AI Damage2002 Mercedes-Benz C240: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C240 filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 31% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 31% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 4 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 8% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 8% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (31% of all).
- Visibility: 4 complaints (31% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 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 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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.
While driving to get on the freeway from on ramp, miss judge and lost control of the steering wheel, vehicle flip from front to back on the ditch side of the road, driver was wearing a seat belt but got thrown out due to seatbelt malfunction.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercedes-benz c240. The contact stated that the instrument panel lights failed to illuminate properly. The contact stated that the odometer was inoperable.
No inspection of the sunroof bonding or repairs were attempted on the vehicle. Image of service invoice attached to this document.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mercedes benz c240. The contact received nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility). The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Upon leaving the dealer after the recall repair was performed, the contact attempted to use the sun roof however, the sunroof would not close. The contact drove the vehicle back to the dealer and explained the failure. The contact was informed that her sun roof would be reset.
The contact stated that upon purchase of the vehicle, the sun roof rattled while driving at various speeds. The contact then received a notification of nhtsa campaign number :19v918000 (visibility) however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable.
In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission was leaking fluid in six different places and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Oh don't get me started on the air conditioner - the parts are made so cheap that there is a little hook type thing that regulates the speed of the speed breaks so easily I cant believe it. Countless forum data exist and nhtsa doesn't do anything about it. Ban this automaker or tell them to give me a new car.
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 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C240 has 15 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 13, about average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, visibility, air bags. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (23%), A/C or heater (8%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C240?
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 C240 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.