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Mercedes-Benz C250Model year report

2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 Problems

Compared with other Mercedes-Benz C250 years

Typical for this model

41/100 0.8× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
272filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
60,000miles, 87 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
25 mpgcombined, 1.8L 4-cyl RWD · 21 city / 31 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe a rattling or ticking noise on cold start linked to camshaft adjuster and timing chain wear, frequently diagnosed well under 100,000 miles. A large share of complaints also concerns the Takata passenger airbag recall remaining unrepaired for long periods due to parts shortages. Smaller clusters describe sudden power loss or limp mode tied to the fuel system, and occasional reports of a stiff or slow-responding brake pedal.

  1. Engine

    Camshaft adjuster / timing chain rattle and failure

    • 48 complaints (18%)
    • median 68,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (35 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 19 quotes)
    • filed 2015–2025

    Owners describe a loud rattling, ticking, or grinding noise on cold start, sometimes with a check engine light and hesitant or rough starting. Shops typically diagnose worn camshaft adjusters, a stretched timing chain, or a failed tensioner, with repair estimates frequently quoted in the $3,000 to $5,500 range. Some owners say the noise returned after repair, or that the car stalled or lost power while driving. A warranty program extension for the camshaft adjuster appears in the input documents. Mostly reported between roughly 38,000 and 90,000 miles, usually noticed first on cold starts.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: On a cold start, listen for a rattle or tick lasting a few seconds and ask for service records showing whether the camshaft adjuster work or software updates were done. A pre-purchase scan for stored engine codes and a timing chain inspection are worth the cost.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Purchased my 2012 C250 with 45k miles on it at time of purchase. I put 4k miles and I started hearing a ticking noise on start ups then progressed. It has turned off on me while driving at about 35 MPH and another at 25 MPH kinda scared to drive it. You think when you pay for quality you should get it, not having to $5500 for a camshaft lifter replacement in under the first 50k miles that' insane! …”

    NHTSA complaint #11004697, filed 2017-07, 48,000 miles

    “2012 C250 purchased new from a dealer. Rattling on starting engine and check engine light is on. Spoke with my mechanic and it is due to faulty camshaft adjusters. Repair will cost $5000 plus and involves replacing the camshaft adjusters, timing chain and sprockets. This problem just started 10 days ago with approximately 38,000 miles on the odometer. Seems to be a well known problem and not an expense I can really afford on reduced income due to covid lockdown. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11354072, filed 2020-09, 38,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Repair parts unavailable for airbag recall

    Mentioned in 12 of 60 sampled complaints

    Many owners describe receiving a recall notice for the passenger-side frontal airbag and then being told by the dealer that replacement parts were not yet available, sometimes for over a year. Some report a lingering airbag warning light, and a few describe trouble getting a clear timeline from the dealer. Complaints also describe the vehicle being driven or parked while awaiting the repair. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 12,000 to 100,000 miles, and often months to years after the recall notice arrived.

    Recall 21V638000Recall 20V298000Recall 19V010000Recall 17V627000Recall 17V0170001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask the seller for the recall status of the vehicle and confirm with a dealer whether the passenger airbag inflator has actually been replaced, not just scheduled. Check that the airbag warning light goes out after the instrument cluster self-test.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall I have been waiting my local dealer of mercedes benz to replace the air bags with there excuse that they do not have the parts available. Its been over a year. I have called them today and they have the same excuse. Make me believe that they are waiting me to change or sale the car to then not have the responsibility to replace the equipment. I use the car on a daily basis.”

    NHTSA complaint #11130368, filed 2018-09, 94,586 miles

    “Takata r ecall. I have been to the dealer where I bought the car and complained about no action on the airbag recall. The dealer is doing nothing to fix the problem. He simply says we don't have the airbags. I pointed out they have plenty of airbags for new cars but got no response”

    NHTSA complaint #11152442, filed 2018-11, 12,000 miles
  3. Fuel system

    Power loss, limp mode and fuel system codes

    Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe sudden loss of power or limp mode while accelerating or at highway speed, sometimes with the engine light and fuel-related codes such as P0002 or P008A. Several reports point to the high-pressure fuel pump or its regulator as the diagnosed cause, with the car returning to normal after a restart or code reset. A warranty extension for the high-pressure fuel pump covering a longer period appears in the input documents. Reported from very low mileage up to about 150,000 miles, with many cases noted in the 50,000 to 95,000 mile range.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the high-pressure fuel pump has been replaced and whether any extended warranty coverage applies to the car. A scan for stored fuel pressure codes and a test drive with a firm acceleration from a stop are reasonable checks.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Power loss when accelerating. I pulled out in traffic and accelerated but...I loss power and almost got run over from the oncoming traffic!!! Major safety issue. Engine light comes on! This is a horrible issue for anyone that has experienced this problem. I'm hoping there hasn't been any fatalities do to this problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #11232227, filed 2019-07, 150,000 miles

    “P0002 fuel volume regulator control circuit range/performance mercedes C250, if I'm experiencing a lack of power when I press the gas pedal and I'm getting a p0002 check engine light, there's a high probability that I will need a new hpfp high pressure fuel pump.”

