Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2020 | 2 | 6% | 100,000 miles |
| 2019 | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2017 | 2 | 1% | 8,000 miles |
| 2016 | 2 | 1% | 9,000 miles |
| 2015 | 5 | 1% | 18,000 miles |
| 2014 | 3 | 3% | 34,000 miles |
| 2013 | 7 | 3% | 23,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 0% | 40,000 miles |
| 2011 | 3 | 1% | 10,000 miles |
| 2010 | 4 | 1% | 32,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 1% | 39,000 miles |
| 2008 | 8 | 1% | 17,000 miles |
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On the afternoon of February 6, 2024, as I was turning into my driveway to park in front of the garage, my car unexpectedly accelerated despite my foot being on the brake pedal. Despite my attempts to brake, the pedal didn't respond, causing the car to collide with the garage door and subsequently damage storage shelves and containers inside. My mother and two brothers were passengers, returning from my mother's doctor appointment, and she became trapped inside due to the garage door collapsing onto the car. Emergency services were called, and both the fire department and police assisted in freeing my mother from the vehicle. However, the police did not file an accident report since it occurred on private property. Subsequently, I contacted my insurance agent, and the car was towed to a repair shop recommended by the dealer. …
I had a A1 service completed on 5.23.25 with Mercedes Benz dealership in Sourh San Francisco. 2233 Gellert Blvd. On [redacted] 48 hrs later as I was leaving working- 4-5 blocks before entering the freeway, my car suddenly struggled to drive over 20MPH and the check engine light came on. I pulled over a block before entering freeway. I had it towed and got a Lyft' ride home. It was a holiday weekend and I had to rent a car . Vehicle accessed 2 days later . I was told it needed a software update and there was a bulletin that came out in 2024 recommending to have the update and I needed to pay to have it repaired by performing a hard/soft upgrade . No empathy was evident . I said I knew nothing about it - dealership said they weren't obligated to advise. I could have been in a collision or caused and accident and seriously injured had it occured while on freeway . …
On February 9th, during my morning commute on the interstate the car lost power to the drivetrain. Message that displays was "collision assist plus inoperative" along with cruise control inoperative. With an amber ESP light illuminated, there was no engine light on. When this message appeared the car would no longer accelerate (limp mode). In avoidance to being in a rear end collision I quickly pulled over, turned off the car and turned back on. Inoperative message, limp mode and ESP light was cleared. I called dealer to notify. My thought was the battery is a dud (was replaced the day prior), the car needs a software reboot due to the new battery or car was not connected to the "memory saver" correctly. Or the sensors were dirty. So I did the easiest. I washed the car. This problem continued to happen 5-6 times more over the next few days stalling on the freeway at 65-75 MPH. …
Was driving on city street, and the collision prevention assist disabled warning sign came on and I lost power to the car. I'm told this is called "limp mode." I tried to pick up speed by pressing throttle to the floor, but got no reaction at all. Then some power came back, but not much. Each time I braked to stop for light or turn this would happen. After I got home I restarted the engine and it seemed normal again. However I was afraid to drive it, especially since in the last six months my power steering also failed, and had it towed to dealer. They ran tests and no code for failure was found. They said they found some software updates which they did. Unfortunately, after I picked up the car from service I saw that my main complaint wasn't even mentioned. Only that I sometimes had problem with collision control warning going off for no apparent reason.
Tl* the contact owned a 2014 Mercedes-Benz c350. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15-30 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated that he was unaware of how his foot ended up under the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was then involved in a four vehicle collision. The contact stated that along with his wife who was in the car at the time, she was injured along with one other occupant of one of the other vehicles. It was unknown where the wife was seated. Medical attention was sought several days after the collision by the contact and his spouse. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. Aaa was able to retrieve data from the vehicle data recorder. The contact was informed that a comprehensive report could be attained by equipment that only the dealer or manufacturer possessed. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Mercedes Benz C300. When the ignition was turned to the on position and the vehicle was shifted into drive with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle crashed into a traffic light pole. The contact suffered lacerations to the head, muscle damage to the legs, and a fracture on the eye socket. The contact received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that while the vehicle was approaching a building ahead, she veered to the right and hit the front bumper of an occupied vehicle. The vehicle then drove over the sidewalk. The contact stated that while approaching the end of the sidewalk, she veered to the right and the vehicle stopped after approximately 200 feet. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision repair shop. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C300. While driving 10 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal; however, the brakes failed and the vehicle crashed into a fence. The air bags failed to deploy. As a result, a police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mercedes-Benz C300 years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (8), 2009 (8), 2013 (7) and 2015 (5) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 1% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for Mercedes-Benz C300 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Mercedes-Benz C300 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz C300 acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles; 79% happened 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.