2005 Mercedes Benz C320 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other C320 years
- About as many complaints as other years 4th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes Benz C320. That ranks 4th out of 7 C320 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (4 complaints, 27%), typically at around 34,253 miles. Complaints mention 2 fires. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 15owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Mercedes Benz C320 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 27% | 34,253 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 20% | 75,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 13% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 13% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 13% | 146,234 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 13% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 7% | 136,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 7% | 136,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 7% | 171,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Mercedes Benz C320 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.
While driving, my son was using the heated seat function and noticed a burning smell, the driver side seat was smoking, which burned a hole in the left hand side of the seat back and also burned a hole in the back of my sons sweatshirt.
The battery keep draining which make thhe car impossible to drive
A small spring inside the door lock breaks which keeps the door from opening once locked. I have seen many repair how to videos on youtube about this issue. It is a serious safety issue. If a person is in an accident and needs to exit the car quickly, this broken lock can keep them stuck inside the…
I went to change my low beam headlight bulb and found the wiring insulation all flaking off to about six inches from the bulb connector. I searched on line and found others complaining of this same thing. I suspect since these wires are hidden inside the headlight assembly, the problem is much more…
I was driving on a highway and suddenly i heard this loud explosion. My ears were ringing and i felt as if it was raining but only glass. Luckily it did not get into my eyes and i stopped the vehicle safely at the side of the road only to find out that everything is intact and i did not hit any…
Other Mercedes Benz C320 years
See all Mercedes Benz C320 problems by year, every Mercedes Benz model, or the Mercedes Benz VIN decoder.
Similar Mercedes Benz models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Mercedes Benz C320?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, seats, air bags problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Mercedes Benz C320?
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 C320 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other C320 model years, the 2005 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.