IllustrationThere is an old recall campaign for the Camshaft Seal, # 2009100001. This car is among those affected by this problem and should be covered for issues and repairs.
2002 Mercedes Benz C230
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Mercedes Benz C230 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 39.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C230 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
90–25K
825–50K
750–75K
575–100K
3100–150K
2150K+
34 reports with mileage · 20 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine complaints
3 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ C230. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 15-20 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS MELTED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ C230. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 15-20 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS MELTED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.
ON JUNE 9, 2011 I DROVE TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA TO VISIT MY COUSIN WHEN I GOT THERE I WENT TO LOCK MY DOORS BUT THE LOCK KEPT JUMPING UP AND DOWN. IT FINALLY LOCKED AFTER 12 ATTEMPTS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $3500.00 TO REPLACE THE REGULATOR. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JULY 18, 2011 WITH MY B…
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ON JUNE 9, 2011 I DROVE TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA TO VISIT MY COUSIN WHEN I GOT THERE I WENT TO LOCK MY DOORS BUT THE LOCK KEPT JUMPING UP AND DOWN. IT FINALLY LOCKED AFTER 12 ATTEMPTS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $3500.00 TO REPLACE THE REGULATOR. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JULY 18, 2011 WITH MY BRAKES.THE BREAK WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND $795.00 THEY CLAIMED I NEEDED FOR BOTH BRAKES AND ROTORS WHICH I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND SINCE 6 MONTHS PRIOR THE ROTORS HAD BEEN REPLACED. I AGAIN HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS AND BREAKS REPLACED IN JULY 2012 AS WELL AS THE BACK BREAKS BUT THIS TIME I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER PLACE OTHER THAN THE DEALER AND HERE IT IS 2014 AND THEY ARE STILL HOLDING AND THE COST WAS $495.00 FOR BOTH FRONT AND BACK AS WELL 4 NEW MICHELIN TIRES THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE ME $495.00 FOR THE BACK ALONE. THE THIRD INCIDENT OCCURRED IN LAS VEGAS I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND THE CAR SHUT OFF. IT STARTED BACK RIGHT AWAY BUT I HAD A TEN HOUR DRIVE TO MAKE IT HOME AND THIS WORRIED ME. THE FOURTH INCIDENT WAS WITH THE SUNROOF I WENT TO THE CAR WASH AND THE WAX THAT WAS USED CAUSED THE SUNROOF TO STICK AFTER IT DRIED AND LATER THE MOTOR WENT OUT BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE ROOF, THE DEALER QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $5000.00 TO REPAIR IT. LAST BUT NOT LEAST THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVERS SEATBELT AND BACK SEATBELT ON DRIVERS SIDE WERE DEFECTIVE AND IF I HAD AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS MIGHT NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEATBELTS MIGHT NOT HOLD, THIS WILL COST ME $700.00 TO HAVE FIXED. I DON'T HAVE A MONEY TREE GROWING IN MY YARD. ALSO MY REAR TAILLIGHT KEPT GOING OUT AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THE ENTIRE CASING HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. THE ENTIRE UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE PAID MORE IN REPAIRS ON THIS CARS THAN I PAID IN GROCERIES OVER THE PASS FIVE YEARS. *TR
Official recalls
224V874000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Nov 19, 2024
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 22V-954. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024120001/2/3.
22V954000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Dec 23, 2022
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall expands NHTSA recall number 19V-918. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and 2023010006.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.