2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Complaint Log

I recently noticed a noise coming from the left rear side os the car when I would go over the slightest bumps. I was scheduled to have my breaks replaced and when the auto was on the lift, the mechanic noticed that the frame was cracked. The auto has never been involved in any serious accidents. I did some searching on Mercedes Benz forums and there are several references of similar occurrences. Those reporting the issue after visiting a dealer have hinted it's a known issue and caused by Winter weather. This doesn't seem reasonable for a car that is not new, but after 11 years shouldn't be happening. I am needing to proceed w/ the repair as the car has many more years of use, but would like to report this issue and if determined to be subject to a recall, be compensated for the whole/partial cost of any reasonable repair costs. Kind regards,

The contact's son owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while his son was reversing, he heard an abnormal noise. The contact stated that the ABS, the traction control, and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The driver called the contact and made him aware of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the rear subframe was fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000.

I own a 2011 C300. Recently, my car suddenly stopped working while I was attempting to leave somewhere away from my home. It would not crank or turn over/start. So I was completely stranded, and in the extreme Florida heat. There has been no damage or wreck to cause this. There were also no warning lights or symptoms in my car beforehand. My car was towed to a Mercedes Benz dealership in the nearest city. They diagnosed the problem as an electronic steering lock failure. I asked how this happened. I was told that they do not know how it happened. I was also quoted a very expensive repair bill. Upon researching this problem further, I found out that steering lock failure and ignition switch failure is a recurring and common problem that Mercedes Benz already knows about, and many people with my car and similar models have had the same problem over the years. Age of the car at time of failure did not matter, either- it has happened to many cars at different ages and mileage.This is not a normal problem for any car to have, nor is it caused by normal wear and tear. Some people have even had their cars suddenly stop working while they are driving. Many people have also asked why these faulty parts have not been recalled yet. I contacted the company multiple times and did not receive any resolution to the problem. They said that this is my responsibility to repair, and they would not pay to repair this, nor reimburse me. The company's agent did not care at all about the issues, nor take any accountability for them as the manufacturer. Being stranded in the middle of nowhere at any time is dangerous for anyone, especially in certain areas or during intense weather. This entire issue has caused extreme stress for me- interruption in my schedule, lack of transportation, and financial loss. Please hold the Mercedes Benz company accountable for their lack of proper manufacturing and lack of proper repair to their parts that they know are faulty. Thank you.

I was driving down the road when a deer ran out into the roadway ahead of me. I applied the brake firmly and hear a "pop" and the car suddenly changed lanes. I was able to recover without much of an incident but applying the brakes from that point on caused the car to "steer" into a new direction. I took the vehicle out to a friends farm and jacked it up to find that on this car with zero other corrosion issues that the mounting point for one of the rear suspension arms had rusted at the weld and broken off the sub frame. I should note that the rest of the underbody was inspected and the rear subframe is the only place that has any corrosion. Research into this issue over the past few months has lead me to countless people being affected by the same issues. This is not an isolated case and it needs to be addressed by the manufacturer before it causes a fatal accident (if it has not already).

I noticed that when using the brakes the car would pull to the side. The front brake rotors and pads were completely replaced but the pulling behavior remained unchanged. When the mechanic specifically looked for reasons for the pulling he found the rear driver's side stabilizer completely rusted through and the passenger side one showing signs of similar impending failure. I took pictures of both. The driver's side arm that was broken was also rubbing against the gas tank. The company, Mercedes, is only allowing replacement parts to be delivered when ordered by VIN, so I can't get a part already in the US (it has to be ordered directly from Germany and specifically for my car's VIN - they KNOW there's a problem).

