Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Mercedes Benz C250 - part 1

My car overheats badly and shakes and it is starting to smoke from the hood in snowy conditions.

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The vehicle was represented to me as safe to drive, with no major mechanical issues, and that it would pass emissions after only a simple minor fix. After I took possession, the check engine light came on. The car began running rough and showing hesitation. A scan immediately showed a camshaft position sensor fault, cylinder misfire, lean fuel condition, and oxygen sensor/emissions faults. I was also told by a professional shop that the timing chain may be failing. I was then warned that these problems can cause power loss or engine stalling while driving, and that the vehicle in this condition would likely not pass a legal emissions inspection. I was never told about any of these safety or emissions problems before taking the vehicle. This situation creates a safety risk because sudden loss of engine power or stalling can happen in traffic.

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I was coming off the freeway on 9/25/25, and when I pressed on the breaks they completely locked up and would not break at all. The car turned off, no warning lights nothing, and I continued to hit the break and the car would not stop, then all of a sudden it came to a stop almost colliding within inches of hitting the semi-truck in front of me. This is the second time in one year that this has happened to me, I have had the car checked out the first time last year immediately, and even paid to diagnose it, nothing, I had the brakes and rotors replaced last June of 2024 when this happened. Since then the car has only been in the dealership to get the car fully checked out mutltiple times within 2024, 2025 and repaired by mercedes dealership. On 9/25/25 this happened to me and it was a traumatic experiance when I pressed the break and the break got super hard and in a locked position and would not come to a stop, there was no warning lights, no engine lights, nothing. (increased braking effort, and potentially I was inches of collision risk. I had the car towed to the nearest shop and was told this is a collapsed break booster vacuum pump, and possibly the hose and lines and possibly further problems but they would need to replace the vacuum pump first. After I looked to see if there was a recall on the vacuum pumps in that model on google and it says the following; google- 2014 mercedes C250 recall on vacuum pump a-premium vacuum pump compatible with select mercedes . . . Yes, there was a recall on certain mercedes-benz vehicles, including some 2014 C250 models, related to a defective brake booster vacuum hose. The recall involves hoses that may delaminate over time, leading to a loss of vacuum, increased braking effort, and potentially a collision risk. To check if your specific 2014 C250 is affected by this recall, you should contact an authorized mercedes-benz dealer or visit the mercedes-benz USA website to check for open recalls for your vehicle's VIN.

The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that the rattling sound continued, and the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The independent mechanic provided mobile service and diagnosed the vehicle with cam shaft timing chain adjuster failure. The contact was informed that the cam shaft timing chain adjuster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

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My Mercedes Benz 2014 w204 C250 initially had a noise during startup. The startup noise became louder and now my car does not start. Also, the check engine light indicate a cam shaft position sensor error. Looking online it appears that my problem is exactly like the problem described in a NHTSA report on 2012-2015 w204 and w172 vehicles(c250 and slk250) equipped with the m271 engine. I would like NHTSA assistant in getting my Mercedes Benz w024 C250, VIN [xxx] included as part of extended recall of the same car and engine and repaired. If more information is needed, please contact me. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound and a metal-on-metal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The contact slowed down and stopped the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and heard the same abnormal sounds coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The model/year mercedes-benz are well known for experiencing this/these particular issues. My research has shown that these year/make/model vehicles are experiencing the same type of mechanical failures nationwide. The issues all relatively begin around 75,000 miles. I've only had my car 3 years putting 30000 on it hardly driven/cared for **issue found:** oil was leaking onto the ignition coil and spark plug of cylinder 3. **source of leak:** valve cover gasket failure. **recommended repairs:** - replace the valve cover gasket (to halt the oil leak). - replace spark plugs and ignition coil (which were contaminated/damaged by oil). **relevance to warranty:** the valve cover gasket is only covered if it fails as a result of an internally lubricated engine part causing damage. Ignition coils and spark plugs are maintenance items and are not covered by warranty plans. **required repairs (identified mechanical issues)** - **coolant pipe leak – $850** **issue:** coolant leaking from a pipe on the side of the cylinder head. **relevance to warranty:** typically not covered unless it pertains to a failure in a covered system such as the water pump or cylinder head due to an internal breakdown. This is likely classified as an external plumbing component, which is not included. - * feed line leak – $600** **issue:** oil leaking from the side of the engine, traced back to the oil feed line. **relevance to warranty:** this is not typically covered unless the oil feed line is part of the oil pump system and has failed due to an internal issue (usually regarded as an external line). **other items found (worsening issues)** - **timing chain rattle / cam adjuster noise – $6,000** -**issue:** rattling sound during startup. **diagnosis:** noise emanating from the timing chain and camshaft adjusters. **relevance to warranty:** this is covered under secure plus, as both the timing chain and camshaft adjusters are recognized as internally lubricated par.

