IllustrationCONTI PRO CONTACT TIRES PUT ON RIMS AND BALANCED FOR SUMMER DRIVING. 195/65 R15 91H DOT#65PCAXH61610 2 MILES AWAY FROM GARAGE TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED. INSPECTION SHOWED BUBBLE CAUSED BY MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN GOOGLE- SUBSTANTIAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES I.E. BUBBLES, BLOW OUTS ETC. -DANGEROUS! *TR
1997 Mercedes Benz C230
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.
About this comparison →7Owner complaints
Model-year median: 39
0Recall campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView investigation details →
Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Inspection summary
1997 Mercedes Benz C230
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 7 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.
Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Top reported categories (up to 5)
- Air Bags: 2 reports
- Power Train: 1 reports
- Suspension: 1 reports
- Tires: 1 reports
- Vehicle Speed Control: 1 reports
Full reported-category list and vehicle report
Recall links
No recall campaigns in this snapshot.
Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.
Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.
How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C230 years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure 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
Limited mileage data: 1 of 7 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 1 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 reports0 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
7 reportsDT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, A LOUD CLANGING NOISE WAS HEARD. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAD FALLEN DOWNWARD ONTO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FACTORY WELDS OF THE STRUT FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, A LOUD CLANGING NOISE WAS HEARD. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAD FALLEN DOWNWARD ONTO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FACTORY WELDS OF THE STRUT FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 1/19/2007 -*NM
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 45 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A GUARDRAIL HEAD ON. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES AS A RESULT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY OTHER DETAILS. *JB
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE VEHICLES WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AND AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *NLM
FRONT CRASH AT 35 MPH, NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUFFERED NECK AND ARM INJURIES, DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WAS $ 17000.00.*JB
CHILD WAS IN VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE AND ROLLED BACKWARDS WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION OR MOTOR RUNNING. VEHICLE ROLLED BACK, AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER HAD NO RESPONSE. STATED IT SHOULD HAVE ONLY DONE THAT IF KEY WAS IN IGNITION. *AK *SLC
THE FIRST TIME WE NOTICED A PROBLEM WAS IN MT. PLEASENT, SC. WE WERE DROPPING THE CHILDREN OFF TO VISIT THEIR DAD. AS SOON AS WE RETURNED TO THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. WE BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY BUT THAT DID NOT DO IT EITHER. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE CAR TO START IT WOULD TAKE OFF AS IF IT WERE DRIVING ITSELF. SEVERAL DIFFEREN…
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THE FIRST TIME WE NOTICED A PROBLEM WAS IN MT. PLEASENT, SC. WE WERE DROPPING THE CHILDREN OFF TO VISIT THEIR DAD. AS SOON AS WE RETURNED TO THE CAR IT WOULD NOT START. WE BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY BUT THAT DID NOT DO IT EITHER. WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE CAR TO START IT WOULD TAKE OFF AS IF IT WERE DRIVING ITSELF. SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS WOULD HAPPEN. EITHER IT WOULD STALL WHILE IDLING OR IT WOULD REV UP THE MOTOR TILL YOU COULD HARDLY STOP IYOU WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE TO PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS. ANOTHER TIME IT DID THE SAME THING EXCEPT IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS A JACK HAMMER IN THE ENGINE. THEY SAID IT WAS A BROKEN AC COMORESSOR AND ADJUSTED THE TIMING BELT AND REPLACED A AIR FLOW SENSOR. ANOTHER TIME IT HAPPENED MODERN CLASIC MOTORS (WHERE I USUALLY TAKE IT) SAID IT WAS A DEFECTIVE AIRFLOW SENSER AND REPLACED IT WITH A NEW ONE. I ALSO GOT A NEW AIRCOMPRESSOR AND FIXED THE AC. THE NEXT TIME WAS JULY 21, 2001. ON MY WAY HOME FROM COLUMBIA THE CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC A BYSTANDER AND POLICEMAN PUSHED. *AK
Recall campaigns
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Defect investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.