Car Will Not Start problems of the 2009 Mercedes Benz C300

Car was parked by side walk next to my house. Inserted the key in the ignition and turned it. The car did not start, and the steering wheel was locked. No lights flashed on the dashboard. Car had to be towed on truck bed since it's rear-wheel drive. Dealer told me it's the ignition switch lock cylinder. Cost $1500 to fix. This is a manufacturer's defect. Not fair.

The contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz C300. The contact stated that while in a parking lot and attempting to drive the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that a message on the instrument panel indicated to remove the key from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the key was not recognized. The contact was informed that the electronic steering module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

My C300 stranded me in deming, nm. We had left el paso heading home to phoenix. Quick bio break in dement, and that's where my C300 wouldn't start. The shop in deming said that the car would need to be towed back to the dealer in el paso. Turned out my steering column control lock module needed to be replaced. The dealership ordered the part and two day and $1,400 later I was able to drive back to phoenix. Between towing, lodging in deming and el paso, meals, etc I was out over 2k. This is so I can start my car. According to my local mb dealer my service advisor said he sees one or two a month with this problem. I picked up the car in 2012 with 50k miles. This issue came 70k trouble free miles later. Amazed that one little part could strand me with no warning.

Ignition switch failed at 76k miles. Gear shift will not get out of park, steering wheel will not unlock and car will not start. Known to be a common issue that affects all mercedes with electronic ignition. Mercedes should be brought to court via class action for this.

Car will not start and steering column is locked. Power to the dashboard lights but no turnover. Local shop could not repair. Towed to mercedes dealer. Likely looking at a ~$2,000 repair for eis related problem. Car only has ~90k. Purchases as cpo and bought extended warranty that has already run out.

I went to work and my vehicle was just fine. I left for lunch break stopped at the groccery store and went home which is just a few miles away. I parked my vehicle went inside to drop my groceries off and eat lunch and when it was time to return to work my car would not start! I was so pissed off! the steering wheel would not turn and the gears would not shift at all. I only have 30k miles on my car and one owner before me. I am the only driver and my car is in impeccable shape! I know it is not the battery because I just put a brandnew one in just 3 months ago. I do not understand why there has not been a recall for this issue because I see thousands of complaints about this repair so it is obviously a manufacturing issue. When I first bought my benz I fell in love with the brand. I have always been a Audi/BMW girl but vowed I would never go back until this issue. Mercedes does not treat it's customers right so this will be my last benz! recall this issue benz!.

The car will not start, from stationary. It was parked there 10 minutes ago. Towed to the dealership and was told it has a bad esl (electronic steering lock). The repair bill over $1300. 00. The issue has been widely reported and seems to be a manufacturing defect. Mercedes benz should cover this cost.

Went to get in my car to go home. Once I put my key in the ignition and turn it, nothing happens. The steering wheel remains locked, and the car will not start. I can hear the steering lock click, but not unlock the steering wheel as soon as I put my key in the ignition.

I parked the car, and turned it off completely. When I returned to the car, they key fob would only turn the dashboard lights on, but the car will not start. The steering wheel is locked, and I cannot change the gear from "p". A message would appear "remove key from ignition" whenever the door is open. I have searched and it appears to be a very common problem in these models, where the eis or esl fails for no reason. The qoutes for this repair range from $1000 to $3000. I had to tow the car to my apartment, and now I have to tow the car to the dealership because they are the only ones who can solve this issue and reprogram it after installing the new parts.

When I returned to my car in the parking lot after grocery shopping in the evening, the car would not start. The radio and lights on the dashboard worked and the seat moved, but the engine would not start. I had this car checked not too long ago and everything was fine, but the car just decided not to work suddenly. This is especially scary for a female stranded in a public parking lot at night. I did not get any warning messages before the incident. I had to call roadside assistance and try jump starting it first, which wasn't the problem as the battery was fully charged. I ended up having to tow the car early next morning because the dealer was closed and had to take a cab home. When I went to the dealer and stated all the "symptoms", mb knew right off the bat what the problem was, which to me is alarming. They told me they are 99% sure it is either electronic ignition switch or electronic steering lock problem and it would cost me $1200 to repair it. It obviously is a very common issue. They are very well aware of it, yet they are not doing nothing about it, as (they say) it is not a safety problem. How is this not a safety problem when the driver doesn't get a slightest warning or even a message that the car won't start and will leave you stranded wherever you are? as a young female living in a city without friends and family to help out, especially at night in a public space, this is quite frightening. I almost had a panic attack, because I didn't know what to do and never had to call roadside assistance. The only reason I had gotten a Mercedes Benz was for its safety. Mb site states: "true to their heritage, they're engineered to protect you in ways you might never have imagined. And with the hope that you'll never have to. " how did mb protect me? mb has only engineered the car to rip off customers and not live up to its brand. This is very disappointing.

