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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
86,592 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Owner Comments (Page 5 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #141

Oct 192015

C300

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Update: Oct 19, 2015 my car wouldn't turn over. The lights, radio and battery were fine. I tried to jump the car just in case (it wasn't the battery) had the car towed to the dealership the next day. The following day the dealership informed me it was the eis switch (electronic steering lock). Price tag $1212 and some change.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #140

Oct 192015

C300

  • 68,018 miles
My 2008 C300 was parked. I came outside to head out and my ignition would not turn over but all lights, radio, seat, etc were working just fine. Windows and sunroof don't work. My car is stopped at 68,018 miles.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #139

Oct 172015

C300

  • 96,000 miles
2nd time with same eis issue in one year. Ignition would not turn over but all lights, radio, etc were working just fine. It cost me $1300 to get it fixed the first time after having it towed to a dealership. Was not covered by warranty. A year later I have to do it all over again"!"! it is ridiculous that Mercedes does not recall this issue as it is so common after reading so many posts about it.

- Jersey City, NJ, USA

problem #138

Sep 102015

C300

  • 103,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Drove my car home and it ran fine. The next morning the car would not start. Dash lights and radio came on but engine would not turn over. Took my vehicle to dealer and found out it was the eis switch that is bad which seems to fail in the model. It cost me $1500 to replace switch. Mercedes needs to do a recall or reimburse for repairs because there are over 2,000 complaints on this part and year vehicle.

- Cedar Hill, TX, USA

problem #137

Oct 122015

C300

  • 51,000 miles
Ignation switch complely dead. Battery ok. Vehicale was in my driveway. Used vehicale in morning ran fine. Went used vehicale afternoon. Ignation switch complely dead. They must be recall on this ignation switch problem. Please look into this matter.

- Malverne, NY, USA

problem #136

Oct 022015

C300

  • miles
Having problems with the electronic ignition switch and/or steering wheel locking mechanism. Vehicle will not start. This is a problem with many C 300's

- Cleveland Heights, OH, USA

problem #135

Oct 032015

C300

  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300. While driving approximately 30 mph, the fuel gauge failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 08V303000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.

- Indianopolois, IN, USA

problem #134

Sep 302015

C300

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300. While driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch or the computer system needed to be replaced or updated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic steering ignition and lock needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.

- New Jersey City, NJ, USA

problem #133

Sep 122015

C300

  • 86,400 miles
Same issue as literally thousands of others are complaining of...car fails to start due to either a faulty steering wheel ignition lock or eis not recognizing the key and therefore not starting. It has happened twice to me, dealer service advisor knew immediately and even guessed at the model and year of my vehicle, which tells me that this is a prevalent issue, supported by the thousands of posts I have read on various forums. This is a potential safety nightmare waiting to happen, similar in nature, if not scope, to the GM ignition switch recall! the same thing could happen if the failure occurs at highway speed.

- Marshfield, MO, USA

problem #132

Aug 192015

C300

  • 86,381 miles
Last week 8/11/2015 I drove to the lumbar store, parked the car and upon returning to the car, the key turned completely to the right, the dash lights came on, the ringing noise sounded, but the car did not turn over, nothing happened. The dash read remove the key from ignition. I called my mechanic with the issue and he said use your key fob to lock and unlock the car; that did not work, still nothing. I called the tow company the battery was fully charged ( I purchased it last year 2014). The tow company disabled the cable to the battery waited 30 seconds and reconnected the battery, still the key would not turn the engine over. Because the lumber yard locked their gate at 5 pm the car was scheduled to be towed the next morning. The car started the next morning, I allowed the tow company to tow it anyway and have their mechanic assess the problem. Thorough-out the day the tow mechanic attempted to turn the car on and determined the car would intermittently start. The next day I drove the car to a foreign car service shop, they stated the eis system is not always recognizing the key and only a mb dealership can fix ignition related problems. I called and got a quote, the eis part and labor will cost me $872.31 includes taxes (assuming this is the problem). As a note, I used my other key and still had the same problem. This morning I used the key I always use and it started. Off to the mb dealership.