    NHTSA complaint #11408356, filed 2021-04, 19 miles
  4. Brakes

    Stiff brake pedal and reduced braking response

    Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe the brake pedal becoming very hard to press, with the car failing to slow normally, sometimes at highway speed and without a warning light. Vehicles were towed to a dealer and, in one report, a vacuum pump was replaced though the symptoms returned. Others describe brake vibration and a parking brake that stuck and was hard to release. Reported between roughly 78,000 and 143,000 miles, typically during highway driving.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: During the test drive, brake firmly from highway speed and note whether the pedal feels firm or the car pulls or vibrates. Ask whether the vacuum pump or brake booster has been serviced and check that the parking brake releases smoothly.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving on the highway at about 60mph in the left hand lane. I was about 7 car lengths from the car in front of me as I had just moved into that lane to move to the ramp to move off the highway. The vehicle in front of me braked, and was going at a lower speed. I tried to slow down and my car did not slow. I pressed my brake to the floor and my car still would not stop. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11145223, filed 2018-11, 80,000 miles

    “on 6/20/23 I was driving this vehicle on the 5 freeway north bound exit 102 in Washington. i found myself travelling at 60mph just moving over to the middle lane of traffic. i needed to slow the vehicle a little and pushing down on brakes I found there was no reaction from the braking system. Making a quick decision I moved over to the emergency lane where I came to a stop. There were no warning signs of the issue. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11528248, filed 2023-06, 128,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection focused on cold-start engine noise and the camshaft adjuster history is the single most useful step on this model year, along with confirming that the passenger airbag recall has actually been completed. Service records showing fuel pump and brake work help separate a well-maintained car from one with pending repairs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 272 consumer complaints for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250. 87 of the complaints include a mileage, and 31% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 60,000 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 112 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Mercedes-Benz C250 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 41 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Seats (3), Suspension (3), Vehicle speed control (3), Electronic stability control (2), Engine cooling (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Lane departure (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata recall we were notified of this recall over two years ago. There has been no movement on a repair. This is absurd, we have actually been notified that our two mercedes vehicles that are affected by this recall, have been dropped in priority for a repair.”

NHTSA complaint #11175690, filed 2019-02, 55,000 miles

Engine: “Timing chain on the vehicle stretches out over time. This causes the vehicle to not start properly and can snap while driving and stop the car in the middle of traffic and driving. There is no service recommendation for the timing chain and usually starts giving trouble after the vehicle's warranty has expired. I have not had my car stop in traffic but there are many complaints on the mercedes benz forums.”

NHTSA complaint #10980072, filed 2017-04, 51,000 miles

Fuel system: “Cold engine vehicle jerking I took it to mercedes of fort myers fl and they told me that they couldn't find the problem and I took it to so many other places and still can't find it I'm just wondering if it could be a recall”

NHTSA complaint #11354633, filed 2020-09, 85,000 miles

Brakes: “Brake failure. Driving vehicle on highway with a 75 MPH speed limit. When I attempted to brake vehicle, I found I did not have any power brakes. Brake pedal was hard. Pressing the brake pedal as hard as I could did not do anything to slow down my vehicle. I did not have any ability to slow down vehicle. To avoid a collision, I put the vehicle in neutral, and down shifted gears. No alarms, or visual indicators came on to indicate a problem existed. Car towed to the mercedes benz authorized dealership I have always had my car serviced at. Brake box sitting behind the motor had broke. …”

NHTSA complaint #10983783, filed 2017-05, 103,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

31% of the 87 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 47,000 and 85,000 miles.

5%0–103%10–2523%25–5033%50–7522%75–10010%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (87 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 60,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’12’15’1783’19’21’23’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
C-Class · sedan AWDnot rated——44 · 10.5% risk
C-Class · sedan RWDnot rated——44 · 10.5% risk

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
C250 RWD1.8L 4-cyl7-speed automatic213125$3,300
C250 Coupe RWD1.8L 4-cyl7-speed automatic213025$3,300

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 112 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 112 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz C250

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20151249,5004425—Not enough data
201416349,000552550 · TypicalFalling
201327860,850752571 · MoreFalling
201227260,0005—2541 · TypicalFalling

All Mercedes-Benz C250 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250?

Owners of this model year most often describe a rattling or ticking noise on cold start linked to camshaft adjuster and timing chain wear, frequently diagnosed well under 100,000 miles. The issues reported most often: Camshaft adjuster / timing chain rattle and failure; Repair parts unavailable for airbag recall; Power loss, limp mode and fuel system codes.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 have?

NHTSA recorded 272 consumer complaints for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 168 complaints (62% of the total), followed by engine with 61.

Has the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 (C250, 1.8L 4-cyl) at 25 mpg combined, 21 city and 31 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 reported?

Among the 87 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 60,000 miles and the middle half falls between 47,000 and 85,000 miles; 31% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.