Stationary while at the rest area during a hot summer day on the side of the highway. The steering column or electronic steering lock (esl) failed and the car would not start. Car won't start and steering won't unlock. . . I stopped and cut the engine of and tried restarting the car it won't do anything. This particular part is faulty on most 2008-2009 mercedes C300. Several hundred thousands are having issues with this particular part and at moments they get it working and at other times not so much. This part needs to be recalled since it is a dealer only replacement part and no one can touch is besides the dealer due to theft and security measures. Mercedes has this particular issue cornered and is not doing anything to work with the customer.

Stationary while at the rest area during a hot summer day on the side of the highway. The steering column or electronic steering lock (esl) failed and the car would not start. This particular part is faulty on most 2008-2009 mercedes C300. Several hundred thousands are having issues with this particular part and at moments they get it working and at other times not so much. This part needs to be recalled since it is a dealer only replacement part and no one can touch is besides the dealer due to theft and security measures. Mercedes has this particular issue cornered and is not doing anything to work with the customer. If I would have been stuck on the side of the highway with children that's a safety risk and I believe mercedes should recall this particular issue and be loyal to its customers.

The car would not start, the electrical component of the steering wheal malfunctioned, only mbz has the part cost $1900 to replace the electrical part. Dealer told me common issue its just matter of time for the part to fail.

Without a warning or any dashboard lights my car did not start one morning, it made a gunck sound and absolutely nothing would turn on. My neighbor then tried to jump start the car and only the radio would turn on. I then called aaa who was the able to start my car and said the battery was good and that I should be okay to drive. (I had left nothing on the night before) I then went on a 3 hour drive during the christmas break and about and hour in the car began acting weird almost as if it wanted to shut off, and randomly a service "abs and esp" and "air bag" and few other things would come on the dash board. As soon as I got to my destination and turned the car off the car went completely dead, this time I wouldn't even let me lock the car with the fob. I had aaa come again and they were able to with a little playing around with the key and ignition, turn it back on. My whole drive back was worse than the drive there that I even thought I wasn't going to make it home safely but I made and again as soon as I parked, the car died. Since it was the holidays I wasn't able to go to mercedes and in the meantime for 3 days tried to get it on but nothing with both sets of keys, this time it wouldn't even let me unlock the car and the alarm kept going off when I would try to unlock it . I called aaa again to unlock and start my car but were unable to start the car, the alarm kept going off every time we put the key in the ignition. When looking at the symptoms my car is having online this seems to be a common problem in this make and model. The closest mb to me is about a 40 minute drive and will be very costly to have it towed and from the complaints read most have had to pay between 1200 -1500 to get this problem fixed. I have had my vehicle for under 2 years, 95k miles.

So my 2009 C300 out of nowhere decides not to turn on when I put the key into the ignition. The key unlocks the doors and the instrument panel information comes on. However, the windows will not roll up or down. The glove compartment light will not turn on and the car will not start. Initially, I tried my spare key fob (that I never use) and it did turn the engine on and I drove the car around for about 45 minutes thinking it was a battery issue. However, the moment I parked my car and turned the engine off, same problem. It would not start now with either key in the ignition. Apparently this is happening to a lot of owners with this model and year, all within this past quarter of 2015. What's going on?.

Tl-the contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start after driving it to the store. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. The diagnosis was steering column lock. The vehicle was repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000. Bp.

Tl-the contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic that the failure occurred due to a failure in the electronic ignition switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,148. Ah.

Tl- the contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle it would not start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic ignition switch needed to be replaced and reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000. Wh.

I went to class on the date of 11/13/2015 and when I came out the vehicle would not start. After having the vehicle towed to the dealership, I was advised it would be $952. 56 for an electrical issue due to no fault of my own and can happen at anytime. So I inquired on how long this would be covered for? I was told its electrical and can happen at anytime, it's like a cellphone or a computer. Yet those have warranties against issues like that whereas something I paid thousands of dollars does not. I have seen many complaints about this online and don't understand why they have not recalled this and continue to rip consumers off. Some even advising this has happen to them on the road which could very well lead to a major accident , it it has not already.

Tl- the contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle the engine would not start and the steering wheel became locked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 110,000. Jft.

Stop at grocery store came back car did not start. Its the electric steering does not work it cost $1350 to get fixed its been happening to a lot of people and mercedes does not want to do anything to help. Thanks!.

Car wouldn't start. Luckily that car was at our house. After research found that the 2009 C300 has problems with the eis (electronic ignition switch). After a 5-6 hours the cars ignition started working, but from reading others experience the ignition could disable forever at any time. Cost to repair is $1500 and only be done at a dealership.

In the morning, I tried to start my 2009 C300 and the car did not start and the steering wheel locked out of the blue. The car had to be towed to a mercedes dealership at delray beach, FL. The problem diagnosed as a manufacturing defect in the steering/electrical system related to ignition switch. The following repair stated on my repair report: - steering lock complete replacement - additional time to drill out the old lock Mercedes Benz dealership service charged me $1,464. 00 for the defected steering lock/ignition electrical assembly. I searched on internet and a lot of people experienced the same problem (please see the link provided below). I called the mercedes-benz USA headquarter at NJ and talk to a district service manager and explain to him that my car has only 44k mileage and the steering lock/ignition electronic malfunction is a manufacturing defected and it is not considered normal wear & tear and a lot of people have the same problem and it is a safety issue. Hence this should be repaired without charge and justify for recalls. Unfortunately it was like talking to the wall and basically mercedes-benz does not want to take any responsibility and to do anything about it and hit the customer with an expensive repair cost. I am concern if the steering locks/ignition electrical part malfunctions, what is going to happen during driving and other cases. Thank you. P. S. : please refer to the following just two web sites. . Read more...

