AI Damage2001 Mercedes-Benz 240: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz 240 filed 22 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 22
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 9% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (18% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (18% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (14% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (9% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 22 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving at 35mph vehicle was hit from front and side in a collision, and none of the air bags deployed on impact.contacted dealer.
Driver side seat belt retracted so tightly that it caused serious injuries to driver.
C class, rearended another vehicle at 60 mph, neither airbag deployed. Consumer suffered leg and back injuries, damage to vehicle was $ 19000.00
The vehicle performed fine but when it reached 40mph the vehicle began accelerating on its own. I pulled over and turned off the vehicle. When the car starts up it immediately throttle up to about 5000 rpm regardless of the gear. When put into drive the car accelerates at all speeds endlessly.
While driving on 101 freeway at full speed, the mercedes suddenly self-initiated continuous brake action. This was uncommanded -- without me pressing the brakes or taking any other action. The console displayed an "esp" error message. This nearly caused an accident.
I have had two coil springs, front and rear, break on this car within 4 months of each other and was told that it was a corrosion problem, which I do not believe. The mb shop replaced the old suspension parts with new parts for all four wheels.
The engine would suddenly shut off while driving at highway speed. We restarted the vehicle after we coasted to a stop at the side of the road. The first time this happened, we were 1 hour into a 3 hr road trip.
I had been having a problem with the drivers side window freezing up, but I had no idea that the relay switch connecting to the electric window, could also cause a short, and thus initiate this most dangerous "easy exit" feature. I had been having problems with all of the door mounted controls, off an on.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,904 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 240 has 9 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 22, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Mercedes-Benz 240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, vehicle speed control, electrical system. Total complaints: 22. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (23%), unintended acceleration (18%), headlights and tail lights (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Mercedes-Benz 240?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2001 Mercedes-Benz 240 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2001 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.