IllustrationNAR 04/28/2003 MR NON COMFORMITY AND MAJOR DEFECTS WITH PREOWNED CAR PURCHASED. DEFECTS INCLUDE, AIR CONDTIONER UNIT, BRAKES, AND FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUSING LIGHT BULBS TO BE REPLACED. *CB
1999 Mercedes Benz C230
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Mercedes Benz C230 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 39.
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 →29Owner 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
1999 Mercedes Benz C230
NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 29 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: 4 reports
- Electrical System: 4 reports
- Fuel System, Other: 4 reports
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 3 reports
- Suspension: 3 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: 12 of 29 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 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports
What owners actually said
29 reportsFUEL GAUGE FAILURE:READS MORE THAN THERE IS AT TIMES; HAS RESULTED IN RUNNING OUT OF FUEL;ERRATIC READING EVEN AFTER FILLING TANK WITH FUEL;WILL SHOW FULL AND A FEW MINUTES LATER SHOWS EMPTY. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHT BULBS BURING OUT AT 1 TO 2 MONTH INTERVALS. SOMETIMES DASH INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS BURNED OUT BULB WHEN ALL ARE WORKING…
Read full complaint
FUEL GAUGE FAILURE:READS MORE THAN THERE IS AT TIMES; HAS RESULTED IN RUNNING OUT OF FUEL;ERRATIC READING EVEN AFTER FILLING TANK WITH FUEL;WILL SHOW FULL AND A FEW MINUTES LATER SHOWS EMPTY. ALSO, BRAKE LIGHT BULBS BURING OUT AT 1 TO 2 MONTH INTERVALS. SOMETIMES DASH INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS BURNED OUT BULB WHEN ALL ARE WORKING, OTHER TIMES LIGHT HAS BURNED OUT AND INDICATOR LIGHT IS NOT ON.*AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER'S VIEW. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND WOULD COST $1000. *AK *SCC *JB *JB
ABS BRAKES LIGHT STAYS ON. CONSUMER HAS TO TURN CAR OFF BEFORE LIGHT GOES OFF. THEN, ONCE APPLYING BRAKES LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN.*AK
CONUSMER STATES THAT ALL POWER WINDOWS WILL MALFUNCTION,WINDOWS WILL NOT GO DOWN. CONTACTED DEALER REPLACE PART, PROBLEM STILL ACCURING. NLM
FUEL GAUAGE DOES NOT REGISTER CORRECT LEVELS OF FUEL, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHEN TRAVLING A T ANY SPEED WILL NOT COME TO A STOP WHEN THERE IS RAIN OR SNOW. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE FUEL GAUGES DOES NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL, WHICH CAUSED DRIVER TO RUN OUT OF FUEL, SENDING UNIT(S) WERE REPLACED, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM SIX MONTHS LATER, FEB OF 2000 FUEL LEVEL SENSORS REPLACED, PROBLEM RESURFACED DECEMBER 2000, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOUND FAULTY. *CJ
MERCEDES BRAND INFANT RESTRAINT SEAT DOES NOT FIT IN REAR OF CAR, TODDLER SEATS DON'T PROVIDE SAFTEY STRAPS TO RESTRAIN CHILD OR TEATHER TO SECURE SEAT. *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.