Wiring Problems of Mercedes Benz C300

"takata recall" when I was driving after a oil change, I heard a noise that sounded like someone hit my car. I was scared and shaky so I pulled over could see anything but I heard a ticking noise. Then I realized the head rest Mini air bag blew up and the wiring inside the head rest was burning. This happened while I was driving. I could have got into an accident. I had to pull over right where all the traffic was because my hands were shaking and I didn't know what to do with the burning smell. I had my hazards on and people went around me. Then all kinds of alerts went off on my car. I only had it for a year and a half it shouldn't do that. Something is really wrong and this is dangerous while someone is driving. My tires and all of a sudden the muffler is making noises now too what is going on with this car. It's treated well I'm scared to drive it now. I'm still making payments on it. It's was for me fairly new and still good, do I thought. I'm very disappointed and need some answers. I was told that maybe it's the eps control unit but haven't went to mercedes dealer yet because I'm discouraged about this car and I haven't been feeling good.

See all problems of the 2009 Mercedes Benz C300 🔎.

Passenger side lowbeam light burnt out approx 2 months ago, bulb replaced. Five days ago passenger side lowbeam light burnt out again. Parked car after about a 15 mile drive, within 30 minutes car was on fire and entire front end burnt completely. Should there be a recall from mercedes for faulty wiring to headlights before someone is killed or their home destroyed if fire starts while car parked in garage?.

See all problems of the 2011 Mercedes Benz C300 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 mercedes-benz C300. When the vehicle was started, the collision prevention assist plus inoperative warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that rodents chewed the wiring and the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,800.

See all problems of the 2015 Mercedes Benz C300 🔎.

I took my C300 Mercedes Benz (with only 52,000 miles), to the Mercedes Benz of miami dealership to check the wiring in both head lamps, since the headlights were intermittently flickering on and off, while driving at night. This electrical problem was of serious concern for me as a 72 years' old senior, could be a dangerous safety issue, creating a life and death situation. Mercedes benz dealership assistant service manager, juan obando, told me that the wiring to the headlamps was corroded and could not be replaced. I would have to buy two (2) complete new headlamp assembly units costing $1,890. - plus tax and labor installation. While driving at nights and unpredictably and intermittently losing head and low beam lights, is of grave safety concern to me and creates a hazard to pedestrians and other drivers on the roadway and highways.

See all problems of the 2008 Mercedes Benz C300 🔎.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact smelled a burning odor underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to have it repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 14v177000 (exterior lighting). The technician informed the contact that the front passenger side headlight wires were frayed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

Right rear passenger lighting assembly caught fire. Wiring harness and light bulb carrier were burned. Right rear turn and brake lights are inoperable.

The rear wiring for the tail light lighting sparked. While driving the car smelled strongly of burning plastic. After a quick look over I didn't see anything alarming. The very next day all of the lighting on the rear right tail lights went out, all indicators came on in the dash showing that all bulbs were malfunctioning. After pulling the housing unit out, I found that the wire was burned and so was the unit the wires attached to; melted and burned. Wiring should not catch on fire, this could have easily spread and when taken to the dealer to fix, they cut the wire to attach more but cannot guarantee that it won't happen again.

I began to get warnings that the left rear tail light brake light and turn signal was malfunctioning. The left rear signal indicator in the dash blinked rapidly, and the computer gave warning message. When I removed the bulb panel I noticed that the wiring harness pulg was burnt and the plastic housing that held the bulbs was burnt. The brown wire on the end of the harness connector was burnt and the metal tab that the connector connected to was melted along with the plastic plug.

Received message rear license light out. Replaced bulb but continued getting message. Rear parking camera started displaying images when brake depressed. Messages continued to check all rear light bulbs. When inspecting, I noticed burn marks on bulb carrier (part #211-545-03-28) and plug (part #204-820-09-77). I purchased new parts to install but had difficulty removing the wire clips from the plug. I was not aware and the mercedes parts department did not mention I would need to also get connector pins (or that this overheating was a recurring problem). Unable to easily remove wiring & pins, I decided to search internet for guidance on replacement (before cutting wires) and discovered several websites reciting others having similar problems with overheating of the ground wire connection and that a recall investigation had been started. It certainly appears that this problem of overheating/melting of parts is a real fire hazard that is occurring frequently enough to at least require that a notice be sent to car owners to have carriages & wiring promptly inspected and repaired.

See all problems of the 2010 Mercedes Benz C300 🔎.

Wiring harness on rear tail light melted causing the tail light circuit board to stop working ,causing the brake lights ,reverse lights and blinker to stop working. Spoke with Mercedes Benz dealer ship and they told me this was a common problem and that they were not gonna fix it for free and that I would have to pay for the repairs. This is a hazard cause I was driving at night with my kids in the car,when my lights went out. After looking at the melted harness wire this is also a potential fire hazard. Please look into this matter before some one is seriously injured. Mercedes benz is aware of the problem and refuses to correct it. . . .

I was driving down the highway and smelled an intense burning. I had been getting the taillight error codes and thought maybe it was a fuse. Decided to finally research online and discovered that it is a very common occurrence that mercedes taillights/wiring spontaneously catch on fire. I removed the harnesses from the taillights and noticed the plug had almost been entirely destroyed/burned on the right rear, and was starting to burn on the left rear. I lost all power to my taillights at approximately 11:30 at night, and the headlights started shutting off and on randomly. The headlights are still turning off and on randomly, apparently this is a known defect with the auto dim setting. I have pictures of everything, even though I have now paid to fix the taillight harnesses (a cost of over $240 in parts) because mercedes has not willingly recalled this fire hazard and known defect. To be honest, I am pissed. Please let me know where I can send the defective parts and/or pictures to.

Right & left rear tail light assembly wiring harness plugs have melted where attached to the tail lamp assembly, causing brake, turn signal, hazard, and running lamps to not work intermittently. Brown wires get too hot to touch. Safety issue with electrical connectors.

Rear light housing assembly wiring smelling like smoke, open the truck and plastics housing was melting and very hot.

Right side taillight wiring melting, lights not working.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that the passenger side tail light failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the bulbs were changed on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake wiring harness and the lighting board needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 70,000.

Driving on the highway going 55 mph my panel alerted me to check my right rear tail lamp ,turn signal , fog lamp and parking light. I check the right tail lamp and all of the right rear tail light were not working. I went to replace all of the right rear light bulbs and found that the plastic connector at the end of the wiring was completely melted to the lamp carrier. This is a safety hazard I am very concerned this could happen to both rear tail lamps at same time while on the highway it can create a accident because the tail lamps are not working. It also can be a fire hazard. This issue needs to be fixed by mercedes-benz before there is death.

Warning indicator came up on instrument panel to "check rear tail and brake lamps" the rear tail, turn, and brake lamps have failed in my car. The wiring harness has burned and emits excessive heat to the touch. I'm unsure of how long I was driving with my taillights out.

Brake light, turn signal, & parking lamp all not working. The plastic connector at the end of the wiring was completely melted and black when the mechanic took it out. Could be a fire hazard.

Passenger taillight connector/wiring insufficiently designed for load. Wire/connector plastic is melting and causing unsafe conditions. This is a very common problem with 2008-2010 c-class and is frequently noted in mb owner's forums/websites.

Car illuminated a warning to check rear left taillight. Upon inspection, noticed that the wiring is starting to retract from the connector and left and right assemblies have noticeable blackened areas where the wiring is crimped into the contact that is inserted into the connector. This is similar to other complaints filed.

As I was backing out of my garage the dash board lit up indicating to check my rear right tail lamp, right side marker, right break lamp, right head lamp, right fog lamp. My husband then could feel that the brown wire in the wiring harness and the harness itself is hot to touch and you can see the wires because the coating around the wires has began to melt away. I have an appointment today to take the car to the dealer that I purchased it from. I hope this issue will be resolved.

The wiring harness to the tail lamp on the right side was fried & filled with smoke and now the tail lamp goes very dim & almost off, but replacing with new blub doesn't help.

I have had numerous messages on my 2008 C300 mercedes regarding tail light/ brake light out. I have noticed that my passenger side tail lights/ running lights are much dimmer than the driver side lights. I have inspected the wiring harness assembly on the passenger side and noticed significant discoloration with the "brown wire" and associated connector; the connector has also been "hot" to the touch. I have an appointment with my local mercedes dealer next week to have it inspected/ evaluated. I really became more cautious following the recent news article regarding 2008-2009 mercedes tail light issues. Something is not right and it needs to be addressed/ corrected.

The passenger side rear tail light harness caught fire and melted. There are countless complaints and reports on this issue, but mercedes refuses to correct the problem or do a recall. Most incidents occur between 50,000 and 60,000 miles and is not covered by warranty. You can google this issue and see the wide spread complaints on the melting wiring harness. There are also several discussions on mb forum. Below is another website with several complaints of melted tail light wiring and non-working tail/brake and turn signals. I've contacted reliable mercedes in springfield, mo and they acknowledge that their shop has repaired many mercedes C300's with melted tail light wiring, but said mercedes will not fix recall this problem. This is a tremendous safety issue and I respectfully request that your agency address this matter with mercedes. . Read more...

