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.
ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010 OUR 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280 SEDAN ENGINE STALLED/STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY FOR US WE WERE NOT ON A FAST MOVING SURFACE STREET, A HIGHWAY OR A FREEWAY. THIS SITUATION, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS/STOPS MAKES IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR AND STOP IT SINCE THE BRAKES AND POWER ST…
Read full complaint
ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010 OUR 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280 SEDAN ENGINE STALLED/STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY FOR US WE WERE NOT ON A FAST MOVING SURFACE STREET, A HIGHWAY OR A FREEWAY. THIS SITUATION, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS/STOPS MAKES IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR AND STOP IT SINCE THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING ARE DIFFICULT TO USE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. AFTER REFUELING THE CAR WE TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 100FT WHEN, WITHOUT ANY DASH BOARD WARNING LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER INDICATIONS, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. WE ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES AND IT WOULD NOT START. WE CALLED AAA OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT APPROXIMATELY 3:15PM, THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AT 3:55PM AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER ASKED US TO ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR AND TO OUR SURPRISE THE ENGINE STARTED. WE DROVE TO SOUTH BAY MERCEDES BENZ, TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, WITH THE TOW TRUCK FOLLOWING US. WHILE THE WORK ORDER WAS BEING PREPARED, SERVICE BAY PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. AFTER ABOUT 35 MINUTES, ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFUL. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE ENGINE STALLING/STOPPING IS MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOTAL DISASTER FOR US AND OTHER DRIVERS HAD THIS HAPPENED IN A HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA TRAFFIC SAFETY ORGANIZATION. THIS INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE TO DETERMINE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE, REVIEW MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE REPORTS AND OTHER C280 OWNERS. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT SOUTH BAY MERCEDES, TORRANCE, CA, AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. THE ENGINE STALLING/STOPPING WAS CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THERE ARE NO REDUNDANCIES WHEN THIS PART FAILS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10371212
25,282 miles · Jul 11, 2007
Engine And Engine Cooling
MERCEDES-BENZ 1999 C280. CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FELL APART WHILE AT A STOP SIGN NOT FAR FROM HOME, WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK HOME BEFORE COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. SMELLED BURNING RUBBER, NO FIRE. THE CAR HAS ONLY 25,284 MILES. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10196086
40,000 miles · Dec 5, 2005
Engine And Engine CoolingExterior LightingSteering
HARMONICA BALANCER ON 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280 V6 2.8L ENGINE. I'VE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING AND STARTING THE CAR. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAPERS FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10144527
Mileage unknown · Nov 1, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO SO. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.…
Read full complaint
A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO SO. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10099153
76,000 miles · Aug 31, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
A SQUEAKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM MY WIFE'S MERCEDES BENZ C-280. ON HER WAY TO OUR MECHANIC, HER CAR DIED, CONVENIENTLY IN FRONT OF ANOTHER MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH THE HARMONIC BALANCER WHICH FLEW OFF ITS APPROPRIATE PLACE ON THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS BEING LOOKED AT ON 8/31/04 TO ASSESS THE AMOUNT OF DAMGE…
Read full complaint
A SQUEAKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM MY WIFE'S MERCEDES BENZ C-280. ON HER WAY TO OUR MECHANIC, HER CAR DIED, CONVENIENTLY IN FRONT OF ANOTHER MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM WITH THE HARMONIC BALANCER WHICH FLEW OFF ITS APPROPRIATE PLACE ON THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS BEING LOOKED AT ON 8/31/04 TO ASSESS THE AMOUNT OF DAMGED CAUSED.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10088879
48,370 miles · Mar 25, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE
NHTSA ODI #10063862
Mileage unknown · Jun 20, 2003
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingSteering
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVEBELT CRACKED AND CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING FAILURE OF POWER STEERING/ ALTERNATOR, AND THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10024586
49,000 miles · May 1, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE DRIVE BELT PULLEY OF MY 1999 MERCEDES C280 BROKE. THE BATTERY CHARGE LIGHT CAME UP AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR BECAUSE MY STEERING BECAME STIFF. MY CAR JUST HAS 49K MILES AND I JUST USE IT AS A COMMUTE VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 96V058000
NHTSA ODI #10016864
48,000 miles · Apr 17, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline
THE VEHICLES FUEL TANK FILLER FAILED AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO FILL THE TANK WITH GAS. THE GAS CAME BACK OUT THE FILLER CAP ALTHOUGH THE TANK DIDN'T HAVE A HALF A TANK OF GAS. *NLM SOMETIMES THE ENGINE DIDN'T TURN OVER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS POOR ON GAS. *SCC
NHTSA ODI #10016095
Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
ENGINE CABLE INSULATOR CRACK AND FELL OFF, CAUSING SHORTS AND THE ENGINE CUT OFF.
NHTSA ODI #9004962
Recall campaigns
0
No 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
1
PE03058 · Engine Crankshaft Pulley Failure
Opened Dec 17, 2003 · Closed Apr 22, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER-STEERING ASSIST.ODI HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 546 NON-DUPLICATIVE REPORTS THAT ALLEGE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE ON ALL MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES USING THE SUBJECT COMPONENT.THE SUBJECT COMPONENT FAILURES ARE PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE AND ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANT CLAIMS INVOLVED A FAILURE THAT HAD PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO EFFECT POWER STEERING PERFORMANCE (6 OF 55 ODI COMPLAINTS REFERENCE INCREASED STEERING EFFORT).THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES OR INJURIES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE SUMMARY REPORT ATTACHED FOR FURTHER DETAIL.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.
Illustration