes. Also I looked online & this is very common because of a plastic not metal part Mercedes uses . Is this not unsafe enough to be recalled? It’s a no brainer! Not bein able to exit your vehicle at all. I was so scared and shocked a car of this class has this safety issue and they do not do a thing to their owners to fix it, its on owner and their pockets. This should be taken care of immediately for free. Are they waiting for someone to have an accident and lose their life to act on replacing this problem?! Again I feel this is a major safety recall that needs to be addressed ASAP. Safety, peace of mind, accessibility to exit/enter your vehicle. If no one can help you from the outside, you have to climb out from passenger side or thru the back of the vehicle. You can open your window too, but what if that jams electrically ….you are stuck. $900 plus labor should not be on me but should be in Mercedes hands to value my life & others lives more than any price as a standard part of their fleet of cars they have driving across USA. High end luxury car w/a faulty door handle that leaves you unable to get out, unbelievable ! Has safety hazard written all over it. I have a video & submitted a pic of my issue. This is my second MB I owned and I never had this danger occur.

2011 C300 4matic Sport I'm very concerned about the front subframe after going over the invoice and everything that was replaced on the rear subframe due to a recall Mercedes issued. But wait doesn't the whole subframe have severe rust corrosion all throughout yes it does per mechanic/technician. I'm having steering issues while driving the vehicle when applying the breaks the vehicle pulls very hard to the left the whole car swerves to the left very dangerously. After getting it checked out the mechanic/ technician pointed out that the control arm snapped from the Front subframe due to severe corrosion. I'm not understanding how the recall was only for the rear subframe only. The whole entire subframe is severely rusted. Front subframe which may experience premature wear of the front axel carrier and a fracture risk, potentially resulting in sudden loss of steering control. After internal endurance testing determined the front axle carrier supplied for certain Mercedes SUV’s and cars may weaken prematurely. An investigation revealed the root cause of the problem was due to a manufacturing defect in which the parts did not receive proper corrosion protection. My front subframe did not receive the proper corrosion protection. It's available for inspection. It's currently still at the dealership due to being unsafe to drive. I'm having steering issues while driving the vehicle when applying the breaks the vehicle pulls very hard to the left the whole car swerves to the left very dangerously. The problem has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle or component has Not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives. Only Dealer and independent service center did the inspection. No warning indicators no other symptoms, this issue took place around February - March of 2023. When I received the letter about the subframe recall I was excited thinking the issue would be fixed. But No it's unsafe

There is a crack in the flange causing a fuel leak in my C300 2011 Mercedes-Benz built March 2011. A strong gas smell fills the car. This situation is extremely dangerous and should be included in the recall that was approved for vehicles C300 manufactured from April 2011-July 2011. Please include my vehicle in this recall. There is only a one month difference.

The control arm is currently freely hanging. The reverse subframe rusted out where the control arm connects to it causing severe swaying when braking.

I have a 2011 Mercedes C300 that I purchased as a Certified Vehicle - this car was purchased at The Mercedes Dealer in Kansas City. I believe I purchased it around 2013 - I have recently found out that the rear sub frame is completely rusted out. I have had the car repaired at my auto shop - Not a MB dealership, as there was not a dealership that was able to see the car in any reasonable amount of time and the car was not safe to drive. The only way I found out about this rusted out subframe was due to the control arm breaking off - This car was very dangerous to drive and in essence, it is probably a good thing that the control arm broke as this could have resulted in a loss of steering on the vehicle and a very dangerous accident! I have been reading online and speaking with MULTIPLE people who have had the same situation with this rear subframe. This is CLEARLY an issue with MB and clearly an issue that they have been made aware of. When I called the NMB service department they were a month out to just look at the car - and the part is on back order I was told - which CLEARLY indicates a lot of these rear sub frames are being replaced. I am attaching various articles / forums online that I just, at a glance, composed a list of. There are a TON of stories of these sub frames rusting out for various models. Seems to be tied mostly to the C300 vehicles. I am attaching pictures of this rusted out subframe and an invoice that I paid to have the car repaired for this issue. The ironic thing is when I was at this auto shop, there was another C300 sitting out front that had just had the same rusted out subframe replaced. Mercedes has a recall in Canada for this SAME issue and other countries have acknowledged this is a major safety issue. A rear subframe should not rust out and leave the driver with no way to steer the car. Mercedes has refused to acknowledge this is an issue in the US.

rear subframe rotted and broke

I have a 2011 C300 Sport that I purchased end of the lease (3yr.). The car was never driven in the winter for 4 seasons and most recently just the last 3 winters. Complete frame rot on the rear driver's side. Rot was noticed by my mechanic at the last oil change. He said he is replacing three rear frames for customers as soon as he can get parts. Parts are limited and only in Germany. I want it repaired with genuine parts. If the frame separates while the vehicle is at highway speeds, operator control can be compromised. The brake line which attaches to the frame has ruptured in many cases from what I have read. I called MB customer service and there is no recall at this time. I called the local dealer and they have been replacing quite a few frames with the same issue. This is a dangerous failure and if I remeber correctly about 8-10 years ago Toyota recalled trucks and SUVs for frame replacement.