The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and high pressure fuel pump warning lights was illuminated. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The contact did research and was made aware of an unknown NHTSA campaign number however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.  .

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 mph, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the diagnosis was pending. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cam shaft adjusters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while the independent mechanic was performing an oil change on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact of a coolant leak. The vehicle was not diagnosed of repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

1. The car radio, blue-tooth, speakers, sound, car remote sound. Happened after a battery change by aaa - unsure if it's related. Customer service tried to resolve it - radio turns on, but nothing else works. 2. Doors won't unlock outside or inside - except passenegers side is open. 3. Accelerator acting strange - won't pick speed after 30, then 60 4. There was an air bag recal of this car a while ago.

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while driving 25 mh, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the camshaft adjuster had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under extended warranty because the 10-year time frame had been exceeded. The failure mileage was approximately 94,328.

The contact owns a 2013 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown extended warranty coverage. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact there would be no assistance due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Driving on [xxx] to atlanta GA my car would not automatically shift and began to vibrate badly. I was almost hit by other vehicles as I pulled off the highway to check car out. Car was vibrating badly in idle and when I resumed my trip back home the car would not accelerate properly and caused tremendous stress and danger. Figured out that car would not shift automatically and I was forced to shift the car manually. Car would sputter and vibrate badly and would only slightly less vibrate to where I could drive it home in gear d5 and would less vibrate at 75+ mph very dangerous, and would lose power and shake violently going up highway hills. I prayed all the way home and barely made it shaken. I called my Mercedes Benz dealer from the highway and immediately scheduled appointment on 8/15/24. This was a major safety hazard and life threatening situation with my Mercedes Benz C250 2014 car. My car 100% serviced over the years at dealership I bought it from rick hendricks Mercedes Benz of lake norman nc. Thank you for your time! actor & model [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving on the highway my car sort of hesitated for a brief second then continued on as if nothing about one mile later my car began to slow down while I was in traffic so ASAP I pulled over at this point I could only go about 40 miles per hour which was very terrifying at that time it came a complete stop. After restarting the car 3-4 times it stayed running I continue home which was about 12 miles from my current location. For the next few days I did not go any where. I then had an appointment to have the 80,000 mile maintenance I mentioned the problem I was then told I need a throttle body replacement costing more than $2000 that I can not afford. At that time I started researching my own problem. My relative who works on 18 wheel truck for a living, . That perhaps it just may need cleaning rather than replacement . Also per my research this happens quite often with this model it also stated that mercedes C250 was the worst mercedes of that year many many owners have had this problem. The yellow esp light come on saying it is off also my hold brake no longer works. It work at my prior dealer appointment it while going to appointment afterwards it did not work since over 9 years seldom used I wasn't concerned thus that is the message that appears when car fails mercedes wants me to pay I believe $2000 problem not needed.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? as I started my car from a cold start and even when starting the engine, the car was creating this tractor like sound. No system has failed but I read the camshaft adjuster and tensioner pulley has come out of site, which can ruin the engine. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes, it was audible by the dealer but I was told that it would be a normal issue on a cold start. Now they will charge $200 for a service diagnosis. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Mercedes Benz gave an extended warranty on the program for extension of 10 years but the problem has been happening for multiple people and it has been happening again that this warrants a recall over a poorly designed part that can destroy the car’s engine. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no such codes or messages. Which is why this is so scary. This incident has been happening for the past 8 months or so and besides a letter about a warranty no such information.

The contact owns a 2014 mercedes-benz c 250. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, an abnormal rumbling noise was detected. The vehicle had hesitated to start. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the timing chain tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided . The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

1) cranshaft and camshaft position sensors, timing problems and it has to be replaced this is a common damage in Mercedes Benz 2012 C250. 2) this put in risk my life because it can brake the engine in a highway and the car could be off.

The contact owns a 2014 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated that the vehicle was getting water inside the cabin from a leak coming from the sunroof. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started jerking and making a choking sound as if the vehicle was going to shut off. The check-engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that there was an electrical failure related to the leak coming from the sunroof leak and that there were corroded cam blocks. The cable for the sunroof was replaced along with the mats on the floor. The contact was unsure if the engine was repaired. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated, and the jerking of the vehicle persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 54,315.

The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle started very rough with a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while opening the front driver’s side door, the door handle fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000.

