Mercedes-Benz C220 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 117 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Mercedes-Benz C220 (1994–2015) that have at least 5 complaints. 1995 has the most, with 53. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (64 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All C220 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 9 | — | 0 | 68 | — | Not enough data |
| 1996 | 31 | 110,000 | 0 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 53 | 143,176 | 0 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 24 | 154,000 | 1 | 8 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system64 50%
- Vehicle speed control14 11%
- Fuel system13 10%
- Engine cooling10 7.8%
- Suspension9 7.0%
- Body and structure7 5.4%
- Engine6 4.7%
- Air bags6 4.7%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1995: “Mercedes benz knows about these faulty wiring harnesses and refuses to own up to their faults. These faults place the owner and others at risk as they can cause shorts, a poor running car with shorting issues, or even cause a fire. I would be happy if mercedes would just give us a new wiring harness, I would install it myself and they would not have lost anything.”
NHTSA complaint #10572721, filed 2014-03, 191,000 miles1996: “Takata recall; maybe. I was driving on fwy-405, heading south, it was around 4:00pm. I was going the traffic speed. There was no traffic jam. My speed was between 60 and 65 MPH (the vehicle was in motion). I didn't hit my breaks, I was driving under the conditions I just stated; then all the sudden my airbags deployed. First the driver side; then immediately (almost spontaneously) the passenger airbag deployed too. I tried my best to control the car. The car came to a complete stop taking two lanes on the highway. Engine had stopped. …”
NHTSA complaint #11142669, filed 2018-10, 128,000 miles1994: “As I have been reading, this is a known issue, yet no recall has happened. The engine wiring harness is disintegrating for no other reason than age. As a result, the engine is starting to exhibit stalling issues and rough running, also fault codes are produced on the car computer. I have been told the wiring harness needs to be replaced to prevent further damage and fire.”
NHTSA complaint #10229382, filed 2008-05, 140,000 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,963 complaintsMercedes-Benz E350
2,215 complaintsMercedes-Benz E320
1,164 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML350
952 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLK350
901 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML320
740 complaintsMercedes-Benz C250
725 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLC 300
657 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology