Steering Problems of Mercedes Benz C350 - part 1

Vehicle has lost its ability to be driven. Car alarm has gone of a multitude of times at different hours of day and night. Finally we were told that the steering column needs to be replaced. According to tow truck driver, auto lock person, this is common from the 300 series of Mercedes Benz. Obviously very costly. My car is worthless at this point. I believe that the Mercedes Benz should have a recall on the steering column lock. Obviously, this is not only a defect but, also causing safety issues with it just turning off and not able to restart.

See all problems of the 2009 Mercedes Benz C350 🔎.

The esl system malfunction causes either steering lock or ignition switch to fail resulting in a failure to start the vehicle creating safety issues and a failure to reach safe destination. This problem is reported to be an extremely common issue in the Mercedes Benz w204 c-class models.

See all problems of the 2008 Mercedes Benz C350 🔎.

All of a sudden, the car would not start and inserting the key and turning doesn't do anything. Turns out that like many other folks, the electronic steering lock module is faulty and preventing the car from starting. Found out that only the dealer can fix it and mercedes provides the replacement part. The cost is unaffordable at $2200 from the dealer and the part is back ordered and won't be available for approximately 2 months. This is completely unacceptable and mercedes should prioritize and fix this issue as a safety issue with a recall since it completely makes the car non-driveable and nobody but the dealer can fix this, which allows the dealer to charge any amount they like.

Total shutdown of complete system…brakes, steering and engine at around 25-to 30 mph. No warning. Happened two times…once before m-b service and once after service for problem. It checked out ok from dealership months before only to have it happen again. Was lucky to avoid a crash both times. Sold to dealership. Wrote my safety concerns for a new owner to local dealership and corporate.

The contact owns a 2008 mercedes-benz C350. The contact attempted to start the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle electronic steering lock failure. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

After owning a cpo,for about5 years. Recently the tilt/ mechanism failed to operate. I took it to dealer and without any tools in his hands he fixed it. About 6months it worked fine,then it stopped. I took it back to dealer and the advisor that fixed it is no longer working there,nobody else had ever heard of this method?I'm not dreaming he gave me his card afterwards,so he does exist. .

See all problems of the 2013 Mercedes Benz C350 🔎.

When I put the key in the ignition it will not turn over no lights display on the dashboard. The radio cuts on and the only thing that displays on the dashboard is the mileage no other lights. When the key is turned to first or second position. The day before when my car would not start I was able to take the key out of the ignition and replace it in the car started right up this time it does nothing. I'm being told it's an esl steering wheel lock issue that is common to this car model.

Steering wheel locks without warning, shutting off control to the vehicle instrument panel and the gear shift. Problem occurs without warning and can cause accidents as well as leave you stranded without away of starting your car or driving it safely.

Steering wheel spring grounding problem can accidentally deploy airbag. Recalled in oct 2017 but I'm told parts will not be available until may 2018. This is an unreasonably long time. I went to trade-in this car to purchase a new one and was told that no dealer can sell a car with a pending safety recall except "as is" through an auto auction, which lowers the value of my car by over $2,000 versus a normal dealer trade. How do I recover this loss without suing mercedes? are there any government remedies other than private lawsuit?.

See all problems of the 2014 Mercedes Benz C350 🔎.

My car was broken down while driving on the road. The steering wheel lock was locked my car and shut down the electric. It's very dangerous situation. I'm very lucky. The road was empty and I abled to pullover to the side. I did some research and see that many people had the same issue with their c class from year 2008 to 2010.

See all problems of the 2010 Mercedes Benz C350 🔎.

Vehicle failed to start/crank after only 28,000 miles. Cause was a failed esl (electronic steering lock) part of the electronic theft system that ties with the electronic ignition switch. The failure of this part disables the car and is unusable. This issue with this model, w204 - c-class 300/350, has an abnormal amount of reports via Mercedes Benz internet forums about this very failure. 13 pages worth on one. Given the low amount of miles on my vehicle, the failure rate seems unreasonably high. The part failure has nothing to do with the use/abuse of the vehicle.

Esl failed in unlocked position, car wont start.

Electronic steering lock (esl) goes out damaged without reason, happened all of a sudden to my parked car. Car simply won't attempt to start and steering his completely locked. Only option is to tow it to the shop and a very expensive repair fix. There are thousands of cases already registered on this and is a common issue with this part used in many mercedes cars.

After parking car at work when I went to star vehicle it will nit start or turn over. The car is under 80k miles this is unacceptably disturbing for thisnproblem to occur when I only drive to work and home dmh there should be a discount for thus issue.

Steering lock issue. Engine does not crank and car does not start. Upon inserting key, an message pops up asking to remove the key. Steering wheel is locked and car stuck in park. Due to the configuration of my parking garage and the fact that the steering wheel was locked, it took me several days and 4 different tow trucks to successfully tow the car 1. 5 miles to my local mb dealership. The diagnosis and repair of the faulty steering lock, which the service advisor says happens all the time with my model, took an entire week. I was told mb does not offer a loaner car in this situation. All in all, it took my 2 weeks to finally get my car working again. The repair was $1,200. Add in the 4 tow trucks, and 2 weeks of rental car and this was easily a $2,000 issue. Mb should issue a recall given that this issue is so prevalent and clearly a fault with the steering lock part.

The esl (electronic steering lock) & the eis (electronic ignition switch) went out at exactly 7 years. The command control knob also went out around the same time. All these problems are very common in these models. Mercedes benz USA is fully aware of these issues and does nothing about it! it cost u. S. Consumers thousands of dollars to pay for these repairs. All these problems come up when the vehicle is out of warranty (shocker). You'll have to pay everything out of pocket.

Stationary vehicle no start, no crank without warning while parked on a city street. Failure within the electronic steering lock. Vehicle will not recognize the drivers key. Driver and passengers left dangerously stranded where ever the vehicle is parked when the failure occurs. This failure makes it unable to shift the vehicle into neutral position for towing.

The contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz C350. The contact stated that the steering wheel locked without warning while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel mechanism locked and needed to be replaced. The failure was not remedied. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

Vehicle would not start. Key turns in ingnition but display indicates to remove key. Windows/sunroof did not work. Called aaa to check battery. Battery fully charged. Towed to mb authorized repair shop steering lock mechanism $980. 00 to replace.

Power steering leaks at 60,000 miles. Dealer says they have to replace the power steering pinion. It will cost $2,500 to repair.

This is the 2nd time it has happened to me same issue with the eis steering mechanism. First time I paid over $800 to have the part replaced then second time I am being charged over $900 & that's with a discount! I complained & mercedes does not care! very frustrating when you think you purchased a car for reliability & quality but it is always breaking down. Mercedes knows the problem & is well aware of it but will not fix it because they are making a lot of money from it! I was at the gas station ready to leave & car would not start. The lights were on & radio but no luck getting the key to turn at all. Had to get a tow truck & pay more because car would not go into neutral. I was told they could not guarantee that it wouldn't happen again & they could not help with any discounts either! just not right! someone please help!!!.

Parked my vehicle in my garage for week 80,000 miles on vehicle. Tried to start car only remove keys light on dash and all electronics work. Mercedes tow says not battery but steering or ignition component are out! this is looking like a common problem please help because the dealers are wanting thousand or more to replace.

The vehicle left me stranded and locked out. I was unable to put the vehicle in neutral preventing a proper tow.

My car is a 2009 with 33,200 miles on it and the eis/esl (steering lock) failed. I had to pay $1800 for the dealer to fix it. How does a car with so little mileage has a major problem like this? there should be a recall. All the complaints on the same issue should warrant an investigation.

I drove without problem to a local store, less than 4 miles away. I was in the store 5 minutes. When I came out and tried to start my car, the steering wheel was locked in place and the dash said "take key from ignition". The lights and radio worked, however the windows would not work and the car would not turn on. Also, the shift was stuck in "park" and could not be placed into neutral without an override.

The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes Benz C350. While parked, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the electronic steering box and the electronic ignition switch (eis) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.

2008 Mercedes Benz C350 - 70,677 after driving the car in the morning, I went to crank the car later in the day and it would not start. Ignition would turn, but nothing happened - only a clicking sound when I removed the key. Locks, alarm, lights (interior and exterior), radio and air conditioner worked fine, but the car would not shift out of park and the brake was locked in place. Battery tested normal at 12. 4 volts. I tried the second key, but the car would not start. Took it to Mercedes Benz dealership, and they told me that it was a steering lock / ignition switch problem and it was a common issue they see in this year and model. They wanted $1,200 to replace the steering lock. I have seen numerous complaints about the same problem in Mercedes Benz 2008 c class, but there has been no recall and mercedes will not address the issue.

Car was parked in a parking lot. I was 120 miles from home when the engine would not start -- even though the battery, lights, stereo, gauges, etc. All worked fine. Still, the engine wouldn't even crank, had car towed to an independent mercedes repair facility (it was a Sunday and the local mercedes service department was not open). The electronic ignition switch (eis) and other parts needed to be replaced at a cost of $1526. 94. Months later I visited the NHTSA website and learned that this is a common problem with this model of mercedes and that the manufacturer is refusing to pay for the repair. With a problem this widespread -- which can occur multiple times during the life of the car -- mercedes should foot the bill. I would have complained earlier but only now learned that many other owners are experiencing the same defect. My car had only 37,110 miles at the time. I should be reimbursed my mercedes.

Car had ignition switch failure. Steering wheel locked transmission locked in park. Dash lights and door locks operate. Car had to be towed to dealer. This has been a large problem with these vehicles for years. There should be a manufactuer recall not a consumer expense. Thank you,please help.

I am attempting to leave office depot parking lot and my car will not start (no problem prior to going into the store!) I put the key in the ignition the lights, radio, dashboard all come on and I hear a clicking sound. However, the power windows don't work, nor the sunroof. After researching most of the night (couldn't rest) and most of the day, it appears to be the electronic ignition switch (eis) which is very costly! and there are tens of thousands of complaints over the span of years!!! the nightmare stories (I had deja vu. . . Exactly the same issue!) defiantly enough complaints about this issue that your organization should open an investigation. A demand for a recall is needed ASAP!!! price of replacement/repair could be from $1,100 to $2,200. . . . Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

My vehicle went completely out of service and was unable to start due to a faulty electronic steering lock (esl). My vehicle only has 69,000 miles on it and this seems to be an issue with plenty of other c-class Mercedes Benz owners who have encountered the same issue. Mercedes benz is failing to take responsibility while also my exteneded warranty that I paid $2000 for has also said they will not cover this. I highly recommend not ever buying an extended warranty from privilege protection care. They place generic terms in parts of what they cover and if the dealer or shop has a specific name for your part, although it is the product or part of the same part that needs to be replaced, they will honor the warranty. Also their customer service was rude and not very helpful at all.

I have a C350 sport, I went to start the car and the car didn't start. The lights came on, navigation came up, but it would not start. It seemed as if the car did not recognize the key; as the displayed message was "take key from ignition". The following day I paid someone to come out and look at the car, and it started right up. Battery tested normal and I thought it was a close call. Then I left to run errands and it wouldn't start and never started again. After paying $160 for the tow to the dealership; I was told if I did not have 2 keys then they can't test it. So after ordering a second key at $375; I found out it wasn't the key! if this car has so much technology in it, why can't you test the eis with a diagnostic computer, without blowing money on a $375 dollar key? after that failure I was told it was the electronic ignition switch. I have a 15 year old Toyota camry and the damn thing has never had 1 issue. I buy this car and at 89,000 miles the eis goes out. Poorly made and highly disappointed. The total cost for this joke was $1,780 and I didn't even get the oil changed! I think they do this to get more money, they should recall the eis and els in all mercedes that are having similar issues and not make the customer pay. It makes me not want to be a customer anymore because of this and their lack of wanting to take responsibility for their failure.

When to get my car waxed for the weekend. Got home parked the car and when my wife and I were ready to go out the car wouldn't start. Dash lights, radio, ect were working but the ignition wouldn't start. I can hear clicks from the engine n the steering was locked. Bag ignition steering lock. $1,900 to fix haven't been able to move the car until I come up with the money to fix it! common issue from all 2008 & 2009 mercedes w204 c class! & no recall.

The contact owns a 2008 Mercedes Benz C350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the steering lock system and the electronic ignition system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

Unable to start vehicle. Key turns but no crank. Service tech was able to release / unlock the steering wheel by violently shaking the steering wheel from left to right as if he was trying to break it. Something did release and he was then able to start the vehicle. Brought the car directly to dealership and I was quoted $1018 for the steering wheel lock. Looks like this is a well documented issue and it's an ongoing issue w/ mercedes.