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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 6
Average Mileage:
51,312 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.

2003 Mercedes-Benz C240 seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2003 Mercedes-Benz C240 Owner Comments

problem #8

Feb 052017

C240

  • miles

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

Takata recall SRS warning light

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #7

Sep 092015

C240

  • 168,000 miles
Takata recall. Cars with this issue should be part of the recall. I have same exact problem as the 7th complainer.case #10574681. SRS light came on with 1 malfunction. The restraint system. I took it to the workshop to have the scan codes checked. The code reader said that there is a problem with one of the airbags. The mechanic thinks that the airbags are disabled. But the owners manual says there is a possibility that an airbag could go off while driving. I just read that Mercedes included 814000 vehicles in the recall. My car is not included. I think that this car might not be safe to drive. Would you please help out and have an investigation. Thanks in advance. (this I copies and pasted from a recent consumer) I didn't think anything about checking on my Mercedes until I got a recall letter from BMW 2 days ago and thought wow. I need to check no the Benz. I have had this same problem. First the SRS light. Codes are reading safety restraint and wont turn off. Then I have my esp light that came on and when read on the computer, it had read that this was also showing up as a long term problem in the history of this cars computer system. I can pull every paper work ever done to this car. I am the second owner and my close friend is the first owner, who bought it after law school. I have owned it 5 years. This made nervous, so I bought another car. A BMW and kept this one, because she is a great car. However, Mercedes or someone better investigate this issue that seems to be recalled in a biased manner and in safety and death possibilities, Mercedes needs to take care of their loyal customers.my entire family owns and buys these and never changed, because all of our german made and shipped cars have been the best since 1980 of our 1st one we purchased. I bought a BMW. Never again. Please investigate this asap, this is dangerous. I own 2 dangerous expensive cards.

- Sevierville, TN, USA

problem #6

Feb 162016

C240

  • 126,000 miles
Takata recall. Cars with this issue should be part of the recall. I have same exact problem as the 7th complainer.case #10574681. SRS light came on with 1 malfunction. The restraint system. I took it to the workshop to have the scan codes checked. The code reader said that there is a problem with one of the airbags. The mechanic thinks that the airbags are disabled. But the owners manual says there is a possibility that an airbag could go off while driving. I just read that Mercedes included 814000 vehicles in the recall. My car is not included. I think that this car might not be safe to drive. Would you please help out and have an investigation. Thanks in advance.

- Lancaster, PA, USA

problem #5

Jan 302014

C240

  • miles

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

I was always getting an error message telling me my rear lights were not working. I experienced an electrical fire in my trunk, which caused the air bags to deploy and the entire left side of my car caught fire. The car was totaled. Car would not start, trunk would not open. Car was totaled by dealer and insurance company. I know there is a recall notice for new C class cars, but because of what I experienced, I believe older models may also have the same problem.

- Kingsville, MD, USA

problem #4

Jun 012013

C240

  • 69,500 miles
Certified pre-owned dealership bought Mercedes Benz 2003 C-240 4-matic. Purchased with 41K miles in 2008. Approximately 6/2013 the SRS light came on stating 1 malfunction on the cluster relating to restraint system. Advised of numerous cases of this defect in model year 2003. Due to warranty expiration the issue has yet to have professional diagnostics. The light and cluster notification remains to date at 76K miles.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

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problem #3

Jul 282009

C240 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes Benz C240. The contact stated while driving 15 mph the vehicle in front of him suddenly stopped causing him to crash into the rear of the vehicle. The passenger seat belt did not hold the passenger in the front seat which caused her head to hit the windshield. Both the driver and passenger side air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The passenger was taken to the hospital for a head injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 20,000. Updated 07/08/11

- Nicholasville, KY, USA

problem #2

Jun 112006

C240 8-cyl

  • 15,000 miles
The contact was a passenger in a 2003 Mercedes CL55. The contact stated that on June 11,2006, they were involved in a head on collision with another vehicle( limousine) at 45 mph. When the driver down shifted, the driver drove into oncoming traffic at approximately 35 mph. The front end of the Mercedes was destroyed and caught fire. The air bags did not deploy until the vehicle came to rest after the crash. The front of the limousine was "sheered" off. There were three fatalities and one injury. The contact was severely injured and taken to the hospital by ambulance and admitted to the icu. The police responded and filed a police homicide case report # 246/7/9-06. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. The consumer who was a passenger in the Mercedes Benz, stated the seat back failed during the accident. According to witnesses, the driver of the Mercedes Benz was traveling at a high rate of speed on the wrong side of the road. The driver and rear passenger in the Mercedes Benz were pronounced dead and the driver of the other vehicle also expired. Updated evoq 08/26/10 updated 11/05/10 info received 01/19/11 updated evoq 03/28/12 updated 11/25/13 the consumer stated the seat belt did not properly restrain him. Updated 12/02/13

- Melbourne , FL, USA

problem #1

Jun 212006

C240

  • 12,000 miles
2003 Mercedes-Benz CL55 low-speed (25-35mph) high-acceleration head-on impact with a limousine (approx. 45mph) where the CL55 dash mounted airbags deployed after the vehicle came to rest, and the CL55's integrated seatbelt worn by the passenger and sole survivor resulted in the displacement of the seat-back by 45-degrees without imposing a notable injury to the passenger's right shoulder. Due to the instantaneous nature of this incident the driver instinctively braced himself....on the accelerator before impact. The 516ftlbs of torque of the CL55 speared through the front end of the limousine shearing the limo's entire front clip, engine and transmission off under the vehicle and folding the limo where its driver sat. To my amazement I watched this occur with very little resistance even as the front end of the CL55 also crumpled with no airbag deployment. Thus safety systems designed for the CL500 are being applied in the amg versions of the same vehicles with power increases now over 100% above a 302hp '03 CL500. Such power is able to cause adverse affects on the ability of an accelerometer to measure deceleration during an impact under a full throttle condition. A simple push-button crash sensor would have solved this matter. Likewise, such power increases are overcoming the integrated seatbelt's ability to restrain an occupant. Other than a skirmish attempt to hide behind federal statutes, nothing has since been done to amend the design flaws associated with applying the CL500 safety systems in the amg version vehicles. Power options available however, keep increasing. Consequences are rear-head injuries to both front-seat occupants after sustaining a series of frontal injuries. Restrained passenger chose to sacrifice his limbs against the dash while the driver braced outward. Old part was salvaged by insurance company without notice in Dec. 2006. Case report with photographs and medical records are available.

- Melbourne, FL, USA

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