On December 14, 2022 at approximately 3:45 pm in rush hour traffic in the high speed lane on I-75 in bradenton, FL, the 2014 mercedes C250 I was driving lost total engine power, traveling from 80mph to 0 in seconds. I had just enough time because of the momentum of the speed I was traveling at to maneuver the car into the breakdown lane adjacent to a median construction site. Had I been traveling in the middle lane there would have been insufficient time to change lanes in heavy, fast traveling traffic and get to a breakdown lane. In other words, we could have been killed. There was no check engine light nor warning lights of any kind. The engine was quiet and there was no engine rattling noise or shuddering prior to the incident during over 7 hours of travel from marietta, georgia into florida. The car had been purchased from a used car dealer in marietta two days before and had passed the georgia emissions test on 11/18/22. We had the car towed to a Mercedes Benz dealership 20 miles away in sarasota. On 12/16/22 mercedes mechanics deemed the catastrophic engine failure to be due to a broken timing chain (this was confirmed in a conversation12/21 with mercedes sarasota service manager jim foulkrod) and that there was no compression in the engine. Among the codes which came up during mercedes multi-point inspection was 036562, exhaust cam signal and 34164. Mercedes’ estimate to fix the car was $24,222. 13. We declined to move forward with engine repairs. Mercedes was threatening to charge storage fees so the car was donated to the charity, veteran car donations, heroes on the water which towed the car on 12/20/22. The car remains with the charity awaiting title transfer information.

Camshaft adjuster breakdown with only 70k miles on engine. Dealership asking for 6k for repair as extended warranty expired last year.

Faulty camshaft adjusters creating timing chain to stretch and tensioners to fail , causing excessive wear to the crankshaft and wear of the teeth resulting in catastrophic damage and complete engine failure ( I have not replaced this timing chain or camshaft adjuster yet but I can hear the timing chain rattling from the defective parts from manufacturer. ).

The contact owns a 2015 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly stall while driving at various speeds/ the contact would have to place the vehicle in park, turn the vehicle off then on again to regain proper function. The vehicle's collision prevention assist plus inoperative warning was illuminated. The contact stated that there were other warning lights illuminated however they were unable to recall what (engine and engine cooling) however their VIN was not included. The contact called the dealer who confirmed the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

See all problems of the 2015 Mercedes Benz C250 🔎.

The components of the engine being the camshaft adjusters, timing guide, timing chain, valves and pistons that all work to deliver power are faulty and have failed literally mid-drive. I was on a busy interstate during rush hour and nearly lost control of the vehicle as it just powered out while driving at 70 mph then forcing a semi to nearly terminate myself and family. The dependability and safety is abruptly ripped out from underneath you. Without even being able to control the vehicle and it coming to an abrupt, unsafe hault. There were no warning signs. The vehicle has since been looked at and informed me that an extended warranty is in place for half of all the parts and labor above. All should be covered and for safety. My nerves are a wreck and without a way to afford an entirely new engine I am left to contend with car payments for an unsafe undrivable vehicle. Since then the dealership recognized my concerns but has since stated that without a modification to the extended warranty or it being made a recall that there is nothing that can be done.

The cam shaft and the boost pressure need to be replaced immediately. I took my car to a Mercedes Benz dealership in long island, NY for a regular oil change (nothing was wrong with my car when it went in for the oil change). When they gave me back my car I literally got 1 and half blocks from the dealership and my car was jerking violently and the check engine light came on and has not gone off since that day. I took the car right back to the dealership and of course they are saying they did nothing to make this happen and are refusing to cover the repairs for the cam shaft and boost pressure to make my car run correctly again. This is a dangerous car to drive now because due to this same problem the car has random issues accelerating and has put me in dangerous situations while driving on the highway and on the street. The interesting part is Mercedes Benz knows that this is a serious issue with this car because I was told that by the people that work at the dealership that mercedes is covering the full repairs for what my car is going through but they are only doing it for people who's cars are under 120,000 miles. My car is at 133,000 miles and they are refusing to cover the repairs for me. My complaint number with Mercedes Benz customer service is 2-29420067413. They are not being helpful because they told me that every mercedes dealership in the united states is independently owned besides the one in manhattan NY. They are telling me that even though they are the manufacturer each dealership makes their own decisions. This is absolutely absurd and my car is dangerous to drive at this point. They want $5,000 and counting from me to repair my car for something that they messed up on and that they know is a known issue. Please help me get this resolved. Thank you.

