2024 Mercedes Benz C Class: Recalls, Complaints & California Lemon Law

The car jerks so hard at times randomly that it feels like I got rear ended and it is completely unsafe. It also does small jerks at times. It's happened driving 70 mph down a highway, making a right turn accelerating slowly. Going slow down the street at 35, at a red light completely stopped or stop sign. There's no rhyme or reason to it. I've taken it to Mercedes five or six times now with the same issue and they have not been able to duplicate the problem. It's currently at Jacksonville Mercedes dealership where I bought it with the foreman. He is with my permission driving it back and forth to work because I said I do not want the car back until they can duplicate the problem and fix it or recall it or give me a new one or give me my money back. One of the instances that jerked so hard that it hurt my back. None of the sensors go off when it's plugged in while they're trying to locate a problem it only happens when it's being driven and again there's no rhyme or reason to when it happens. It does happen pretty regularly at least 10-12 times hard over the last year and the little ones happen more frequently at least 20 to 30 over the last year the last time being when I drove it on 1/5/26. Miles have been from 200 to 9100. It been happening for a year now. Mercedes Clearwater and Mercedes Jacksonville will have all of the files from the five or six times I've brought it in. I also attempted to get a lemon law request through Mercedes executive services in March or April which they denied because they couldn't duplicate the problem, but there was never a serious attempt to duplicate it by Mercedes until now that it's at the Jacksonville location where I purchased it from. The Foreman and GM there are taking it more seriously and the foreman again is driving it back and forth to work in hopes of duplicating the problem.

NHTSA #11709707

The vehicle was in drive, as I was turning right, the vehicle shifted from p(park) to n(netural) on the roadway. The car would not allow me to shift back to drive. I had to literally turn the car off and then back on in the middle of the road in order to put it back in drive Thankfully, there was not a vehicle nearby at the time, which could have caused a major accident or lost of life. At the time there was not a warning message at the time. Three days later tire pressure warning with fluctuating numbers occurred. I have only had this vehicle, purchased new for under five months. The vehicle is currently sitting in the service department at the Mercedes dealership waiting on a diagnosis(4) days so far. I will no longer feel safe and fear for my safety in that vehicle.

NHTSA #11588272

Dealership: Mercedes-Benz of Santa Fe, 2586 Camino Entrada, Santa Fe, NM 87507 I am filing this complaint regarding multiple unresolved safety defects in my 2024 Mercedes-Benz C300 persisting across numerous repair visits since February 2026. Defect 1 – Recurring Strut Assembly: Following an AC sensor replacement on February 11, 2026, a loud rattling noise emerged from the dashboard/strut area. The vehicle was retained 22 days without resolution. The strut plate was repaired, but the noise recurred. Parts were ordered for the strut assembly, requiring me to drive the defective vehicle for approximately two additional weeks. As of June 8, 2026, the noise remains unresolved. A defective strut assembly affects handling, stability, and steering — creating serious risk at highway speeds. Defect 2 – Safety Systems Disabled: Following the strut plate repair, all driver assistance systems — including collision avoidance and lane keeping — were completely disabled. A warning message confirmed the systems were inoperable. A subsequent software update was required to restore them. Defect 3 – Check Engine Light; Dealer Advised Continued Operation: While driving with the unrepaired strut assembly, the check engine light illuminated. I have photographic evidence. Service Manager Simon explicitly advised me it was safe to continue driving. I contest this. I was not provided a loaner vehicle. Inaccurate Service Records: On June 5, 2026, service notes falsely stated the check engine light was not illuminated. I presented photographic evidence to service representative Robert Rodriguez, who verbally confirmed the photograph. The record was not corrected, potentially obscuring defect patterns from NHTSA review. I respectfully request NHTSA add this complaint to the public database, investigate whether this model has a safety-related defect pattern, and review the dealership's practice of advising consumers to operate vehicles with known structural defects.

NHTSA #11743560

I had to take a detour one night coming home, the detour led to a bridge that connects to a highway. Approaching the bridge my car started to jerk and pop up with all of these notification about “blind spot assistance” is down, “car engine failure, please check user manual”, “car malfunction” with a engine battery symbol. All the while the engine light was on. All these warning was popping up one after another, while I was trying to merge onto the bridge. Mind you there is no shoulder currently during the active merging or on the bridge, but I didn’t think of what would happen next. As I merge onto the bridge at 35mph the car shuts off completely on me. My car automatically sets itself into Neutral mode and I was rolling on the bridge at 35mph, no shoulder and no brakes or gas to move properly. I called the police but they won’t dispatch a officer unless I am in a accident or about to cause on, but they heard I am rolling at 35mph and they said from her words herself “I can’t send a officer over for your reason ma’am, are you a threat to others or about to crash? Can’t you just brake?” My car system never turned back on, I stepped my foot on the brakes all the way praying something will work as I existed the bridge onto a small shoulder. The emergency brakes came on as I keep swerving onto the grass. As everyone was going 65mph I don’t know why I wouldn’t impose as a threat if I have no control over my car from oncoming traffic. This is a very dangerous situation, and my service shop said we try to retest the issue/diagnostics but couldn’t replicate the situation and told me that my car is fine. But this isn’t the first time that happened and it also wasn’t the last. I don’t know what test they’re running but telling me it’s a simple system malfunction error every time is playing with my lifespan. Do not recommend.