I had a thumping sound in the rear of my 2011 Mercedes C300. I took it to our import car repair shop and found out that the rear subframe assembly was rusted out and needed to be replaced. They felt that since it was close to the fuel tank that they didn't feel safe letting me drive it. The car is in excellent shape otherwise and the mechanic said that this is the 2nd one like this that he's recently seen. Looking online, I've seen a number of complaints about the very same issue in Mercedes C300's from 2009-2014.

The rear suspension subframe rotted. The car has 140,000 miles and is kept in a garage. There was no warning regarding the damage. I nearly lost control of my car on a highway, it was I reported this to Mercedes to see if there was a recall. There was no recall on the part, Mercedes did not take responsibility for repairs. I paid to have the car repaired. There were no warning lamps that alerted me to the problem. The car was towed to a Mercedes dealer and I opened a claim with Mercedes.

VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY EMITTING GAS VAPORS INSIDE VEHICLE AND LEAKING GAS INSIDE BEHIND AND/OR UNDERNEATH BACK DRIVER SIDE SEAT. VIN (XXXX) REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Mileage: 125,000

MY CAR SOUND LIKE THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE IT'S VERY LOUD. ALSO SECONDARY AIR FLOW JUST REPLACED AND NOW IT'S GOING TO NEED ANOTHER ONE AT 2000 A POP. FINALLY THE ELECTRICS IS VERY WEIRD. LIGHTS WILL GO OUT THEN COME BACK ON. MY DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS STAY ON DAY AND NIGHT NO MATTER WHERE I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH. THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHT IS ON EVEN WHEN I TURN ON HIGH BEAMS. NO MATTER IF IT'S MOVING OR NOT ALL THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

I WASN'T DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH AND THE CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL BY ITSELF AND STAYED THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE HARD SHOULDER AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED TO ME 4 TIMES IN TOTAL. I SCANNED IT AND THEY SAID IT'S THE SPEED SENSOR INSIDE THE CONDUCTOR PLATE WHICH ENTIRELY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED BY MERCEDES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE A CAR GOING INTO NEUTRAL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY IS DANGEROUS TO OTHER DRIVERS WHICH CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT THAT CAN TAKE YOUR LIFE. MANY OTHER CARS WITH THE 722.6G TRANSMISSION HAS IT AND MERCEDES KNOWS ABOUT IT. BY THE WAY, THE VEHICLE WASN'T IN MOTION WHILE ALL THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED.

Mileage: 70,100

REPORTING A KNOWN MECHANICAL FAILURE TO ENGINE FROM APPARENT DESIGN OF ENGINE. 8/2017' VEHICLE HAD COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WITH <50000 MILES, A REPLACEMENT ENGINE WAS INSTALLED AT MY EXPENSE, COMPLAINT FILED WITH MERCEDES-BENZ AND AFTER INTERNAL REVIEW NO COMPENSATION WAS GRANTED TO CUSTOMER(MYSELF) 1/2018-COMPLETE ENGINE MECHANICAL FAILURE (2ND TIME). <6 MONTH FROM REPLACEMENT. REPORTED COMPLAINT TO MERCEDES-BENZ. COMPANY REFUSES TO COVER COST OF AN APPARENT MECHANICAL 'RECALL' ISSUE. THERE ARE DOCUMENTED MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THIS ENGINE DESIGN RESULTING IN COMPLETE FAILED AND MERCEDES-BENZ REFUSES TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS WITH COST FOR THEIR DESIGN FLAW AND HAS NOT ISSUED A 'RECALL' TO THEIR CONSUMERS/CUSTOMERS.

Mileage: 46,000

TAKATA RECALL MY DEALERSHIP (LOKEY MERCEDES CLEARWATER FL) SAYS TO EACH OF MY INQUIRIES "PARTS UNAVAILABLE, NO FURTHER INFORMATION" . MERCEDES BENZ THEMSELVES SAY SAME THING PLUS "DRIVE YOUR CAR, THIS RECALL IS A SAFETY PRECAUTION". I DON'T FEEL LIKE A SOLUTION IS IN SIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE TAKATA AIRBAG HAS NOT YET MALFUNCTIONED, I AM DRIVING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CAR. PLEASE HELP.

WE ARE A SMALL FAMILY OWNED CAR LOT THAT HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 2005. WE SOLD A 2011 MERCEDES C300 TO A NICE YOUNG COUPLE LAST WEEK. AFTER ONLY HAVING IT LESS THAN 24 HOURS, THE CUSTOMER CALLED STATING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. SAID WENT TO START THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND CAR WOULD NOT START. THE LIGHTS & RADIO TURNED ON BUT IT HAD A MESSAGE ON DASH TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. WE HAD TO CALL A TOW COMPANY TO TOW IT TO THE MECHANIC AND PUT THEM IN A LOANER CAR. LATER THAT DAY I STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH AND REALIZED MANY MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE AND IT IS COSTING THEM $1600-$1800 TO HAVE THE ESL & EIS REPLACED. IT IS INSANE HOW MANY OF THE SAME ISSUE HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AND REPORTED YET THERE IS NO ACTIVE RECALL ON THIS VERY DANGEROUS, EXPENSIVE ISSUE WITH ON A CAR THAT MANY PEOPLE CAN ONLY DREAM ABOUT HAVING! I WILL ATTACH THE LINK ALSO THAT I FOUND THE OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/MERCEDESBENZ/C300/STEERING-COLUMN-PROBLEMS.PHP

Mileage: 90,000

I WAS CONTACTED YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS AND NO ONE HAS THE REPLACEMENT YET. I ONLY HAVE ONE VEHICLE, SO I WILL NEED A LOANER TOO.

