2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH AND THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 09-15-14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE KEY BECAME DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM THE IGNITION. UPDATED 2/23/2015 8JS

IN 2010 I PURCHASE 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300 FROM A DEALER. CAR WAS NICE AND PERFECT UNTIL A YEAR LATER I HAVE TO CHANGE THE LOW BEAM AND EYES LIDS LIGHT BULB. EVERYTHING WAS CHANGE MY CAR ELECTRICAL WAS BAD MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP GETTING DAMAGE. I CHANGED LIGHT BULBS ABOUT 4 TIMES A YEAR. AND TODAY ON MY WAY HOME FREON WORK MY CAR TAIL LIGHTS MSG STARTING TO SHOW. I TAKE A LOOK THE BULB WAS FINE UNTIL I SMELL THE BURNING CAME OUT OF MY TAIL LIGHTS HARNESS I SAW A BURN WIRE START SPARKING SO I STOP THE CAR AND PULL IT OUT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID IT WILL SPARKING TO THE FUEL TANK. I LOOK UP ONLINE WHAT IS THE COST. IT SEEM LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAS THE SAME ISSUE AS ME. NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BESIDE LOOKING ON INTERNET AND FIND THE WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. HTTP://M.MBWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=465331&STYLEID=20 THIS LINK WILL SHOW EVERYBODY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND I DON'T KNOW WHY MERCEDES NEVER RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I KEEP ON DRIVING AND THE WIRE SPARK TO THE FUEL. PLEASE HELP I'M NOT ASKING THIS JUST FOR MYSELF BUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO DOESN'T KNOW. THANK YOU. *JS

MY CAR WILL NOT START. BATTERY WAS TESTED AND IS IN GOOD CONDITION. WHEN KEY IS INSERTED THE PANEL SHOWS A MESSAGE SAYING "PLEASE REMOVE KEY". I HAD TO TOW MY CAR TO SERVICE CENTER AND I AM STILL WAITING FOR TECH INFO ON CAUSE OF PROBLEM. I HAVE READ IN NHTSA WEBSITE MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE. SEEMS THERE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT ON THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM ON THIS MODELS. TO ME THIS IS A SERIOUS SECURITY ISSUE TO OWNERS. IMAGINE HAVING IT HAPPEN WHILE CAR IS RUNNING... THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND CANNOT BE UNLOCKED IN ANY WAY. CAR DOES NOT EVEN CRANK. WITH STEERING WHEEL LOCKED TOWERS NEED TO HAVE SPECIAL TOOLS TO HANDLE CAR, NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS ALREADY FILED NHTSA HAS NOT ORDERED A RECALL ON THIS MATTER. ARE THE COMPUTERS ON THIS MODEL PREPROGRAMMED BY MANUFACTURER TO STOP WORKING AFTER CERTAIN TIME? *JS

DRIVER SIDE REAR LIGHTS DIMMER THAN THE OTHER SIDE THAN WENT OUT, WHEN OPEN THE COMPARTMENT, SMELLED MELTING PLASTIC. CHECKED THE PLUG THAT WENT INTO THE LIGHTS HAS MELTED. ALSO BURN MARK LEFT ON LIGHT HOUSING. *TR

CAR DASH DISPLAY INDICATED TO CHECK RIGHT REAR TURN LAMP. WHILE CHECKING THE LAMP, THE LAMP HOLDER ASSEMBLY WAS HOT. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO UNPLUG THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR TO THE LAMP HOLDER ASSEMBLY, DISCOVERED THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS MELTING (SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE GROUND WIRE). THERE SEEM TO BE OTHER REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE ON WEB FORUMS (E.G. MB WORLD). *TR

EXTREME ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS. LIGHT BULBS CONSISTENTLY BURNED OUT (LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT, PARKING LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHTS). FINALLY, SMOKE CAME FROM TRUCK/BRAKE LIGHTS AREA AND WIRE HARNESS MELTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND SECONDS LATER, ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BURNED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. *TR

DRIVING AT NIGHT. INSTRUMENT WARNING OF NUMEROUS FAILED TAIL LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES AT THE SAME TIME. PULLED OVER AND OPENED TRUNK. TRUNK WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND BURNING PLASTIC SMELL. OBSERVED ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS ON BOTH TAIL LIGHT BULB HOLDERS MELTING AND SMOLDERING. VISUAL FLAME (SMALL) ON GROUND WIRE ON RIGHT TAIL LIGHT CONNECTOR. OBSERVED BOTH BULB HOLDER ASSEMBLIES AND THEIR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY FIRE/HEAT ONLY AROUND THE BROWN (GROUND) WIRES. REMOVED ASSEMBLIES AND WAS ABLE TO RESTORE SOME TAIL LIGHT FUNCTIONS BY CLEANING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS OF MELTED PLASTIC. NOTED CORROSION AROUND GROUND TERMINAL PIN OF CONNECTORS. NO INDICATION OF MOISTURE OR WATER LEAKS IN AREA. NO FUSES BLEW. ALL BULBS GOOD. TAIL LIGHT OPERATION NOW INTERMITTENT. WILL CONTACT DEALER TO REPLACE PARTS - FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM DUE TO FIRE AND THE CIRCUIT NOT BEING PROTECTED BY FUSE. *TR UPDATED 3/28/13 *CN..UPDATED 09-09-14 *BF