Electrical safety hazard that could lead to fire. Left rear taillight assembly unit melted due to improper ground due to faulty wiring harness. Talked with mercedes dealership and was advised that this is a common problem with this car. I asked if there was a recall as this is a major safety hazard and was advised that no recall has been issues. Was told that this problem is so common that mercedes has a repair kit but wants me to pay $200 to have the safety issue fixed. Mercedes refuses to do anything until someone is killed and forced to issue a safety recall to fix this defect. If you google 2009 C300 brake light recall you will find countless people who have the same issue including identical photos of the melted bulb assembly unit. I would hope for the safety of everyone that the ntsb could review this issue further before someone is serious injured.

The left rear tail light had a bulb that needed to be replaced at a cost under $10. It needed more than a bulb as the wiring had melted and it required a new left rear light assembly kit with a new harness to correct the problem at a cost of $300. The auto shop technician showed how the wiring had completely melted and needed to replace the complete rear light module. This had to be a defective part and mercedes had not issued a recall to cover the cost. The melted wires pose a fire hazard.

Rear tail lights have progressively dimmed over time. Wiring harness was melting. Connector to light carrier and taillight wiring was corroded. Repair of corroded wiring, connector, and light carrier was required.

A message on the dash consistently appeared, advising to check right rear lights: brake, fog, tail etc. We checked the rear lights and found the plastic board that holds the light bulbs and wiring had melted. We purchased a new board from a mercedes dealer. After I installed it, it made good connections. The message concerning the right light has not come back on. However, the left brake, fog and tail message came on. When checked, the left board and wiring was also melted. We purchased another new board from mercedes. However, I was able to reestablish a connection using the old board, and did not use the new board. Now the right front fog light has a similar issue that has not been investigated or repaired.

After taking my care to the dealer, I had a error message on my display stating that my right rear tail light is out. Then a message stating my right low beam is out. I replaced all the bulbs. . . . . Five days later I get another right rear tail light is out. Two weeks later my right low beam is out again. Seems there is a wiring short that keeps burning out the low beam and tail light. Oh by the way tail light/brake lights work. Still have error message.

The right rear tail lights stopped working. After examining the wiring and harness were melted. Had to bring in to fix. The back board were the lights are on was also burnt. Now having problems on the left side. I just saw on the national news were other people are having the same problem with this year car. It seems the wiring is not proper size to handle the electric load. This is very dangerous driving this vehicle with the rear lights going out. The lights are running way to hot. Seems to be a defect on this year 2008 vehicle. I heard that this is being investigated by you. My wife is afraid to drive the car because of getting hit from behind because the problem with lights burning out or maybe a fire from the wiring melting. Mercedes says they will not fix and that this is not a problem.

I have a 2009 mercedes C300. I just read a news story that this model may be recalled based on numerous reports about fire or burn smells coming from the rear light. My rear right brake lights went out last winter. When I took it into the mercedes dealership, they took the panel out with the light bulbs and there was a burnt residue around the bulb that was blown out. They replaced the unit and the wiring, but I had to pay for the service. They thought there may have been a recall, but after checking their computer, they did not say that it was recalled, so I had to pay for the replacement. Now the rear left lights are much dimmer than the right side. The dealership recommended that I have that replaced as well, but once again at my cost. If this defect has been sighted in other vehicles from this model year, they should seriously consider a recall before the lighting panel actually catches fire and creates a bigger issue for the company.

I came to a stop because my car was giving me error codes for certain parts of the right tail lights not working(turn& reverse) and then the functioning lights were dimmed. I took a look at the assembly where the lights were placed and noticed where the car's electrical wires were plugged in to the bulb assembly that it burned through the assembly. I took the car to the dealership and they fixed the right side but neglected to check the left because at the time it was not malfunctioning (at that time I was still under warranty). Now, on March 8, 2015 (my car is no longer under warranty) I contacted the dealership as well mbusa because the left side is now beginning to act erratically, and although there is no burning (yet) I would like to resolve the issue. I checked the bulbs which were giving me errors and none of the bulbs were burned out. I begun to do research and I found there to be a recall from the NHTSA campaign number: 14v-177, but my VIN number is not included in this recall yet I had reported the very same issue much earlier than 2014. As I contacted both the dealership and mbusa they both said that my car was no longer under warranty and that my VIN was not included in the recall refusing to accept that they made an error in their wiring and neglecting to fix both sides the first time I took the car in.

I was getting my car detailed. While waiting on another customer had car vacuumed out. After about 30 mins, tried starting the car and the key would turn with out starting the car. Had it towed to mercedes shop. There I was told it was an electrical problem with the steering column. Steering lock has electric fault is what was stated to me for a price of $1700. + to be repaired. This is the third electrical problem since purchasing the car. I've had the left and right wiring repaired, the left one was still under warranty, the right one wasn't. The wiring was actually burnt. I feel as though this electrical problem is definitely something Mercedes Benz need to have a recall on.