2009 Mercedes-Benz C-Class ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Headlight harness on drivers and passenger side is melting and my lights are flickering. I was advised to night drive my vehicle at night, because it could start an electrical fire. This is caused by heat from the lights.

While driving and when parked the headlights flicker on and off. I have no headlights while driving at night, during adverse weather conditions and during dawn hours. I could crash into other drivers, or they could crash into me because they can’t see me. When a parking bulb blows it fuses and melts everything together causing the replacement of the entire headlight unit, this has happened twice.

THIS 2009 C300 WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP IN JACKSONVILLE FL AS A RETIREMENT GIFT FOR 20 YEARS OF NAVAL SERVICE. ABOUT A YEAR LATER I NOTICED THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY BLINKING DURING THE DAY. THE NEXT PROBLEM IS WITH THE FRONT HEADLIGHT UNITS EACH TIME A BLUBS BLOWS, IT FUSES EVERYTHING INCLUDING WIRES TOGETHER REQUIRING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT UNIT. THIS HAS HAPPEN THREE TIMES WITH BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHT UNITS. THE DIFFERENCE IN PRICE IS $28.00 FOR A REPLACEMENT BLUB VISE $600.00 PLUS DOLLARS FOR THE ENTIRE UNIT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO PROBLEM CHARGING ME THE COST TO REPLACE A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AND SAFETY ISSUE. THERE SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL OF THIS UNIT.

SOCKETS FOR THE PARKING LIGHTS ABOVE THE HEADLIGHTS MELTED. KNOWING THAT SOMETHING SIMILAR WAS ADDRESSED WITH THE TAIL LIGHTS, SEEMS TO BE RELATED. THE TAIL LIGHTS MELTED THE CARRIER AND THE CABLES NOW THE SAME IS HAPPENING ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER OF MB C300 EXPERIENCING A ISSUE. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT OUR CARS CAN CATCH UP ON FIRE.

THE WIRING TO THE HEAD LAMBS (BOTH) ARE BURNING UP, CAUSING A BURNT SMELL IN THE CAR, COMPANY SAYS TO BUY NEW HEAD LAMPS. THE ELECTRIC WIRE SYSTEM IN THE CAR HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE THE BEGINNING. EVIDENTLY THE HEAT IN THE MOTOR AREA IS TO MUCH FOR THE QUALITY OF THE WIRING COVERS AND THEY CAUSE LAMP BURN OUT,AND BURN THE PLASTIC WIRE COVERING. CAR IS USED FOR PLEASURE HAS VERY FEW MILES. VERY HARD TO TAKE A PICTURE , TECH HAD A HARD TIME GETTING TO IT.

CAR WAS AT THE PARKING FRONT OF MY HOME, ABOUT TO GO TO WORK , CAR WON'T START , NO WARNING , NOTHING, COMPLETELY DEAD, HAD TO BE WITHOUT CAR FOR A WEEK, REPAIR COSTS 1,200. TOWED TO MERCEDES SERVICE. SPECIFIC ISSUES WAS STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILED. I HAVE SO MANY ISSUES WITH THIS CAR, LIGHTS, WINDOWS, TIRES, CONTROL POWER FAILS MANY TIMES WHEN CAR IS IN DRIVING MODE. SO MANY OWNERS HAS SAME PROBLEMS, IT IS A SAFETY ISSUES WHY THIS WASN'T REPORTED AND RECALL ON THIS ONE. THOUGHT MERCEDES CARS ARE MOST RELIABLE, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT TRUE . *JS

I CAME TO A STOP BECAUSE MY CAR WAS GIVING ME ERROR CODES FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE RIGHT TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING(TURN& REVERSE) AND THEN THE FUNCTIONING LIGHTS WERE DIMMED. I TOOK A LOOK AT THE ASSEMBLY WHERE THE LIGHTS WERE PLACED AND NOTICED WHERE THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL WIRES WERE PLUGGED IN TO THE BULB ASSEMBLY THAT IT BURNED THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FIXED THE RIGHT SIDE BUT NEGLECTED TO CHECK THE LEFT BECAUSE AT THE TIME IT WAS NOT MALFUNCTIONING (AT THAT TIME I WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY). NOW, ON MARCH 8, 2015 (MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY) I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL MBUSA BECAUSE THE LEFT SIDE IS NOW BEGINNING TO ACT ERRATICALLY, AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO BURNING (YET) I WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I CHECKED THE BULBS WHICH WERE GIVING ME ERRORS AND NONE OF THE BULBS WERE BURNED OUT. I BEGUN TO DO RESEARCH AND I FOUND THERE TO BE A RECALL FROM THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V-177, BUT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL YET I HAD REPORTED THE VERY SAME ISSUE MUCH EARLIER THAN 2014. AS I CONTACTED BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND MBUSA THEY BOTH SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL REFUSING TO ACCEPT THAT THEY MADE AN ERROR IN THEIR WIRING AND NEGLECTING TO FIX BOTH SIDES THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN. *TR

