AI Damage2014 Mercedes-Benz C250: common problems
Owners of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250 filed 163 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 163
- involving a crash
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 57% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 93 complaints (57% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 22 complaints (13% of all).
- Steering: 18 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 13 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 11 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 163 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 | 93 | 11 | 0 |
| Engine | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The airbag did not deploy despite the hard impact. I am currently having to go to therapy due to impact. My right lower arm was bruised from the impact, and I was in a lot of pain due to the bruising caused. I am assuming the bruising came from the hit to the steering wheel. I was never notified of an airbag recall.
The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, she depressed the brake pedal but it hesitated to respond. As a result, excessive force was applied to the brake pedal in order to slow down the vehicle.
The air bags failed to deploy and caused the contact to sustain rib injuries and a broken toe, which required medical attention. The contact was unaware of the injuries to the other driver. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent auto collision center.
The 2014 c250 had a malfunction with the electric steering: automatically jerking the car to the right. I lost control of the car and hit the curb. It felt like we went airborne.
The electronic steering lock (ESL) system on my 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250 failed without warning, leaving the vehicle completely unable to start. When attempting to start the vehicle, the key would insert but the vehicle would not crank or start, and the steering lock malfunction prevented normal operation of the…
The dealer replaced the battery however, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the dealer then traced the failure to an anti-theft sensor that shut off the vehicle to deter vehicle theft. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure.
The car turned off, no warning lights nothing, and I continued to hit the break and the car would not stop, then all of a sudden it came to a stop almost colliding within inches of hitting the Semi-Truck in front of me.
The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. After several attempts, the vehicle failed to start. The contact deactivated the push start button and attempted to start the vehicle with the key whoever, but the vehicle failed to start.
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 2,461 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C250 has 145 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 163, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, steering. Total complaints: 163. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (16%), airbag warning light (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250?
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 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250 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 2014 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.