2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 69,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “steering lock” (12% of reports).
- 84electrical system complaints
- 69,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Steering lock: mentioned in 10 of 84 complaints (12%)
- Key ignition: mentioned in 7 of 84 complaints (8%)
- Won start: mentioned in 5 of 84 complaints (6%)
- Rear brake: mentioned in 5 of 84 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 64 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 84 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 3 a fire.
Mercedes-Benz C300 electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 C300 | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2024 C300 | 4 | 36% | — |
| 2023 C300 | 5 | 23% | 6,000 |
| 2022 C300 | 7 | 28% | 5,500 |
| 2021 C300 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2020 C300 | 3 | 9% | 6,000 |
| 2019 C300 | 13 | 19% | 31,002 |
| 2018 C300 | 10 | 10% | 52,800 |
| 2017 C300 | 31 | 14% | 44,771 |
| 2016 C300 | 32 | 11% | 10,500 |
| 2015 C300 | 50 | 13% | 20,010 |
| 2014 C300 | 9 | 10% | 56,291 |
| 2013 C300 | 19 | 7% | 68,675 |
| 2012 C300 | 12 | 5% | 83,500 |
| 2011 C300 | 43 | 9% | 75,000 |
| 2010 C300 | 84 | 19% | 69,000 |
| 2009 C300 | 198 | 34% | 70,400 |
| 2008 C300 | 228 | 34% | 79,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:software; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Wagon 4Matic, GLK350 and SL550 vehicles, 2012 CLS550 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2016 E350 vehicles, 2016-2017 GL450 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ML350 4Matic BlueTec vehicles, 2015 S550, S550 4Matic and C300 4Matic Sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 C300 Sedan vehicles, and 2017 SL63 AMG vehicles. Various control units on these vehicles may have been updated with incorrect software, potentially affecting the correct deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the battery and alternator were being drained. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the front air bag sensor message and a fog light message were displayed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown local dealer…
Got a car from the dealer soon weeks after the rear subframe was so corroded alignment was able to get done and was snapped on both sides airbag light came on doesnât go away and the rear right brake like started using the fog light as a turn signal
The contact owns a 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel locked. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was scanned, and diagnostic trouble codes indicating the TRP and Power Steering failure were…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 84 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 (19% of the 453 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 69,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300?
The most frequent phrase is “steering lock”, in 10 of 84 complaints, followed by “key ignition” (7).
Other 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems
- Air Bags problems (202)
- Steering problems (71)
See all 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems or electrical system problems across all C300 years.