NHTSA #11740286

While driving on the highway with the panoramic sunroof open, the glass suddenly shattered, sounding like a gunshot or an explosion. Shards of glass flew into the vehicle and rained down on me, creating a very hazardous driving situation. I did not observe any foreign object that could have caused the sunroof to break.

Allegedly reported: 1 injury (as reported to NHTSA). NHTSA #11728393

On Friday [XXX] at approximately [XXX]. My wife and I were driving our 2024 C-Class 300 (~8,000 miles on this vehicle) on [XXX] and entering the intersection of [XXX]. Riverside, CA 92506 when all of sudden the car just died (the engine stopped running, pushing the gas pedal with no power) and all the dashboard lights came on flashing like crazy. This incident paced my wife and I in a very venerable bad not safe situation. If there was any traffic at in this intersection at that moment it would have been a bad situation. I called MB Walter's they could hear the sounds which were loud and they ask me to open and close the doors to see if sound would stop and wait 5 minutes and try to restart. Waited 5 minutes car started and we drove it to Walter's. The week before I had it back in the service department because the finger print function was not working any longer. They supposedly replaced the software package and then this major issue happen. The service department at Walter's has tried at least two times to download a new software package however this vehicle is not allowing it to accept it. They said engineers from the East coast were trying to help but nothing has been accomplished. It is becoming frustrating and allowing the overall safety concern has been increasing for my wife and I. What if this happens again and we are on the freeway or a street with traffic which both situations could cause a severe accident and harm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11692765

The vehicle appears to have experienced a braking system malfunction, possibly involving the brake-by-wire system, electronic stability control (ESC), or unintended acceleration event. When the brake pedal was fully depressed, the car suddenly and uncontrollably accelerated forward into a cinder block wall. After the incident, it was observed that only the left-side tires left skid marks, indicating an apparent brake imbalance or failure on the right side. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others were severely compromised. My daughter and I were in the car during this and are extremely traumatized. Despite pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated forward and crashed into a cinder block wall, which could have resulted in serious injury or death had a person, pedestrian, or oncoming vehicle been in front. This type of malfunction poses a critical risk of high-speed unintended collisions in public or residential areas. As of now, the problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center, but further inspection is pending. I am requesting a full diagnostic evaluation, including electronic and mechanical systems related to throttle and braking. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Mercedes-Benz, police, or insurance representatives, but the car is in the possession of a Mercedes’ collision center. NO, there were no warning lamps, messages, or unusual symptoms on the dashboard prior to the event. The vehicle gave no indication of mechanical or electronic failure before the sudden acceleration occurred.

NHTSA #11677330

The driver’s seat in my car moves backward on its own while I’m driving. I’ve taken the car to the dealership several times, but the issue still hasn’t been resolved. This is extremely dangerous and frightening. It has happened twice on the highway, Several times in the dealership’s garage, And most recently, while I was pulling out of a parking spot: Half of my car was still in the parking area and the other half was already in the street. The road had a curve, so other drivers couldn’t see me until they got very close, which could have caused a serious accident. This is a serious safety concern that needs immediate attention.

NHTSA #11677176

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA #11659453

Issue: Post-Airbag Deployment PCM Lockout Description: I am reporting a critical safety concern regarding the 2024 Mercedes-Benz C300. After an airbag deployment, the vehicle's Powertrain Control Module (PCM) is designed to automatically lock, preventing the engine from being restarted. While this feature is intended to enhance safety, it poses significant risks in certain emergency situations. For instance, in scenarios such as a landslide, attempted robbery, or a collision with wildlife in a remote area with poor cell signal, this design could leave the driver stranded without the ability to restart the vehicle and drive to safety. The inability to restart the vehicle could result in life-threatening situations where immediate evacuation from the scene is necessary. Recommendation: To mitigate this risk, I strongly suggest implementing an emergency override function that allows the driver to restart the vehicle after airbag deployment if they are in a clear state of consciousness. This could be achieved by incorporating a method such as long-pressing the ignition button, which would allow the driver to force-start the vehicle and improve their chances of survival in critical situations.

NHTSA #11610577

I was driving and all of a sudden a loud sound started occurring and the sound appeared to come from my breaks as if they were about to give out. The car is currently at Mercedes getting looked at. I’m concerned for my safety as I have taken this car in for two other issues in the last couple of months.

NHTSA #11594999

Within the first week of ownership (delivery on 1/15/24), the car's parking and/or front collision sensors started malfunctioning on a regular basis. The sensors repeatedly gave off false alerts when the car would approach intersections even though no obstacles were in front of, or behind, the car. The false alerts were quite startling and they consisted of loud alarms and warning images in both the driver's display and the car's heads up display. The repeated false alarms posed a significant safety hazard because they initially caused me to slam on the brakes risking a rear end collision. Once I realized the sensors were malfunctioning, I started to ignore them which is equally dangerous if a real collision needed to be averted. The car is currently in the service department, and it has been there for a total of 29 days thus far. It was initially thought that a software update would resolve the problem, but that did not work. After the software update was completed, a new "parktronic" module was installed. That also did not solve the issue. I am now being advised that the car is issuing fault codes related to the airbag system. It seems that there are some serious electrical problems that are plaguing the vehicle. The service department has advised me that they have no clear date on when this issue will be resolved.

NHTSA #11576712