IllustrationI HAVE A MERCEDES BENZ C230 THE LIGHT IS ON BUT THE SRS IS ON GIVE MESSAGE THAT SAID DRIVE TO A WORK SHOP
2004 Mercedes Benz C230
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 39.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C230 years →Counts vary with age, sales 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
20–25K
425–50K
850–75K
375–100K
4100–150K
1150K+
22 reports with mileage · 9 unknown
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.
- Electrical System. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports4 fire reports0 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
5 reportsMY DAUGHTER IS 18. THIS WAS MY MERCEDES THAT I HANDED DOWN TO HER THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE SAFE. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLES ARE NOT LOCKING THE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY. THIS IS PART OF A RECALL DONE BY MERCEDES. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM IF MY CAR WAS RECALLED, THEY …
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MY DAUGHTER IS 18. THIS WAS MY MERCEDES THAT I HANDED DOWN TO HER THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE SAFE. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLES ARE NOT LOCKING THE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY. THIS IS PART OF A RECALL DONE BY MERCEDES. HOWEVER, WHEN I CALLED THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM IF MY CAR WAS RECALLED, THEY SAID THAT MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T ONE OF THE CARS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF MY CAR IS DOING SAME THING THAT THE RECALL SAYS. THERE WILL BE A HECK OF A LAWSUIT IF MY DAUGHTER WAS TO GET IN A WRECK AND HER SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONED. THIS IS WHAT THE RECALL SAYS AND MY DAUGHTER'S VEHICLE IS DOING THE SAME THING. ......SOME SEAT BELT BUCKLES MAY HAVE A BURR ON A METAL COMPONENT OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM. THIS COULD PREVENT THE SEAT BELT FROM LOCKING UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED SEAT BELTS. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 22, 2003. THE MERCEDES-BENZ RECALL NUMBER IS 2003 120006. YOU WOULD THINK MERCEDES WOULD TAKE CAUTION AND FIX THIS IF THE OWNER IS TELLING THEM THE SEAT BELT IS DOING THE SAME THING ON THE CAR THAT THE RECALL SAYS. I WOULD LIKE FOR MERCEDES TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBLE AND FIX MY VEHICLE AT NO CHARGE. IF NOT AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY DAUGHTER, I WILL FILE A LAWSUIT. PERIOD. THANKS
VEHICLE HAS 136,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED BY ALL OWNERS. DRIVERS BUCKLE OR LATCH NO LONGER OPERATING. PRIOR TO THIS IT WAS BECOMING HARD TO RELEASE BUCKLE AFTER USE. NOW STUCK IN CLOSED POSITION. IT INDICATES THAT THE BELT IS BUCKLED BUT IT WILL NOT CATCH. VERIFIED NOTHING IS STUCK IN MECHANISM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO REACH FOR SOMETHING IN THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT SNAPPED AT THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FA…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO REACH FOR SOMETHING IN THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT SNAPPED AT THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,402.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE WHEN THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELT COMPUTER CHIP WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 61,000. UPDATED 5/5/08 *CN UPDATED 05/05/08. *JB
Official recalls
324V874000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Nov 19, 2024
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
22V954000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Dec 23, 2022
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
19V918000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Dec 20, 2019
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
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.