2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 Problems & Complaints

Average1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the C300 at the same age

Owners have filed 23 complaints about the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the C300 at the same age. The most reported problem area is the driver assistance (10 complaints, typically around 6,000 miles). 9 recalls cover this model year.

23complaints
9recalls
2crashes
0fires
1injuries
0deaths

Most common 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems

  • Driver assistance~6,000 miles
    1043%
  • Brakes~2,000 miles
    522%
  • Electrical system~6,000 miles
    522%
  • Other / not specified
    417%
  • Wheels & tires~16,000 miles
    313%
  • Engine & cooling~4,000 miles
    29%
  • Fuel & propulsion system
    14%
  • Transmission & drivetrain
    14%
  • Body & structure
    14%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof
    14%

Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Mercedes-Benz C300 complaints by model year

’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25672576453480266261943812892161116933152523144
Owner complaints per model year, Mercedes-Benz C300. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best C300 years: 2014, 2021, 2020. Years to avoid: 2009, 2008. Compare all years →

2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 recalls (9)

Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Lock

NHTSA recall 26V-481 · Jul 24, 2026 · 310,667 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CLA, 2019-2022 A-Class, 2022-2023 C-Class, 2024 CLE, 2020-2026 GLA/GLB, and 2023-2024 GLC vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific model information.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's door lock, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 18, 2026.

Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers

NHTSA recall 25V-255 · May 12, 2025 · 443 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, GLC, EQE SUV, EQE, EQS SUV, and EQS vehicles that were incorrectly repaired under recall 24V-115. An incorrect fuse box that was not designed for the vehicle may have been installed.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the main fuse boxes, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Seat belts › Front

NHTSA recall 25V-253 · May 2, 2025 · 46 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2025 C 300, and 2023-2024 AMG C 43 vehicles. The driver-side seat belt cover may not be properly installed on the seat belt tensioner, which can cause the seat belt anchor to come loose.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt covers, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers

NHTSA recall 24V-446 · Jun 14, 2024 · 1,058 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C 300 vehicles. The bolt securing the electrical wire to the pre-fuse box could be improperly tightened, causing the wire to overheat. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024070005.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and rework the wiring harness, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 2, 2024. Owner may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

Electrical system › Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers

NHTSA recall 24V-115 · Feb 16, 2024 · 31,848 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C300, AMG C43, S580e, S580, Maybach S580, Maybach S680, AMG SL43, AMGSL63, GLC300, EQE350, EQE500, EQS450, EQS580, AMG EQS, 2023 S500, AMG SL55, AMG EQE, 2024 E350, E450, AMG C63e S, CLE300 Coupe, CLE450 Coupe, and GLC300 Coupe vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the main fuse boxes, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024030008.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 23V-880 · Dec 21, 2023 · 79,676 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2024 GLE, GLS, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, GLC, CLS, AMG GT, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The fuel pump may shutdown, causing a loss of drive power.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 28, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on February 23, 2024, April 19, 2024, June 28, 2024,…

Show 3 more recalls

Electrical system › Wiring

NHTSA recall 23V-463 · Jun 30, 2023 · 1,558 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C300 and 2023 AMG C43 vehicles. The ground connections for the electrical wiring harness may not be secured properly, which can result in the electrical wiring harness overheating.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the ground connections for the electrical wiring harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023.

Electrical system › Wiring

NHTSA recall 23V-462 · Jun 30, 2023 · 8,178 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C300 and 2023 AMG C43 vehicles. The transmission wiring harness may be the incorrect length, which can result in harness damage and a loss of drive power.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the transmission wiring harness routing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6373.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 23V-445 · Jun 26, 2023 · 143,551 vehicles

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021-2023 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS, SL, GT, GLC, GLE, GLS, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The fuel pump may shutdown, which can result in a loss of drive power.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 14, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023070012.

What 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 owners say

Driver assistance

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that on occasion while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped without the brake pedal being depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed twice by the local dealer, and the contact was advised that the Forward Collision Avoidance sensors needed to be recalibrated; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where the vehicle was inspected, and the contact was advised that further diagnostic tests were required to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000. The VIN was not available.

28,000 miles · Jan 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH with the Intelligent Cruise Control activated, with no other vehicles or objects nearby, the vehicle inadvertently slowed down. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality but later displayed the following messages: "Active Emergency Stop Assist Currently Unavailable", and "Active Steering Assist Inoperable". The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,000.

Adaptive cruise control · 6,000 miles · Sep 2023

Brakes

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes C300. The contact stated that while traveling over a pedestrian crosswalk, the emergency braking mode was engaged. The accelerator pedal was applied but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle went into restricted mode. A Hyundai Elantra crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The driver in the Hyundai stated that the brake lights were not illuminated. There was no air bag deployment or fire. A police report was filed. The contact who was occupying the front passenger seat sustained an injury to her neck and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there were no restricted mode codes located. They were unable to duplicate or verify the incident. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 2000.

2,000 miles · Apr 2023 · crash · 1 injury

On 2/17/24 the vehicle was parked in front of my house. There is a slight grade. The vehicle had been parked for approximately 1 hour when my neighbor called me to tell me that the vehicle had rolled down the hill and into his storage building. The vehicle rolled on its own. I have video evidence that no one was in or around the car at the time of this occurrence. I also, have 2 eyewitnesses who can corroborate this story. Due to safety concerns, I immediately returned the vehicle to Mercedes. I have .MOV files and pictures JPEG that will not upload for some reason.

Feb 2024 · crash

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH with the Intelligent Cruise Control activated, with no other vehicles or objects nearby, the vehicle inadvertently slowed down. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality but later displayed the following messages: "Active Emergency Stop Assist Currently Unavailable", and "Active Steering Assist Inoperable". The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,000.

6,000 miles · Sep 2023

First week, the car would take off fast as soon as the brakes were released. Then first time I used the heat there was a crackling sound coming form the side of the center display and it got extremely hot, I was on the FWY driving in the rain. Brakes: Intermittently, when braking, the car speeds up as if shifting to N, problematic in the FWY traffic behind another car, sometimes the brake pedal can be heard rattling really lose underfoot, brakes also used to groan when backing up. Electrical: intermittently, the door/trunk lock, side mirror, garage door opener do not work, and the dash displays change by themselves, the worst is the unreasonably hot center display that burns fingers, and becomes untouchable on hot days. Transmission: seems not to work in unison with the accelerator as sometimes the RPM needle hits 3-4 but the car will not speed up or is sluggish. …

Dec 2022

2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.0L 4-cyl turbo hybrid9-speed automaticRWD25 / 36 / 29

EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 a good car?

Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2023 C300 rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the C300 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300?

The driver assistance — 10 complaints, 43% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic emergency braking. Next are the brakes (5) and electrical system (5).

How many recalls does the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 have?

There are 9 recalls for the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300, the most recent from July 24, 2026 (lock). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz C300?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2021 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009 and 2008. See the full Mercedes-Benz C300 years comparison.

At what mileage do 2023 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 4,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.