AI Damage2009 Mercedes-Benz C: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 14
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 29% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 29% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 14% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 7 Electronic stability control 7% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (29% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (29% of all).
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (21% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 14 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
My daughter was in a crash today on may 16, 2009 she was driving mercedes 2009 c300 and she said that the steering wheel lock suddenly before she crash, she was driving only at 15mph that why the impact was not so severe, we are very lucky that she just has minor injuries.
My mercedes c300 is equipped with electronic stability program (esp) and active seatbelt restraints (both of which failed in the crash). The roads were slick, however, when a car swerved over on me and I attempted to hit the brakes to avoid being hit, my car began to fish-tail and I lost control of the vehicle.
At 43,500 and 54 months the transmission in the car had to be replaced. The car has always been properly serviced at the mercedes dealer. I believe this model/make has defects as I have brought it back for service many times.
The wires within both of my headlights of my 2009 mercedes c300 have their insulation so deteriorated that the wires are fully exposed. This issue causes the lights to cut in and out without warning which have occurred during highways speeds and or rural areas in puerto rico.
Lights in the back right panel are not working.... Got message stating they were out....checked them and electrical connection is burned and looks like wires are fried.
The rear tail lights on my mb c350 shows signs of a burning/melting on the connector. I initially received a notice on my dash that the right rear bulb was bad and not working. I checked the connectors and it showed signs of melting/burning.
The contact stated that when the accelerator pedal was engaged, the transmission surged forward at a high rate. The failure occurred intermittently. The dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The failure mileage was 15 and the current mileage was 32000.
Whenever the contact placed the vehicle into reverse or drive I would violently switch into gear causing the vehicle to slightly surge forward. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership on thirteen different occasions where several different parts have been serviced on the transmission;however the contact is still…
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 9,551 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C has 4 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 14, above average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (14%), steering or power steering problems (14%), unintended acceleration (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C?
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 2009 Mercedes-Benz C 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 2009 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.