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed abruptly and the vehicle fishtailed off the road. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the brake calipers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the independent mechanic and was informed that the subframe was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

I have a 2011 C300 Sport that I purchased end of the lease (3yr.). The car was never driven in the winter for 4 seasons and most recently just the last 3 winters. Complete frame rot on the rear driver's side. Rot was noticed by my mechanic at the last oil change. He said he is replacing three rear frames for customers as soon as he can get parts. Parts are limited and only in Germany. I want it repaired with genuine parts. If the frame separates while the vehicle is at highway speeds, operator control can be compromised. The brake line which attaches to the frame has ruptured in many cases from what I have read. I called MB customer service and there is no recall at this time. I called the local dealer and they have been replacing quite a few frames with the same issue. This is a dangerous failure and if I remeber correctly about 8-10 years ago Toyota recalled trucks and SUVs for frame replacement.

My 2011, 300C has 116,000 miles. Driving the car I notices that when I applied brakes car swayed to the left. Concerned I brought vehicle to MB in Paramus, NJ. Was told that rear sub-frame was rusted and dislodged along with the brake lines, also rusted. Car was serviced every 10k miles as recommended by dealer and just now these issues were identified. I recently also was told that the fuel tank was also rusted out and needed to be replaced. These issued were a danger to me and my family and could have resulted in potential deaths. MB does not have any recalls for these problems but I believe NHTSA should initiate a recall as many others have had these problems. A google search has identifies a large number of people having these same problems. Below are 2 videos of the problem. https://app.mykaarma.com/service-cart/mpi/BfGpB6lKrWaYxN3TKQFzqa2MgCzxYgihmma6Ker7cFE/check/Your_CAR_CHECK_ID/media/0/view/1 https://api.mykaarma.com/video-walkaround/details?inspection_uuid=629e0e431dd41d3dfba54fd1&fileType=video No warnings messages or previous symptoms occurred and even though car was serviced every 10k miles, dealer Neve identified any of the concerns. How can that be when brake lines are rusted. Dealer refuses to take any responsibility and MB Germany has yet to respond to my various emails. Please review as these issues have life and death implications and a Recall should be initiated by NHTSA.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact indicated that while driving at various speeds, a knocking noise was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, while abruptly braking the vehicle would pull to the left. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear subframe was fractured. The cause of the subframe failure was not determined and no further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.

I had a thumping sound in the rear of my 2011 Mercedes C300. I took it to our import car repair shop and found out that the rear subframe assembly was rusted out and needed to be replaced. They felt that since it was close to the fuel tank that they didn't feel safe letting me drive it. The car is in excellent shape otherwise and the mechanic said that this is the 2nd one like this that he's recently seen. Looking online, I've seen a number of complaints about the very same issue in Mercedes C300's from 2009-2014.

Due to design flaw and/or poor material quality, I have a car with less than 100,000 miles that has completely rusted thru the subframe. I was told by a Mercedes Benz dealer that this is a common problem with this car. The cost of repair was quoted at $4000. This was only discovered due to the MB mechanic removing the covers on on the subframe discovering the rust. I was told it would not pass inspection but it just did in February at the dealer I bought the car from. I told the MB dealer this and they said they probably didnt know the covers need removed to see the issue. This is a huge safety issue that people who drive these cars are probably not aware of. Failure of this area could cause loss of control as this is a critical suspension link responsible for maintaining steering direction of the rear wheels. Once these linkages fail the driver will lose control of the car. MB needs to held accountable for this design flaw and get the cars recalled. I do not have $4000 just lying around to make this repair and will be forced to continue to drive this car.

This car was taken to a local Mercedes Benz dealership for repairs. Upon inspection, the dealer ship stated that the rear subframe was rusted on the vehicle and it was not safe to drive. Typically, frames do not rust out in 11 years and 110,000 miles on the car. I called Mercedes Benz to ask about this problem and their customer service representative immediately asked if this was the rear subframe. This tells me that Mercedes Benz has had numerous calls about this issue before. The Service Advisor at Germain Mercedes Benz stated that he had seen this issue on multiple occasions. We went to an independent service shop for a second opinion and they also stated that they had made this repair on this model of car. We have a strong suspicion that Mercedes is aware of this problem and has done nothing with it.

