AI Damage2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300 filed 453 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 453
- involving a crash
- 17
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 16% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 202 complaints (45% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 84 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 71 complaints (16% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 48 complaints (11% of all).
- Structure: 34 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 453 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 202 | 10 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 84 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 71 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 3 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Driver side seat belt failed, completedly came off during rear collision.Documented in Kentucky State Police official investigation report and photos. Driver sustained massive and severe injuries. Prior issues: both front door and left rear door handle interior plastic broke and had to be repair. Major safety issue
Airbags did not deploy after rear-ending another car. Airbags had been recalled and repaired at the Mercedes dealership. There weren't any lights on the dashboard at the time.
During the crash, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained head, neck and back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified.
While driving approximately 20 mph through an intersection, the power steering suddenly failed and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two other vehicles. The driver sustained neck, back, and chest injuries.
The fuel tank have rust cause it to leak, a risk of an engine fire or crash because of a fuel tank issue.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the chest that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a tow yard. A dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure.
After backing out of handicap parking space and moving forward at a slow speed my vehicle was rear-ended, at which point the vehicle forcefully accelerated forward independently without warning and crashed into another parked vehicle (forcefully moving this vehicle approximately three feet) the vehicle continued to…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mercedes benz c300. While driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. The vehicle failed to slow down and crashed into a curb. As a result, the two rear seat passengers sustained minor lacerations.
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 845 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C 300 has 199 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 453, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
- C 300 2008672 sources
- C 300 2009576 sources
- C 300 2011480 sources
- C 300 2012267 sources
- C 300 2013262 sources
- C 300 201494 sources
- C 300 2015382 sources
- C 300 2016417 sources
- C 300 2017365 sources
- C 300 2018259 sources
- C 300 2019231 sources
- C 300 2020215 sources
- C 300 2021193 sources
- C 300 2022417 sources
- C 300 2023381 sources
- C 300 2024325 sources
- C 300 2025171 sources
- C 300 202689 sources
- C 300 202710 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, steering. Total complaints: 453. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (9%), rust, corrosion (8%), headlights and tail lights (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300?
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 2010 Mercedes-Benz C 300 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 2010 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 2026-11-06.