Most common 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 problems
Share of the 68 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz C320 complaints by model year
Best C320 years: 2004, 2005, 2003. Years to avoid: 2002, 2001. Compare all years →
2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 recalls (3)
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V918-4126.pdf
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020.
What 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 owners say
Electrical system all 36 →
Battery drains after being parked overnight, 58,000 miles, dealer maintained since new. Driven by a little old lady until I bought it. Took it to the dealer and they replaced one of the seat modules. Soon afterward, the problem recurred. Took it back to the dealer and they said it was a defective fuse box and replaced it for $650. Went to pick up the car and the battery was dead again. After some complaining, they refunded the bill. They looked at it again and said the problem was somewhere in the dashboard and it would cost $2300 just to take it apart and look for a bad module. They offered $2300 trade in toward a new or CPO car, and said my car would be sent to the crusher. I took the car back and installed a remote operated battery cutoff, and have been driving it ever since. Other than disturbing the engine computer, it's been running well for three years and 20,000 miles. …
Was driving on highway when ESP, bas and ABS lights show up, and speedometer display stops working - speed reading goes to zero, though there is no reduction in speed. Get to destination. On return it happens again. This time I go to rest area, stop the car, remove the key and restart. The car refuses to move out of park. Call roadside assistance and get instruction to override park, drive home with flashers on - very rough ride quality. Tow to dealer next day, they are not sure if new part will fix it, even if $1850 part is replaced. Lots of electrical problems over the years. Turn lights go out routinely. Changed cd changer. Seat drains battery,had to disconnect it. Poor electrical sensors all around. Now it also has rust damage, all of a sudden, at the bottom of doors.
Seats all 23 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Mercedes Benz C320. The contact stated that the battery was drained after the vehicle was parked and turned off. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the driver's side seat module was defective which caused the battery to drain. The module was unplugged to prevent the battery from being drained. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.
The car parked in the garage overnight and the morning I had an emergency at the business and could not start the car. The battery was totally drained. Had it towed to the shop to be diagnosed that it was the front driver side power seat that has drained all the energy from the battery even when the car is not running. The power seat is now continuously excessively drain the battery even when the car is not running. The consequences are that the car is not trusted to be able to start in an emergency situation when the car is needed for transportation. The car has very low mileage on it. The power seat has been rarely used and it should not fail for having been idle/not used for the length of time that I have own the car. I am the original first time owner of the car and I hardly have to adjust the power seat. …
Transmission & drivetrain
I leased a 2002 Mercedes c32 in December of 2002. Its a documented fact Mercedes has been experiencing a high number of defect complaints with this model car. Recently for me was the most serious.. On December 26th 2004, while merging onto a major highway(i95) my car's automatic transmission went into neutral while in the drive position. I had to pull over on the side of the highway put the car into park then back to drive to resolve the problem. I notified Mercedes on 12/27, at an appointment I had previously scheduled for other problems. Mercedes after holding the car for a week diagnosed it as a transmission control issue. I had to wait four weeks for a replacement to arrive from Germany. In January 2005, while waiting for this part to arrive the same incident occurred while merging onto the same highway the car went into neutral. …
The transmission has repeatedly locked in 2nd gear. The electrical system shows constant light, coolant and air bag failures. The memory for seats, mirrors and the steering wheel defaults about 30% of the time. I bought this car through m-b diplomatic sales program while serving in Canada and brought it to the USA on retirement. M-b Canada won't help because the car is in the us. M-b USA won't help because I bought the car in Canada. M-b corporate in Germany simply referred my case back to m-b USA. I am now out of warranty. I want m-b to extend the warranty another 4 years or 50K miles. The car is a disaster.
2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 a good car?
Based on 68 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 C320 rates avoid: 4.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the C320 at the same age. It is one of the C320 years we suggest avoiding. 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 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320?
The electrical system — 36 complaints, 53% of all complaints for this model year, most often about 12v/24v/48v battery. Next are the seats (23) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320, the most recent from November 19, 2024 (sun/moon roof assembly). 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 C320?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 2005 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2002 and 2001. See the full Mercedes-Benz C320 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Mercedes-Benz C320 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 31% 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.