I am contacting you about a certified pre-owned car I had purchased from Mercedes Benz Cincinnati. Following my most recent routine maintenance visit to the dealer, I received an email from Mercedes stating that they had identified that the rear subframe on my Mercedes C300 4Matic needed replacement and it was not safe to drive. It turns out that the two joints on the subframe were corroded. This type of a problem is not expected for a professionally maintained certified car by Mercedes that is at 58,481 miles. The issue has nothing to do with standard wear and tear, or user negligence, and it stems from the material used in the specific component. There is no other area on the vehicle that is displaying even the slightest amount of corrosion. The mechanic said that this is to do with the properties of the materials selected for the manufactured part, they have been seeing many cars of the same year with the same exact problem, and if the subframe joints were to break while the car is in motion, it could potentially cause a fatal accident. There were no warning lamps, message or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I contacted Mercedes and asked them to address this problem. After months of back and forth, I was told there were no safety recalls, and the car was out of standard warranty period. I was also told that the part was not currently available (and was on back order). As you may know, the subframe's job is to distribute high local loads over a wider area of the body structure and its failure could result in fatal accidents. The internet is full of customer complaints on this issue, yet there are no safety recalls issued.

While traveling on the interstate @ 60 MPH, I loud knock was heard in the right rear. When brakes were applied, the vehicle pulled to the left, severely. Vehicle was taken to a mechanic on this date after making an appointment. Photos included show the issue as to why this occurred. The 'cradle' of the rear suspension on both, the left and right sides were completely rusted through. The vehicle is a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-300, with 63,000 miles. After researching this on line, it appears this is an on-going issue with this year along with other years. This, is huge safety issue and the results could be catastrophic to the occupants and or other operators.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway. The contact stated that the tire pressure and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic and diagnosed with transmission failure. The transmission was rebuilt. The contact then had the vehicle towed to another mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rear axle. The rear axle was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.

I researched that the sunroofs on these models are faulty and have caused water/electrical damage under the carpeting and seats of the vehicles. That is what has happened with my 2011 C300 Sport.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the rear of the vehicle swerved. The driver pulled over to the side of the roadway. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,500.

Rear taillight ground wire melting. Dealer said that this recall was performed previously, so now I had to pay for the repair parts. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V177000

Went to work and came out and the vehicle says to remove key from ignition. Was stuck in the middle of the night in freezing temperatures and had no way to get anywhere. It’s a common problem that Mercedes knows about and is charging thousands of dollars to repair because it can only be done through them.

I haven't had an issue with this yet but have heard others having this issue. Mercedes Benz fitted cheap plastic Electronic Steering Lock (ESL) in these models that are prone to failure. Unexpectedly, this device will fail and will lock out the steering which can happen anytime and can cause a serious accident. The car will have malfunctioning steering when this device fails and should have a recall.

The rear suspension subframe rotted. The car has 140,000 miles and is kept in a garage. There was no warning regarding the damage. I nearly lost control of my car on a highway, it was I reported this to Mercedes to see if there was a recall. There was no recall on the part, Mercedes did not take responsibility for repairs. I paid to have the car repaired. There were no warning lamps that alerted me to the problem. The car was towed to a Mercedes dealer and I opened a claim with Mercedes.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact son stated while driving at various speeds, the rear of the vehicle would sway while braking. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with needing the subframe to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

Rear subframe failure of left lower control arm mount bracket at weld that rusts prematurely from improper treatment at time of manufacturing After failure while braking at low speed 10mph rear end of vehicle fish tails left and front end of vehicle moves right There are numerous reports around the world with this specific model and identical safety hazard on the left side of vehicle in almost all cases Mercedes Benz refuses to acknowledge a defect in craftsmanship of the specified part and in many cases offer a $1000 credit towards a new vehicle As 1 of millions of Americans that owns this vehicle in question I believe it is necessary that the NHTSA steps in to assist with this issue as millions of American lives are at risk even if they do not own or operate this vehicle

