2005 Mercedes Benz C230 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other C230 years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 85 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes Benz C230. That ranks 3rd out of 11 C230 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (50 complaints, 59%), typically at around 86,655 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 6 fires, 13 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 85owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Mercedes Benz C230 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 50 | 59% | 86,655 | “takata air bags” (18%) | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 14% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 11% | 47,668 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 9% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 7% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 5% | 83,309 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 4% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 4% | 93,750 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 4% | 9,725 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 4% | 99,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 2% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | 113,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 2% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | 83,309 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% | 67,378 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 4,405 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 47,668 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 156,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Mercedes Benz C230 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V918-4126.pdf
Risk: A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020040011.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The SAM system failed and car would not start !It took months to be diagnosed by 3 different mechanics! The message said quite often that the Air bags have been deployed !The dealer could not determine the issue! There have been various recalls on the Takata air bags stating my C230 2005 Kompressor…
Vehicle began smoking on highway. No check engine or indicator of any fault codes. No previous coolant or oil leaks, or fuel leaks appeared to be visible or of issue. Vehicle had to be pulled over on side of highway as smoke began to became increasing with darker color from the engine bay, then…
I was driving my car to work and the next thing you know it slowed down only going 40mph. Then the engine light came on and now it want go in reverse. The electrical has went out for moving the headrest up and down, moving the seat forward n backwards. The battery keep draining, this is the 3rd new…
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that while making a left turn into a shopping center at approximately 10 mph, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle causing the contact's vehicle to crash into the vehicle in front of her. The contact's forehead struck the…
La tela del techo se despeg de repente y puede caer encima del conductor y pasajeros .he preguntado a otras personas que tienen el mismo modelo y me dicen que tambin les a pasado lo mismo o sea debe ser defecto de fabrica
Other Mercedes Benz C230 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 C230 | 212 | 5 |
| 2006 C230 | 116 | 5 |
| 2005 | 85 | 4 |
| 2004 C230 | 31 | 3 |
| 2003 C230 | 51 | 3 |
| 2002 C230 | 54 | 2 |
| 2001 C230 | 4 | 0 |
| 2000 C230 | 29 | 0 |
| 1999 C230 | 29 | 0 |
| 1998 C230 | 39 | 0 |
| 1997 C230 | 7 | 0 |
See all Mercedes Benz C230 problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Mercedes Benz C230?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 50 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Mercedes Benz C230?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Mercedes Benz C230 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other C230 model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.