- N Charleston , SC, USA

problem #131

Aug 152015

C300

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car has faulty steering lock and has to be replaced at a high expense. This seems to be a very common problem as I learned visiting various websites and forums.

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #130

Dec 122014

C300 6-cyl

  • 64,890 miles
These parts pose a risk vehicle safety and may exist on other vehicles of this design and manufacture. Please review air bags, steering lock. Electrical main system. And tires used on this car.....updated 03/15/16 updated 03/17/16.

- Miami Gardens, FL, USA

problem #129

Aug 052015

C300

  • 63,000 miles
Car would not start, locked in park. Battery checked ok. Alternate key did not start car. Appears to be electronic ignition switch -- which will require replacement. Noted many online forum similar complaints, along with the below mbusa campaign. Campaign no. 2008020003, March 2008 subject: Model 204, model year 2008 replace electronic ignition switch daimler ag has determined that the eis may malfunction preventing the electric steering lock and the central locking from functioning. Dealers will replace the eis on the affected vehicles during the next workshop visit.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #128

Mar 032015

C300

  • 91,319 miles
The key locks and unlocks the doors the lights come on and the dash lights up. You can insert and turn the key but the car will not start. The stering wheel is locked and it is stuck in park. I tried power jumping and it did nothing, I didn't think the battery was the problem but had it checked anyways. The battery checked out fine. I check the fuses that are associated with the starter and all was fine also. Only thing left was get it towed to the Mercedes dealership, found out that the steering wheel lock issue is a common thing with my car model, eis failure seems increasingly common on 2008 models for some reason.

- Miramar, FL, USA

problem #127

Aug 022015

C300

  • 104,000 miles
When I left the gym my car wouldn't not start. I had to walk home and have my car towed. Battery is fine but the ignition won't turnover. Bad eis just like the other hundreds of people complain about.

- Princeton, IN, USA

problem #126

Jul 232015

C300

  • 57,000 miles
Car will not start. Very common for this type of problem. The key will not start the engine

- Placentia, CA, USA

problem #125

Jul 032015

C300

  • 65,000 miles
Eis/ steering wheel lock failure. Left stranded for 4 hours.

- Marshfield, WI, USA

problem #124

Jul 062015

C300 6-cyl

  • 102 miles
On July 6, 2015, I left work to go home and my car would not start. This is the third time in three weeks I have had to have my car towed from work due to it not starting. However, this time I had it towed to the Mercedes Benz dealer and was informed I have a faulty eis system that needs $2100 in repairs. I immediately informed them that the car has been shutting down on me for the past three weeks and I don't believe I am the only person having this problem. After being given a loaner car, until I can decide to have the repair work initiated, I found out through online research that Mercedes Benz has known of this problem and has not offered to recall any of the cars affected in the 2008 C300 class or any other class of mb with the same eis problems. It's sad that we allow them to sell us these cars and they wont honor our patronage enough to fix them when the break down as a fault of design by mb. It is absolutely astonishing the number of complaints with this same electrical issues that plague mb C-class cars. The only reason no one has died so far, is because once they cut off you can't start them to drive anywhere..and that leads to safety issues as well!! I heard that some of the electrical problems can be covered under the cam solenoid recall mb has. I plan on checking with my dealer in regards to this on tomorrow...updated 08/24/16

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #123

Jul 032015

C300

  • 35,000 miles
Same as many others, steering lock, wouldn't id key, wouldn't start. Eis problem I believe. $980 to fix with only 35K miles! this is a frequent problem according to the forums I have visited.

- Jamestown, NC, USA

problem #122

Jun 042015

C300

  • 41,000 miles
The electronic steering lock just shutoff. The car came out of comfort while I was driving, the C-in the box-just disappeared off the cluster and I knew this is what happened because it happened three times them started up two days later. This has been a common problem with Mercedes C300 as I read so many complaints and posts.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

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