Lost control of vehicle while driving on highway. Brought vehicle to have brakes done at Pep Boys who identify the sub frame was corroded and that vehicle was not drivable, after many attempts with Mercedes Benz, from emails to phone calls also following up with customer service line and not been able to even have them look at the vehicle I’ve decided to follow up with a complaint. My car was earlier this year at Mercedes-Benz for another reason and I was never made aware of this issue. I brought vehicle to another European auto shop they just told me that they just did another vehicle same model with same problem. I’ve also read online many complaints. I’m aware that many individuals have no idea on how to file a complaint at this level to hold MBenz responsible. Is time for a recall. My extended warranty company would not take care of the bill which is over $2000 since there is corrosion on the vehicle. Thank you for your assistance

I was told by the Service Department at the Fredericksburg, Va Mercedes Dealership/Service Department on October 29, 2021 that the Rear Sub Frame had rusted out and needed to be replaced. This apparently affects the basic functioning/stability of the car, handling, alignment and breaking. This is apparently an "known" issue with this car and was recalled in Canada, but not the USA. The car was inspected for Virginia registration/etc. in July 2021, so I am not sure when this defect became "obvious". However, I was told in April/May 2021 during basic maintenance that the breaks were wearing unevenly. I cannot provide a specific date of exactly when the car was not "handling properly".

Every time I fill up the gas tank, I smell gas in the passenger side back seat close to where you pump the gas?

2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300. CONSTITUENT WRITES REGARDING SUBFRAME CORROSION SAFETY RECALL ON VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WOULD NOT TAKE RESPOSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED A GOOD WILL INCENTIVE OF $500.00 TOWARDS A USED VEHICLE OR 1000.00 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE.

Rear subframe broke off.

Rear suspension is rusted and the arm to the wheel has disconnected. This vehicle can’t be driven and is a major safety issue - per the Mercedes dealership. From Mercedes : The rear sub-frame serves a number of purposes. It adds to the rigidity of the rear body structure and supports the vehicle's cabin and some chassis components. Most importantly, the sub-frame helps to protect occupants in an offset rear impact. In a collision, the sub-frame first helps to absorb some of the impact forces on the side that is hit. It also channels some of the impact forces to the side of the vehicle not involved in the impact. This also helps to absorb some of the forces of the collision before they can reach the passenger cabin Reason A damaged sub frame puts everyone in the vehicle at risk. During a collision the sub-frame is responsible for absorbing and evenly distributing the force from the impact. If damaged the sub frame cannot distribute the impact causing a complete collapse of the vehicle.

When the fuel tank is full, there is a strong smell of gasoline at the rear of the car. The gasoline odor is extremely strong on the outside, and very strong on the inside. (This is NOT due to overfill or spillage). I searched some Mercedes-Benz blog sites, and discovered others are experiencing similar problems since 2019 to now. The strong gasoline odor can likely pose a health risk. There is also real concern about potential fire or explosion risks.

Gas is leaking under the car. Gas dripping location is by the rear passenger tire.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle and driving a short distance, there was a burning odor coming from inside and outside the vehicle. The traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a certified mechanic who replaced the fuel cabinet. The burning odor persisted. The contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V557000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 12,800.

The contact owned a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, he noticed that the inside of the vehicle was flooded with water. The contact then stated that he noticed that water had leaked from the sunroof and entered the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness was severely damaged and could not be repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was 82,242.