The camshaft adjuster failed on my vehicle and created start up issues and had to be replaced at 123k miles. While not an immediate safety concern, the camshaft adjuster failure could lead to engine failure and is an inherent issue in this vehicle make and model. This is a flaw in the vehicle and mercedes did not notify me of any recall or warranty terms. The repair code was confirmed and repaired by an authorized mercedes dealer for $2800. There were no warning lamps however I experienced engine start up issues. I contacted mercedes as was advised they would open a case to review potentially partial warranty coverage however did not receive any type of resolution.

News channel update | warranty mercedes-benz USA, llc a mercedes-benz ag company one mercedes-benz drive sandy springs, GA 30328 770. 705. 0600 important extended warranty information mercedes-benz ag (“mbag”), the manufacturer of mercedes-benz vehicles, has determined that on certain model year (“my”) 2012-2015 mercedes-benz model 204 and 172 vehicles (c250 and slk250), the warranty on the camshaft adjuster will be extended from the original 4 years/50,000 miles to 10 years/120,000 miles (whichever occurs first) from the original warranty start date. This camshaft adjuster extended limited warranty applies to all conditions that necessitate the replacement of the camshaft adjuster under the standard warranty terms and conditions. The extended warranty is applicable to the following vehicles: model years sales designation engine type c-class 2012-2014 C250 m271 c-class 2012-2015 C250 coupe m271 slk-class 2012-2015 slk271 please be advised that all camshaft adjusters being claimed under warranty must have a short test with fault code attached and will be inspected. All camshaft adjusters found to be functioning properly or without proper documentation will be returned and the claim debited in full. The following damage codes and parts kit can only be claimed for the replacement of the camshaft adjuster: damage code: 05050 – camshaft adjustment, intake camshaft damage code: 05052 – camshaft adjustment, exhaust camshaft parts: a 271 050 21 00 80 – camshaft adjuster, kit important: 1. Always check vmi to determine if a vehicle is covered under the 10 year/120,000 mile warranty period 2. Short test documentation with fault code information (p001477, p001600, p001762, p001662, p001177, p001700, p001192, p001492, p034062, p036662) must be attached to all returned camshaft adjusters please check the VIN in netstar/vmi before scheduling the appointment for the repair. Applicable vehicles will be visible in netstar/vmi on October 30, 2020.

The engine in my car died and after inspection by a mercedes mechanic they concluded the failure was caused by faulty camshafts that have been common in the year and model this car. Mercedes has issued and extended warranty to cover the repairs recognizing this was a manufacturing issue but they are refusing to cover the full cost of repairing my car.

When accelerating to pass a vehicle the check engine light comes on and there is loss power. When this happens there is a huge potential of a crash. The car has to be shut off to try and reset this. When you are on the frwy this puts life at danger. The code is a p002 and if you research it mercedes is aware of this and is most likely a defective high pressure fuel pump problem that needs replacing but there have been no recalls. I have looked it up on you tube and has been on ongoing issue with no recalls as of yet. I am taking my car to dealer on 11/15/2021 for this issue which they will charge me for even though its a safety issue.

The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz C250. The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the variable valve timing solenoid had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure through a voicemail message. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

Over the last week I noticed a strong gas smell outside the car as I walk around in the back I check the gas cap and it seals normally and stronger than the smell that comes out of the gas cap.

Mb have 51 000 miles at 1300 rpm acceleration getting rattling noise, just started two week.

I was trying to merge onto a freeway from a complete stop and because this freeway has an extremely short on-ramp, you need to get up to a high speed in very little time. As such, I put my car in sport driving mode and accelerated very hard from a complete stop. The car accelerated as normal for a few seconds (I reached approximately 40 to 50 mph), then I felt the car lag and felt a loss of power. The car was in limp mode and I couldn’t accelerate even though I was pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor. A few seconds after this occurred, I notice that the check engine light turned on. I was able to maintain a speed around 50 mph and got off the freeway. I took my car to both the mercedes dealership and an independent mechanic and both diagnosed a failure of the high pressure fuel pump. I also tried to see if this will happen again and after hard acceleration in regular driving mode, the exact same issues occurred. I have read that there are issues with the high pressure fuel pump with my car model and I ask that you guys please investigate thoroughly to see if a recall would be necessary. Losing power while accelerating is extremely dangerous and a huge safety hazard for all drivers on the road. I could have easily been rear ended by another driver since I couldn’t accelerate to a faster speed. I have not yet replaced the high pressure fuel pump but plan to do so in the next few days. Attached is the diagnostic invoice from the mercedes dealership. As stated on the invoice, please note that my car only has 43,000 miles, which makes the high pressure fuel pump failure very surprising.