AI Damage2006 Mercedes-Benz C350: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350 filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 23
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 39% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 22% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 9 complaints (39% of all).
- Engine: 5 complaints (22% of all).
- Fuel system: 3 complaints (13% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (9% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (4% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 23 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
At 9,000 miles my 2006 Mercedes C350 had to have a fuel pump replaced. It was out of warranty (low miles usage for 5 year old car) so I had to pay $900 for the repair. I could smell fuel everytime I filled the tank and the Mercedes dealer said the pump had to be replaced.
According to the mercedes-benz m272 and m273 engine class action lawsuit, these engines are equipped with defective gears in their balance shafts (in the case of the m272 engines) or with defective idle gears (in the case of the m273 engines) that wear out prematurely, excessively and without warning, causing the…
I'm afraid me and my two children will be rear-ended due to the loss of power in the transmission. I then try to drive it to the next exit, shut off the engine and restart. This normally resets everything to normal.
These defective gears wear out prematurely, excessively, and without warning, causing the vehicle to malfunction, the ?check engine light? To remain illuminated, and the vehicle to have symptoms such as misfiring or catastrophic stops. Case name: majeed seifi, et al. V. Mercedes benz usa llc case no.
The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated weeks prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to mercedes-benz of san diego ([address], san diego, ca) where it was diagnosed that the sbc module malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
Eis and esl go bad, car will not start due to steering wheel locking.
Balance shaft engine issues, stretched timing chain, balance shaft sprockets. There was a class action lawsuit about this that no one made us aware of and the repairs had to be completed by may 13, 2015 to be part of the class action. Now, because we drove it so few miles in the past, the issues have just appeared.
Takata recall no one can tell me when the airbags will be replaced. I am one of the highest risk car owner. My car was manufactured in 2006 and I live in an area that is in one of the highest risk zones..
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 7,735 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C350 has 28 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 23, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, engine, fuel system. Total complaints: 23. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (22%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), warning lights, check engine (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350?
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 2006 Mercedes-Benz C350 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 2006 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 2026-11-06.