What breaks most · 2012 to 2015 model years
Mercedes-Benz C250 problems by year
Owners have filed 426 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz C250 across model years 2012 to 2015. Two years stand out: 2012 for air bags complaints and 2013 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 4262012 to 2015, all trims
- Worst year
- 2012184 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 189 fires · 14 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 49kMedian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 184 | 1 | 5 | Air bags (130) | |
| 157 | 10 | 7 | Air bags (104) | |
| 80 | 7 | 5 | Air bags (50) | |
| 5 | 0 | 4 | Air bags (4) |
What fails on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 71% |
130 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 19% |
35 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Unknown or other | 3% |
5 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 3% |
5 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 2% |
4 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 2% |
4 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 2% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 1% |
2 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2012 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.
-
Rattling noise coming from engine at startup. Diagnosed as defective cam timing adjusters @ 65000 miles. This apparently an on going problem with this particular part(s) and causes major engine damage. Repair costs range from $3000 - $5000 and more if the engine is ruined.
-
My car burnt yesterday morning on my way to work, no warning, nothing noted. Just started smoking and then flames came up and burn the whole front end
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 30, 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, 2012, 2013 carry the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz C250. The 2012 alone has 184 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz C250 problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 130 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 49,000 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.