07/31/2021 Fuel smell in the cabin, and in the garage, and a small paddle of gas formed under the car, but at that time I wasn't sure if it was the A/C condense, or gas. Took car out of the garage and left it there overnight. Drove the car next day and the smell was less noticeable, and it disappeared in about two days. Next two weeks did not ill up the tank completely, and there was no smell or leak. Yesterday, Sunday, Aug 22nd, I filled the car with gas again until the pump stopped, and the smell came back instantly, as I was driving home. Parked the car in the driveway and immediately noticed a large paddle of gas forming under the left rear wheel. Removed back seat and both fuel tank pump metal covers, and both plastic fittings/covers were leaking gas, more so on the driver's side. There are hairline fractures in both covers, and both are leaking gas. Removed both covers and siphoned gas out of the car until the leak stopped. I went to Hendrick's MB of Durham and asked about the recall, they denied that my car qualifies. The parts alone were quoted at $1229.12, without labor, and I was told fuel tank worth about $1,000.00 (without labor) may need to be changed as well. NHTSA recall campaign 2013020002 mentions my car. My defect is worse than most because both sides leak gas, not just the pump, and both have visible with naked eye fractures that leak gas. I cannot understand how is my risk of fire and death while driving less than that of other MB's with exactly the same failure, in the same class, and the same C300, for the same year. I expect the cost of repair with labor to be more than $3,500 .

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated he started to smell an abnormal fuel odor and noticed a spot where fuel had leaked onto the garage floor. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, he noticed both fuel tank covers were cracked. The contact drove another vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V557000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact was going around a corner when he noticed a vehicle in front. The contact depressed on the brake pedal and the vehicle violently jerked and stop. The contact stated that the steering wheel was leaning towards the left. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence. The following day the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as a fractured and detached rear control arm due to corrosion of the undercarriage and subframe. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be repaired however, the contact declined the repair due to cost. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

On July 1, my daugther who is driving the car since about 8 months noticed a strange noise coming from the rear of the car. Since I was in Europe at that time I could not give her any assistance. On July 16 we both took a drive to Rhode Island to visit a college. I was the one driving, and I could also hear the noise coming from the rear. On the highway there was a back-up developing and I had to hit the brakes a littler harder. In doing so. the car was very unstable and it look like if the rear was going to overtake the front of the car. I was very scary even for myself who is a long time experience driver. After returning home I took the car to a mechanic and have him look at it. The resulting diagnosis revealed that the subframe was completely rusted out and was about to get disconnected from the under carriage of the car at any moment. The mechanic had a hard time to find a replacement part, and was finally able to locate an OEM subframe in California, the only one in the US. The price for the part alone was $1,500. I had no choice other than to have the car repaired at the mechanic since it was at that time undrivable. The total repair was almost $3,200. I took 2 pictures of the replaced subframe (see attached). The car is a 2011 MB C300-4-matic with just 100,800 miles on it. The was purchased used, with about 12,000 miles, in Febr. 2012 from Mercedes Benz of Westford, MA, which had used the car as a loaner/company car. The car was well maintained, used up until 2020 by my daughter's mother. She then bought herself another, newer C300 (2017 model) and decided to gift her older car to the daughter instead of trading it in. We thought, we knew a lot about the car and considered it a low risk transfer for a new, still learning driver. I will also file a formal complaint with Mercedes Benz if I have figured out the correct contact point. The internet shows, other people have experienced similar situations. And eventually, see also your ID-# 10504684 and 11023618.

2008-2011 Mercedes models were manufactured with cheap electronic steering locks that fail often. While I haven’t experienced a failure while driving, the system is and has been extremely problematic and unreliable. It is highly plausible that the system could fail while driving due to the cheap components and unreliable and faulty programming. I urge the NHTSA to look into this and require Mercedes to replace these ESL’s with a safer, more reliable steering component that doesn’t have the potential to suddenly lock or unlock due to a unforeseen failure.

Rear Subframe Rot. The vehicle was purchased July 2021 from Automax Of Frederick Maryland. I took the car to Euromotors of Bethesda and they informed me about the issue so I took it back to the dealership because the car was sold to me like this and the owner of the dealership let me know that his "guys" would have never passed it in the MD inspection if a hole was about to be there or severe rust. However it was still sold and now I have the problem of where one of my control arms are rusted out and the car is not safe to drive. The dealer also let me know that the rust was just "surface rust" and it was nothing to worry about. The dealer ask me to bring the car in to inspect and lifted and let me know they would put a ticket on it if the car gave me any problems they would take care of it. Never got anything from them.

