2002 Mercedes-Benz C230 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 6%of 54 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 45,616miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the engine of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C230, 6% of the 54 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 45,616 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.
“On june 9, 2011 I drove to sacramento, california to visit my cousin when I got there I went to lock my doors but the lock kept jumping up and down. It finally locked after 12 attempts. I took it to the dealer and they quoted me a price of $3500.00 to replace the regulator. The second incident occurred on july 18, 2011 with my brakes.the break warning light came on. I took it to the dealer and $795.00 they claimed I needed for both brakes and rotors which I could not understand since 6 months prior the rotors had been replaced. …”
NHTSA complaint #10648269, filed 2014-10, 79,231 miles“The contact owns a 2002 Mercedes-Benz C230. While driving between 15-20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the ABS and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wire harness melted and needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10969417, filed 2017-03, 12,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11017039Apr 1, 2025Complaint Vehicle with atypical reduced heat output. Cause Silicate granulate may have escaped from a damaged bag in the expansion reservoir (not visible), reducing the coolant…
Engine: other model years
Other parts of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C230
16 complaintsElectrical system
12 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
5 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsSuspension
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsOther or unknown
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C230
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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