Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz C300 years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2016 and 2017. Best years: 2021 and 2024.
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 380 complaints (32 for each year on the road), 2016 has 286 complaints (26 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 216 complaints (22 for each year on the road), against a median of 7 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is misfire (62 reports).
- 882complaints
- 24recall campaigns
- 3model years with a page
Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: misfire (62 reports, median 61,000 miles) and stalling (31 reports, median 49,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: misfire (54 reports, median 60,000 miles) and fuel tank problems (27 reports, median 83,000 miles).
2017
Most reported: misfire (51 reports, median 52,000 miles) and seat belt (21 reports, median 20,000 miles).
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Mercedes-Benz C300 year here: 380 of 882 (43%).
- Problem across the years
- Misfire is the top problem in every model year with a page, 167 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 62 owners who gave a mileage for misfire were under about 60,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Mercedes-Benz C300 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2017, 18 of its 216 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 3 model years where owners report misfire has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 172 and have dropped every year since, to 90 in 2025. So far in 2026, 27 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Bindydad123, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (91), 2018 (99), 2019 (69), 2020 (33), 2021 (14), 2022 (25), 2023 (22), 2024 (11).
Year by year
2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 avoid
216 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (3.1 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (51 reports, median 52,000 miles), seat belt (21 reports, median 20,000 miles) and airbag (15 reports). 10 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 15 recalls, including 22V-365 on the electrical system and 21V-058 on the electrical system.
2016 Mercedes-Benz C300 avoid
286 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (3.7 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (54 reports, median 60,000 miles), fuel tank problems (27 reports, median 83,000 miles) and windshield (19 reports, median 45,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 13 recalls, including 21V-961 on the fuel system and 21V-058 on the electrical system.
2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 avoid
380 owner complaints, 32 for each year on the road (4.5 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (62 reports, median 61,000 miles), stalling (31 reports, median 49,000 miles) and windshield (22 reports, median 59,900 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 17V-177 on the electrical system and 17V-114 on the electrical system.
Recalls that cover several model years
Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details.
The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair.
For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf
A locknut in the steering rack may break under high load, possibly causing the steering to become stuck in one position.
The driver's air bag may unexpectedly deploy due to insufficient grounding of the steering components if an electrostatic discharge occurs and the air bag clockspring is broken.
In the event that the engine or transmission cannot turn over, the starting current limiter may overheat from the repeated attempts of the starter motor attempting to start the vehicle.
Questions
What Mercedes-Benz C300 years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300 draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 380 complaints (32 for each year on the road), 2016 has 286 complaints (26 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 216 complaints (22 for each year on the road), against a median of 7 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is misfire (62 reports).
What are the best years for the Mercedes-Benz C300?
The 2021 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 14 (2 a year) and 2024 has 11 (4 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Mercedes-Benz C300?
Misfire, with 167 reports across the 3 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2016 and 2017.
How many recalls does the Mercedes-Benz C300 have?
24 recall campaigns cover the Mercedes-Benz C300 model years 2015 to 2017 on this site. The widest, 17V-114 on the electrical system, covers 3 model years.
How many Mercedes-Benz C300 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2017 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for misfire on the Mercedes-Benz C300?
No. None of the 3 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.