Drove my C300 to work in the morning. Went to leave a few hours later and the car will not start. Radio, alarm, dash and lock/unlock all work but you can not hear the steering lock disengage when you put the key in. From what I have seen this is a very common problem and mercedes has done absolutely nothing to fix it. I have only owned this vehicle for 6 months. Is this what we have to look forward to after buying a Mercedes Benz?.

I turned the key and nothing happened. The car would not start. Lights worked. I called roadside assistance to have it jump started, did not work. I then had it towed and was told by the service department at a certified mercedes dealer that it is a known defect called electronic steering lock eis/esl also referred to as technical services bulletin li80-57-p051521. Total cost: $1250 this is my car's 3rd known defect: 1) rear tail lights would catch fire and fail (finally recalled by mb and repaired) 2) comand knob for satellite radio and gps failed and now 3) eis/esl defect.

Went to store and when I returned to the car, the trunk released normally and doors unlocked normally with the key fob. Inserted the key into ignition switch. Able to turn key, but car would not start. Tried locking and unlocking door which worked again. Waited another minute and car still would not start. Tried moving steering wheel, but it was locked and could not take car out of park, but made sure it was all the way into park. Tried to start car again, this time I heard what sounded like a relay clicking from under the dash, but still no start. After another minute, I tried again and this time it started. I cautiously drove home and parked afraid to drive the car any longer as the ignition switch also controls the steering lock and there exist the possibility of the steering becoming locked while the car is in motion, as several others have posted as happening to them. A major safety issue exist since the steering could lock while the car is in motion and Mercedes Benz should be required to recall this vehicle to repair this before someone is seriously hurt or killed.

Tl- the contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that after starting the engine, the steering wheel seized. The contact also stated that when inserting the key into the ignition switch, the vehicle failed to start and the key would remain stuck in the ignition. In addition, all the electrical components would remain on. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 73,000. Djr.

My car will not start. Baterry was tested and is in good condition. When key is inserted the panel shows a message saying "please remove key". I had to tow my car to service center and I am still waiting for tech info on cause of problem. I have read in NHTSA website many complaints of the same nature. Seems there is a manufacturer defect on the electronic ignition system on this models. To me this is a serious security issue to owners. Imagine having it happen while car is running. . . The steering wheel locks and cannot be unlocked in any way. Car does not even crank. With steering wheel locked towers need to have special tools to handle car, not always available. I can not beleive that with so many complaints already filed NHTSA has not ordered a recall on this matter. ¿are the computers on this model preprogrammed by manufacturer to stop workin after certaint time?.

I went out to my car this morning to drive to work and my car would not start. The lights came on I could lock and unlock my car however when I put the key in, it turn all the way but it would not crank. I call Mercedes Benz 24 hour roadside assistance and they confirmed that my battery was not the problem. The technician even told me he noticed that this happened to other owners and they did not know why it was happening without warning. This is so unacceptable.

My car left me stranded at work. When I was leaving work my car would not start the steering was completely locked . The car would not even start the only thing that would turn on was the radio and a message of not to forget to remove your key. I could not even get the car out of gear. I would crank it and nothing, it was completely dead. I never received a message to warn me that something was faulty. . Before taking car into dealership I did my research online and spoke with a service tech at mercedes and said that it was possibly eis failure and steering lock. After so many complains like mine online I can't believe there is not a recall on this. I believe this is a safety hazard. What if this would of happened when I was driving and my steering locked? who knows?. . . Is mercedes waiting for serious accidents to happen? these failures are really a call for a recall. . If there are anymore mercedes owners out there with the same problem file your complaints maybe if more of us complain they will do a recall. This is not cheap to fix it cost from $1200 to $1700. I bought a mercedes believing I was buying a dependable vehicle now I am having second thoughts after all I have read. . .

I drove my car to work and parked in the parking lot. I exited the car and locked the doors when I remembered that on this day, the tree cutting crew will be servicing the parking lot. I returned to the car to move it but when I turned the key my ignition would not engage and the car wouldn't start. I thought it was the battery even though all lights illuminated and the remote door locks and radio were working fine. I jump started the vehicle with another car nonetheless to make sure it wasn't a dead battery. The car wouldn't start. I've owned the car for many years but nothing like this has ever happened. To come out to a car with a working battery and not starting. I had to get my car towed to the dealership who checked all fuses and wiring only to determine that it was the eis or esl unit. This is the electronic steering lock mechanism that malfunctioned. I ended up spending over $1000 to get this fixed.