FRONT PARKING LAMPS POOR CONNECTION WIRES INSULATION COME OFF VERY EASY FROM THE FRAME PLUG, PLUS WIRES ARE TO SHORT TO MAKE CORRECTION(SPLICE) INSIDE THE HEAD LIGHT HOUSING. ALL THIS HAPPENED AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIR FROM RECALL ON TAIL LIGHTS. I SAW ON THE INTERNET AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAS THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS PROBLEM, I WAS DRIVING ON THE DARK STREET AND ALL LIGHTS WENT OFF LIKE FOR 5 SECONDS, THAT WHY I GOT SCARE, I WAS WITH MY WIFE AND MY 5 MONTHS OLD DAUGHTER, MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD REPORT THIS AS RECALL, IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I NEED TO CHANGE THE WHOLE HOUSING, I TOOK THE CAR TO DOWNT TOWN LA SERVICE DEPARTMENT, FOR ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION LOCK SWITCH, I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE SOME ONE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE C300 MODELS. THANK YOU *TR

INTERMITTENTLY MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WILL GO ON, GAS GAUGE SLOWLY GOES TO EMPTY, REAR BREAK AND BLINKERS NO LONGER WORK, INTERIOR LIGHTING, AND SUN ROOF DO NOT WORK. I CAN NOT LOCK MY CAR SOMETIMES AFTER FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. IF IT HAPPENS RIGHT WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON, I CAN TRY TO TURN IT OFF AND RESTART AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS RIGHT WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON OR SOMETIMES IT NEVER HAPPENS. *TR

FRONT LIGHTS SOCKET OVER HEAT AND MELTING. MANUFACTURE AND DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO REPLACE, HOWEVER CAR STILL IN FULL EXTENDED WARRANTY SAFETY ISSUE AND CAN CAUSE FIRE

THE CAR WON'T START WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A MERCEDES MECHANIC AND HE CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AFTER BEING LOOKED AT FOR A B1 SERVICE. WE THOUGHT THIS WOULD FIX IT. NOW IT WON'T START AGAIN. WHEN TURN THE KEY, EVERYTHING LIGHTS UP AS IF THE CAR IS GOING TO START BUT IT WON'T. IT HAD BEEN STARTING AFTER TURNING THE KEY A FEW TIMES AND EVENTUALLY IT WOULD CATCH. THE PROBLEM STARTED 2 WEEKS AGO, NOW IT WON'T START AT ALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED CAUSING THE BATTERY TO FAIL. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE WIRE THAT NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,700.

THE TAIL LIGHT COMPLETELY MELTED THE CIRCUT BOARD AND STOPPED WORKING. *TR

MARCH 1 2014 I NOTICE MY WIFE DASH WAS LIGHTING UP WITH REAR BRAKE LIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I OPENED THE TRUNK AND HIT THE BRAKE COMPARTMENT AND IT CAME BACK ON. APRIL 11 2014 THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND I TRIED DOING THE SAME THING BUT NOTHING. OPENED THE BRAKE COMPARTMENT AND DISCONNECTED EVERYTHING ON THAT SIDE AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. DON'T WANT ANOTHER MELT DOWN BACK THERE IN THE TRUNK. IF THIS IS THE BEST COMPANY OUT THERE JUST ANNOUNCE A RECALL AND FIX YOUR CUSTOMERS FAULTY EQUIPMENT. *JS

THE DASH WARNED ME THAT MY REAR TAIL LIGHTS WERE MALFUNCTIONING. THE MESSAGE CAME AND WENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS UNTIL IT WAS ON CONTINUOUSLY. I ACCESSED THE ELECTRICAL COMPARTMENT AND THE GROUND SIDE OF PLUG, THE SOCKET AND THE WIRE WAS MELTED AND HAS BEEN ON FIRE. I HAVE PICTURES ON DROPBOX: LINK ATTACHED HTTPS://WWW.DROPBOX.COM/SC/W4TM7B28PHH9LAL/-DZ3HTMLS-. *TR

COMPONENTS OF THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES HAVE OVERHEATED AND RENDERED THE UNITS INOPERATIVE. AS A RESULT, THE TAIL LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE AND COMMON OCCURRENCE IN AGING ASSEMBLIES OF THIS TYPE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, I WAS RECEIVING ERROR MESSAGES ON MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ASKING ME TO CHECK THE REAR PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURNING SIGNAL BULBS. ONCE I WAS HOME, I OPENED MY TRUNK AND SMELT BURNING PLASTIC. I OPENED THE ACCESS PANEL TO THE FUSE BOX LOCATED NEAR THE PASSENGER TAILLIGHT AND INSPECTED THE AREA FOR DAMAGE. I NOTICED SOME RESIDUAL SMOKE COMING FROM THE CONNECTOR ATTACHED TO THE TAILLIGHT BULB ASSEMBLY. I REMOVED THE BULB ASSEMBLY AND THE BROWN GROUND WIRE HAD BURNED THROUGH THE PLASTIC ASSEMBLY. I REMOVED THE WIRE HARNESS FROM THE ASSEMBLY AND THE CONNECTOR CRUMBLED DUE TO THE DAMAGE. *TR

