AI Damage2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300 filed 382 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 382
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 33% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 16% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- Engine: 127 complaints (33% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 66 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 61 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 50 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 23 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 382 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 | 127 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 66 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 61 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 50 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 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.
After doing research my car (vin [XXX] ) had multiple recals from the fuel pump and steering wheel and the dealership never fixed or checked any recalls before selling it to me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Air bags did not deploy on car accident and also traction control was not working, steering wheel will go to the side when driving under 40 MPH which is dangerous and car will slide when driving on puddle of water whenever it rained.
The traction control and driving assistance plus warning lights illuminated. The contact did not sustained injuries. The vehicle was towed to the same dealer where it was diagnosed and was informed the vehicle was aligned. The contact mentioned the steering wheel was abnormally to the right.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 mercedes-benz c-300. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph. A police officer had pulled over another vehicle ahead on the right side of the road. The vehicle in front made a complete stop.
The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic and was diagnosed with corrosion on the rear sub frame, causing the vehicle to drift unexpectedly. The failure mileage was 87,000.
The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was two large holes and rust located on the rear subframe, an unknown part needed to be realigned and needed to be replaced.
The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the rear subframe had severe rust and was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided.
Rear subframe rust has deemed the car unsafe to drive. Hitting a pot hole at high speed or any sudden stop could cause the subframe to collapse causing loss of control of car. Car is available for inspection upon request.
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 1,031 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C 300 has 199 complaints (20 years in the data). This year has 382, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
- C 300 2008672 sources
- C 300 2009576 sources
- C 300 2010453 sources
- C 300 2011480 sources
- C 300 2012267 sources
- C 300 2013262 sources
- C 300 201494 sources
- C 300 2016417 sources
- C 300 2017365 sources
- C 300 2018259 sources
- C 300 2019231 sources
- C 300 2020215 sources
- C 300 2021192 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 2015 Mercedes-Benz C 300?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, fuel/propulsion system, structure. Total complaints: 382. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), windows, sunroof (14%), fuel system, fuel smell (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 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.