2003 Mercedes-Benz 211 Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 33%of 9 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 94,465miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 211, 33% of the 9 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 94,465 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving my car on the highway when another car cut in front of me.when I applied the brakes the completely failed and a red warning sign appeared on the dash saying brake malfunction stop vehicle . I was forced to run a red light in order to prevent hitting other cars and was able to activate the emergency brake to bring the vehicle to a stop.the incident nearly killed me and put other drivers at a serious risk after shutting the engine off and turning it back on all came back to normal and there is now no malfunction on the dash as if this never happened.”
NHTSA complaint #10548604, filed 2013-10, 94,465 miles“Dealer diagnosed problem of reservoir, which is part of the sensotronic brake system (sbc). There was a system recall #2004 050014, for the sbc. Dealer wants to charge excessive amount to repair, which is a know fact for many owners to have the same exact problem. Due to the vast amount of owners complaining of the same issue, regarding the reservoir and sbc unit, this matter needs to be brought up to mercedes benz USA. Mercedes benz dealers refuse to replace reservoir, because they claim it to be a different item. …”
NHTSA complaint #10459610, filed 2012-05Related service bulletins
- 10012246Jan 3, 2005Sensotronic brake control (sbc) noise diagnostic flow charts. Mercedes-benz models 211, 230 model years 2003-2005.
- 10011705Dec 16, 2004Brake malfunction sbs visit workshop. Displayed within the insturment cluster's multifunction display. (mercedes benz, model 211 and 230 year 2005).
Brakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7 | 54% |
| 2003 | 3 | 33% |
Other parts of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 211
4 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 211
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology