AI Damage2003 Mercedes-Benz 240: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 240 filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 27
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 22% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 22% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 19% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 7% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 6 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 5 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 27 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 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
There was a grinding noise upon braking, the vehicle would surged forward when stopping, the rear brake lamplight was defective, hesitation upon acceleration, the sun roof did not close and would not close properly, and there was a vibration when braking.
When trying to stop vehicle experienced extended stopping distance which caused a rear end collision. Upon impact, both front air bags did not deploy.
Pin chen described the sudden acceleration problem he experienced to chris. Chris recommended him to go to the dealership for further checkup. Pin drove the car back to its original dealership, mercedes benz of long beach, that afternoon for a check up.
After bringing to the attention of mercedes benz of tampa a problem/concern with hesitation one week after purchase of my c240, I was told to start the car out in second or third gear.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c240. While driving approximately 5 mph, the contact attempted to make a turn and suddenly the front driver's side of the vehicle collapsed to the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated the three wheel assembly bolts fractured.
After purchasing car in 2007 used with 60k miles, taking vehicle in for all scheduled maintenance, driivng only 40k over 4 years,the vehecle needed a new transmission.
Right front axle assembly fell apart. We had just got off of I-90 when I pulled into mcdonald's and the front wheel disengaged as the axle completely fell apart.
My 2003 mercedes-benz c240 4matic was brought to the dealer for a 2nd time on 10/06/08 (2nd time problem reported) for inoperable fuel gauge (fuel tank stayed on empty even though there was gas in the tank). This time the programming was changed in the instrument cluster (see additional complaints with other dates).
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 7,189 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 27, 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (22%), hesitation when accelerating (11%), stalls while driving (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.