AI Damage2002 Mercedes-Benz 240: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz 240 filed 26 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 26
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 27% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 12% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 12% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (27% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (15% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (12% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 26 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 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.
The consumer stated that he hoped the car was taken out of service or sold to anyone that was not informed of previous problems with sudden acceleration. The consumer provided a letter from the attorney of the manufacturer stating that the client position on the matter stands and will not be responding to any further…
Driver's airbag did not deploy - front end collision at a speed of between 40 and 45 miles per hour. Car has been determined to be totalled.
I was in a smal accident because the brakes failed to stop properly. There were no injuries and little damage to the bumper of my car. The brake pressure sensor faulted and they replaced the brake pressure sensor on the master cylinder. On 3/20/02 the same message of failure has appearedwith 2500 miles on the new c240
552(b)(6) my mercedes c240 (vin: [xxx]) burned up its fuel pump wiring, and the dealer that repaired it, says they have seen this many times before . I replaced a faulty fuel pump as diagnosed by my mechanic. Car still did not work so I had the car sent to dealer (euro motorcars of germantown md [phone]).
Engine quit while driving along on independence pkwy and refused to start for several minutes. Finally the engine restarted and then quit again while trying to drive the car to the dealership. Had the car towed to the dealership.
1. Failure occurred without warning. 2. Transmissions would not shift out of first gear. My family (4 month baby and wife) were left stranded on the roadway. 3. Mercedes-benz cannot correctly fix the problem. Unknown cause. Vehicle has been in shop for 2 weeks without a solution in sight.
Dt: the contact stated the brake lights were not working. This started on january 15, 2005. The vehicle has been to the dealership twice for brake problem. They cleaned the contacts on the brake lights and checked all of the connectors. Also, they replaced the computer. The problem persisted intermittently.
2002 mercedes windshield wipers failed.** answer required***. The linkage arm that connects to the two wiper blades broke while driving during the rainstorm.
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 7,316 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 240 has 9 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 26, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz 240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 26. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (12%), airbags did not deploy (8%), fuel system, fuel smell (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 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 2002 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 2002 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.