REAR LIGHT ASSEMBLY FAILURE DUE TO A MELTED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. *TR

PRIOR TO PULLING INTO MY GARAGE, I SMELLED BURNING ELECTRICAL WIRING. ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH PANEL FOR THE LEFT REAR LIGHTS CAME ON. I OPENED THE TRUNK TO SEE IF A LIGHT BULB BURNED OUT, AND SMELLED THE BURNING WIRES. OPENING THE PANEL COVERING THE LEFT REAR LIGHTS, I SAW A BURN THROUGH SCORCHED CIRCUIT BOARD. ON CLOSER EXAMINATION, I NOTICED THE GROUND WIRE WAS THIN AND THE CAUSE OF THE SEVERALLY OVERHEATED AND PARTIALLY MELTED AREA ON THE LEFT REAR LAMP ASSEMBLY. SINCE THEN, THE MERCEDES DEALER REPLACED THE CIRCUIT AT MY EXPENSE. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. IT WAS ALSO A THIN GROUND WIRE THAT HAD OVERHEATED AND PARTIALLY MELTED THE CIRCUIT BOARD. *TR

I RECEIVED A MESSAGE TO CHECK THE REAR RIGHT (PASSENGER) LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL. I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR USED ON MAY 20, 2014, AND BEGAN GETTING THE DASHBOARD WARNING A FEW DAYS LATER, BUT IT WAS INTERMITTENT. ON MAY 26, 2014, I INSPECTED OF THE BULB CARRIER AND PIN CONNECTOR AND NOTICED THAT THE CONNECTION INVOLVING THE BROWN WIRE ON THE PIN CONNECTOR WAS BURNED AND THE CORRESPONDING CONNECTION ON THE BULB CARRIER WAS ALSO BURNED/DISINTEGRATED AND THE AREA AROUND THE BROWN WIRE WAS VERY HOT. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHEN THE FAILURE ACTUALLY HAPPENED. *TR

RIGHT REAR PASSENGER LIGHTING ASSEMBLY CAUGHT FIRE. WIRING HARNESS AND LIGHT BULB CARRIER WERE BURNED. RIGHT REAR TURN AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE INOPERABLE. *TR

RIGHT REAR TAILLIGHT PIG TAIL OVERHEATED AND SHORTED OUT LAMP HOLDER. YOU CAN SEE THE BURN MARKS WHERE IT WAS TOO HOT. HAS TO BE REPLACED. *TT

I RECEIVED A WARNING ON MY DASHBOARD THAT MY RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT, RIGHT TURN SIGNAL AND BACK LIGHT NEEDED TO BE CHECKED AND MALFUNCTIONING. THE MESSAGE CAME AND WENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WHEN I OPENED THE COMPARTMENT WHERE THE TAIL BULB CARRIERS AND ASSEMBLY WERE, I SAW THAT SOME OF THE LIGHTS WERE VERY DIM. THE CARRIER ITSELF WAS PIPING HOT. SO MY FIRST REACTION WAS TO REPLACE THE BULBS. I DID. SAME PROBLEMS, NOTHING WAS FIXED. THE NEXT DAY, EVERYTHING CLEARED UP...SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE FINE. A WEEK LATER, IT CAME BACK. WHEN I OPENED UP THE COMPARTMENT AGAIN, IT WAS SUPER HOT, AND I NOTICED THAT THE WIRING WAS BROWNING AND IT BURNT MY FINGER. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WILL COST HUNDREDS TO REPLACE AND NOT COVERED. *TR

WIRING HARNESS ON REAR TAIL LIGHT MELTED CAUSING THE TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARD TO STOP WORKING ,CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS ,REVERSE LIGHTS AND BLINKER TO STOP WORKING.SPOKE WITH MERCEDES BENZ DEALER SHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT THEY WERE NOT GONNA FIX IT FOR FREE AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.THIS IS A HAZARD CAUSE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR,WHEN MY LIGHTS WENT OUT.AFTER LOOKING AT THE MELTED HARNESS WIRE THIS IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER BEFORE SOME ONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO CORRECT IT.... *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND SMELLED AN INTENSE BURNING. I HAD BEEN GETTING THE TAILLIGHT ERROR CODES AND THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS A FUSE. DECIDED TO FINALLY RESEARCH ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE THAT MERCEDES TAILLIGHTS/WIRING SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH ON FIRE. I REMOVED THE HARNESSES FROM THE TAILLIGHTS AND NOTICED THE PLUG HAD ALMOST BEEN ENTIRELY DESTROYED/BURNED ON THE RIGHT REAR, AND WAS STARTING TO BURN ON THE LEFT REAR. I LOST ALL POWER TO MY TAILLIGHTS AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 AT NIGHT, AND THE HEADLIGHTS STARTED SHUTTING OFF AND ON RANDOMLY. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL TURNING OFF AND ON RANDOMLY, APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE AUTO DIM SETTING. I HAVE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOW PAID TO FIX THE TAILLIGHT HARNESSES (A COST OF OVER $240 IN PARTS) BECAUSE MERCEDES HAS NOT WILLINGLY RECALLED THIS FIRE HAZARD AND KNOWN DEFECT. TO BE HONEST, I AM PISSED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHERE I CAN SEND THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND/OR PICTURES TO. *TR