AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz C240: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz C240 filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 19% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 6 Latches, locks, linkages 13% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 13% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (19% of all).
- Visibility: 3 complaints (19% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 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 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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.
SRS ABS ESP lights occasionally go on and off mostly the SRS take to shop does not come on or stay on obd2 does not detect may use clear error messages stays off for few weeks then back on and off bought scanner when SRS comes on sometimes it shows error B1035 stored and current the resistance value in the ignition…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes benz c240. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes-benz c240. The contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Passenger seat caught fire when using the seat heater. Fire protruded through the side seat panel and burned driver and clothing. The driver was operating the car for about 15 minutes on a city street and pulled off the road to extinguish the fire. Portions of the seat melted.
After the vehicle was started, the srs warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear passenger side nitrogen power seat belt was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
I was driving to work from parkville to baltimore city and my car began aggressively jerking. I drove my car on friday morning through the tunnel and the jerking was not as aggressive. I drove home on friday afternoon from work and I could tell that something was still jerking but continuously.
The technician diagnosed that the brake lines were corroded causing brake fluid to leak from the vehicle. No further information was available. The brake lines were replaced and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Bought the car used in june 2014, after every time I filled the gas tank, there was a strong smell of gas inside the car, august 2, 2014 car just cuts off while driving down the road, lost all power like it was getting no gas and just cut off.
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 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C240 has 15 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 16, 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercedes-Benz C240?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, visibility, air bags. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: door locks, latches, handles (19%), windows, sunroof (19%), A/C or heater (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.