Timing Tensioner problems of the 2010 Mercedes Benz C300

Luckily I took car in for a safety check and belt tensioner was found to be shredding. It should last longer than this and is a safety hazard. This extra visit to the dealer may have save me from having an incident. I otherwise never would've know the belt was shredding.

The belt tensioner for the serpentine belt seized up causing the serpentine belt to shred and causing damage to the upper and lower pulleys. The car became immobile immediately as all the accessories were rendered useless, like the power steering, alternator, etc. As a result, the following had to replaced: serpentine belt, tensioner, upper pulley, and lower pulley. I was very fortunate that this occurred when I was parking in a parking lot after driving on the highway. If this had happened at highway speeds, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have caused a very serious accident, as you would have no steering on the highway. While researching this safety concern online, it seems like this is a relatively common issue with 2008-2011 c-class vehicles. Some were reported to be repaired under warrant while most others had to pay for the repair costs out of pocket. This is a very serious safety concern that can possibly lead injury or death. I spoke with Mercedes Benz corporate regarding this issue and was told that it is not an issue and there is nothing they will do about it. I emphasized how dangerous this can be at highway speeds and they did not seem to be concerned. My recommendation to Mercedes Benz is to recall the 2008-2011 c-class for this issue before it causes a serious injury or death.