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: 6 of 8 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.
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Visibility. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
MY 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 ENGINE COOLING OR SUCTION FAN RUNS CONSTANTLY AT HIGH SPEED NONSTOP AT STARTUP UNTIL VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT / MODULE (ECU / ECM) OR COOLING / SUCTION FAN WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I REPLACED THE ECU 5 TIMES AND THE C…
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MY 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 ENGINE COOLING OR SUCTION FAN RUNS CONSTANTLY AT HIGH SPEED NONSTOP AT STARTUP UNTIL VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT / MODULE (ECU / ECM) OR COOLING / SUCTION FAN WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I REPLACED THE ECU 5 TIMES AND THE COOLING / SUCTION FAN ONCE RELYING ON DEALER'S DIAGNOSES. MY C240 WOULD WORK FOR A WHILE BUT THE FAN WOULD MALFUNCTION AGAIN RUNNING CONSTANTLY AT HIGH SPEED. I NOTIFIED MERCEDES BENZ USA OF MULTIPLE FAN MALFUNCTIONS AND THE DEALER'S INABILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD TO FIND ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IF PROBLEM REOCCURRED. THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED 4 MONTHS LATER WHICH I TOOK C240 TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THIS OTHER DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECU WAS BAD AND FOUND A 2004 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) P-B-20.40/26A THAT ADDRESSES THE SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. TSB STATES PROBLEM MAY BE CAUSED BY THE WIRING HARNESS BETWEEN THE ECU AND ENGINE FAN OR THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT FAN END STAGE MALFUNCTIONING. THERE MAYBE A CODE P2073 (004). THE ADAPTER WIRING HARNESS PART NUMBER IS A209 540 56 35. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO THE TSB WHICH SAYS TO CHECK WIRE CONTINUITY, REPLACE ECU, AND INSTALL HARNESS ADAPTER ONLY. MY FAN WAS ALSO REPLACED ALTHOUGH TSB DID NOT STATE TO REPLACE FAN. NO ADDITIONAL TEST WAS PERFORMED TO SHOW THAT FAN WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACED TO WARRANT THE ECU. MERCEDES-BENZ USA SAYS MY C240 IS NOT COVERED BY TSB P-B-20.40//26A OR P-B-20.40/33 AND NO OTHER TSB EXIST THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THIS SAME ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE. I HAVE FOUND MANY C240 AND C-CLASS (W203) OWNERS' COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM BEYOND THE MODELS MENTIONED IN THE ABOVE 2 TSBS. MERCEDES BENZ IS CONCEALING THAT TSBS EXIST TO ADDRESS SAME ISSUE WITH C240 AND OTHER W203 VEHICLES OR IT WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM FROM CONSUMER COMPLAINTS.
NHTSA ODI #11192785
1 miles · Jul 14, 2017
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineExterior Lighting
ESP LIGHT, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FADING, ACCELERATION SENSOR AND MULTIPLE LEAKS IN THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AXEL SEAL, SPARK PLUGS VALVE LEAKS, OIL LEAKS, TRANS BELL. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN ESP LIGHT THAT TURNS ON ONCE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, A BURNING SMELL THAT COMES THROUGH THE CAR. MULTIPLE LEAKS DISCOVERED AND THE CL…
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ESP LIGHT, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FADING, ACCELERATION SENSOR AND MULTIPLE LEAKS IN THE ENGINE, POWER STEERING, AXEL SEAL, SPARK PLUGS VALVE LEAKS, OIL LEAKS, TRANS BELL. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN ESP LIGHT THAT TURNS ON ONCE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, A BURNING SMELL THAT COMES THROUGH THE CAR. MULTIPLE LEAKS DISCOVERED AND THE CLUSTER LIGHTING ALSO FADES OUT ONCE THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE MAKING THE READINGS UNREADABLE. BENZEL AND BUSCH GENERATED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT DISCOVERED MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. MBUSA WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE ESP LIGHT, THE FADING OF THE INSTRUMENTS AND THE MULTIPLE LEAKS FOR A CAR THAT HAS LESS THAN 55K AND HAS HAD ALL PROPER MAINTENANCE DONE. THEY REFUSED TO CONSIDER ALTHOUGH OTHER VEHICLES SAME YEAR AND MODEL HAD HAD RECALLS FOR SOME OF THESE ITEMS.
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.
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.
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
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2001 Mercedes Benz C240 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year