The rear sub-frame of my Mercedes failed and resulted in a dangerous situation due to left rear suspension attachment point breaking free. Braking became uncontrollable. This seems to be a common problem in the 2008-2014 C300 Mercedes based on a quick scan of the internet.

driver door handle is loose

I suspect a failure in the fuel tank / system seal, which is allowing gas fumes into the cabin. There is a strong smell of gasoline inside the cabin especially after a full tank refill. This issue was also a problem for my 2008 Mercedes Benz E350. It has not been inspected but since my E350 had a similar extended warranty repair, I assume this would be similar. The strong fumes and odor in the cabin is a health risk of breathing the fumes or explosion. There are no warning lamp to indicate this failure. No recalls or extended warranty currently to fix this problem.

The rear tail light housing harness melted due to an electrical issue. This caused my rear tail light & break lights not to function.

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR SUB-FRAME HAD CRACKED AND SEPARATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT YET CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000

WHILE DRIVING, I HIT MY BRAKES AND IT WERE AS IF AN INVISIBLE HAND GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL AND TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT. I NEARLY WENT OVER A MOUNTAIN. I DROVE SLOWLY HOME BUT EACH TIME I WOULD HIT MY BRAKES THE SAME WOULD HAPPEN. LONG STORY SHORT, MY 2011 C300 WITH 80K MILES, BOUGHT FROM THE SHOWROOM AND GARAGE KEPT HAS A RUSTED AND BROKEN SUBFRAME. MY VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ALSO THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS A TERRIBLE MOLDY ODOR.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2011C-CLASS ON I-95 NORTH OF PHILADELPHIA WHEN I HAD TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO TRAFFIC. WITHOUT WARNING THE REAR OF THE CAR STARTED FISHTAILING ALMOST CAUSING A MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENT WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURIES OR WORSE. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND TOOK SMALLER STREETS TO GET TO MY MECHANIC WHO HAS SERVICED THE CAR SINCE THE MERCEDES EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. UPON INSPECTION HE NOTICED THE REAR SUBFRAME WAS ROTTED OUT COMPLETELY AND THE TOE ARM WAS NOT ATTACHED. I HAVE OWNED THIS CPO CAR SINCE JUNE 2012. THE CAR IS GARAGE KEPT AND THERE ARE NO OTHER ISSUES OR RUST ON THE CAR. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 129,000 MILES. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT AS OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS MODEL HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS.

REAR SUBFRAME HAS ROTTED THROUGH. THE CONTROL ARM CONNECTION HAS COME LOOSE. NO OTHER RUST ON THE CAR

CAR INTERIOR SMELLS OF FUEL AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK. THE SMELL IS ALSO NOTICEABLE WHEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE. MY MERCEDES E350 ALSO HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL CELL SENDING UNIT.

PROBLEM STARTED TO BECOME APPARENT WHEN THE CAR BEGINS TO MOVE FROM A STOP. A CLUNKING SOUND WAS HEARD NEAR THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE. ISSUE BECAME MORE PROMINENT ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN BRAKING AT SPEEDS OVER 40MPH THE REAR END WOULD WAVER AND THE CAR WOULD START TO FISHTAIL. THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE REAR SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE SUBFRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED WHERE IT IS CONNECTED TO A TORSION LINK. RUST WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT THE PART OF THE SUBFRAME CONNECTED TO THIS SUSPENSION LINK FAILED COMPLETELY AND BROKE AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE SUBFRAME. THIS IS A 9 YEAR OLD CAR AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AT 73,000 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, WHEN THE MULTIPLE "LIGHTS OUT" WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THE BROWN WIRE WAS MELTED AND BURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES-BENZ OF CHERRY HILL (2151 NJ-70, CHERRY HILL, NJ 08002:(856) 663-3200), WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE "LIGHT ASSEMBLY UNIT" TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V177000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING), HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED WITH PRIOR OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000.