CAR HAS A STRONG SULFUR/ROTTEN EGG SMELL AT ACCELERATION. HAD TO COMPLAIN TO LOCAL MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER SEVERAL TIMES OVER 3 YEARS BEFORE SOMEONE LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP BLAMED AN ACCIDENT IN JAN 2014 FOR PROBLEM, BUT SULFUR SMELL DURING ACCELERATION WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. INSTRUCTED TO TIGHTEN THE SEAL ON THE BUMPER IN OCTOBER 2016. STILL HAVING SULFUR SMELL ENTER CAR WHEN ACCELERATING ESPECIALLY WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON, THOUGH NOT AS STRONG AS BEFORE THE BUMPER SEAL WAS RETIGHTENED. THE SMELL STILL PERSISTS SO THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE.

IF YOU SEARCH THE INTERNET YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY THIS ENGINEERING FLAW. THERE IS A BEARING IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT FAILS AND THEY ARE AWARE AND WILL NOT REPLACE IT COSTING THE CONSUMER 1000S OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR. THE BEARING NORMALLY FAILS AT 50000 TO 90000 MILES SOME FAIL SOONER. MANY HAVE CONTACTED THE COMPANY AND WERE TREATED POORLY AND BASICALLY THE COMPANY DOES NOT CARE. WE JUST HAD OUR REPLACED LAST WEEK COSTING US 5200.00 PLEASE CHECK THE WEB YOU WILL FIND A LOT OF INFORMATION. MERCEDES KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE AND EVEN RESOLVED IT IN IT'S REBUILDS OF THE TRANSMISSION BUT HAVE NOT OFFERED A RECALL AND THIS IS WRONG AND WE SHOULD ALL GET OUR MONEY BACK BECAUSE IT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUES AS YOUR TRANSMISSION COULD SEIZE .

Mileage: 50,000

"TAKATA RECALL" I HAVE A MERCEDES BENZ C300 2011 A PROBLEM OCCURRED WHERE YOU TURN THE KEY AND IT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE AND STEERING WHEEL LOCK.EVERYTHING ELSE WORKED LIKE LIGHTS,RADIO,BATTERY. I WAS DRIVING ONE MOMENT STOPPED AND PARKED FOR LESS THAN 5 MINUTES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S QUITE A FEW OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. YOU CAN CHECK ON THIS LINK HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/MERCEDESBENZ/C300/STEERING-FAILED-PROBLEMS.PHP I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NEEDS TO GET FIXED.

THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ACCIDENT AS IT INVOLVED A POLICE CHASE OF A FELON WHO RAN A RED LIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. MY CAR WAS HIT ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE AND IS DEEMED TOTALED. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN MY VEHICLE AND I REQUIRED EMERGENCY TRANSPORT TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. THIS ALSO INVOLVED A POLICE SHOOTING INCIDENT WITH THE DEATH OF THE OTHER DRIVER. THE VEHICLE IS PENDING TOWING TO A SALVAGE YARD.THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS A QUESTION OF DEFECTIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND FUTURE POTENTIAL INJURY TO OTHERS.

Mileage: 47,000

I NOTICE THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY SOAKED WITH WATER AFTER A NIGHT OF HEAVY RAIN. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A FEW DAYS I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE IS A DRAIN HOSE FROM THE SUNROOF THAT IS CLOGGED AND THE REPAIRS WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I INFACT WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY AND WAS ADVISED BY THE SAME SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT CAME IN THAT SAME MORNING WITH THE SAME ISSUE!!! I THEN CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ USA, SINCE THIS INFACT SEEMS LIKE A DESIGN FLAW OR VEHICLE DEFECT WHICH CAN DAMAGE THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS I THEN CONTACTED THE CASE MANAGER AGAIN AT MERCEDES BENZ AND WAS ADVISED THAT AFTER REVIEWING THE CASE THEY WILL NOT ASSIST WITH ANY REPAIRS. I WAS ALSO OFFERED A $1000 TO PURCHASE OR LEASE A NEW VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST WITH DEFECT IN THE CURRENT VEHICLE. THIS ISSUED SHOULD BE A RECALL CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT IT IS IN NO WAY THE FAULT OF THE OWNER THESE VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED WITH A DEFECT AND HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR REPAIRS. THESE VEHICLES ARE VERY EXPENSIVE AND YOU WOULDNT EXPECT THIS MAJOR REPAIR AFTER JUST 4 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP.

Mileage: 72,000