What breaks most · 2012 to 2016 model years
Mercedes-Benz C250 problems by year
Owners have filed 725 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz C250 across model years 2012 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2013 for air bags complaints, 2012 for air bags complaints and 2014 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2012, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 7252012 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013277 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 3111 fires · 34 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 59kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 21Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 272 | 3 | 5 | Air bags (168) | |
| 277 | 13 | 7 | Air bags (162) | |
| 163 | 13 | 5 | Air bags (93) | |
| 12 | 2 | 4 | Air bags (8) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 58% |
162 | 11 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 17% |
46 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 9% |
24 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
19 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 7% |
19 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
14 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
14 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
11 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER breakdown with only 70k miles on engine. Dealership asking for 6k for repair as extended warranty expired last year.
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1) cranshaft and camshaft position sensors, timing problems and it has to be replaced this is a common damage in Mercedes Benz 2012 c250. 2) this put in risk my life because it can brake the engine in a highway and the car could be off.
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Cabin fills up with fuel smell, visible leak under fuel tank and by the front left tire. Leak and smell occurs both in motion and stationary/idle.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz C250 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2012, 2014 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz C250. The 2013 alone has 277 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz C250 problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 162 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz C250 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz C250 complaints that include mileage is about 59,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.