Mercedes-benz C230 2003

• Recall 247553 [USA]: A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
  Mercedes-benz usa, llc (mbusa) is recalling certain 2001-2011 c-class, clk, e-class, and cls vehicles. Please refer to mbusa's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.
  dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed february 3, 2023. Owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall expands nhtsa recall number 19v-918. Mbusa's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and 2023010006.
  owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.Nhtsa.Gov.

• Recall 154237 [USA]: A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
  Mercedes-benz usa, llc. (mbusa) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.Nhtsa.Gov/odi/rcl/2019/rmisc-19v918-4126.Pdf
  mbusa will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began july 10, 2020. Owners may contact mbusa customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Mbusa's number for this recall is 2020040011.
  owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.Safercar.Gov.

To ensure accuracy and for your safety, it is recommended to do a free VIN recall check here or here [USA] - UK - Canada.

Bulletins are notices put out by manufacturers in conjunction with the NHTSA to notify the public of manufacturing issues or changes.

Common OBD Error codes specific to this vehicle.

• P0011 [1] "A" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1)
• C1401 [1] Traction Control Valve RF Circuit Open
• B1058 [1] B1058
• C1185 [1] ABS Power Relay Output Circuit Failure
• C1200 [1] ABS Inlet Valve Coil LF Circuit Short To Battery
• C1208 [1] ABS Inlet Valve Coil Rear Circuit Short To Battery

My panoramic roof is malfuctioning and is suck slightly open wont close or budge and now i'm having mulitple electrical issues my lights are flickering cigarette lighter doesnt work my ac works sometimes but then it doesn't and other things as well. There is an open recall on the panoramic roofs with my make and model but my vin number isnt showing up..

At 178,000 miles the timing chain tensioner failed while the car driving approximately 25 mph and allowed the timing chain to skip several teeth leaving the car stranded and potentially causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to the engine internals. The car was dealer serviced since new and always had maintenance on time. There is thousands of people online that have had the exact same issue and mercedes benz usa refuses to do anything about it yet they acknowledge they made them wrong because they have updated the chains and tensioners.

At 178,000 miles the timing chain tensioner failed while the car driving approximately 25 mph and allowed the timing chain to skip several teeth leaving the car stranded and potentially causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to the engine internals. The car was dealer serviced since new and always had maintenance on time. There is thousands of people online that have had the exact same issue and mercedes benz usa refuses to do anything about it yet they acknowledge they made them wrong because they have updated the chains and tensioners.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that while driving, it was informed that the tail lights failed to function. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact replaced the tail light however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 225,262.

The lcd display for safety items such as checking the oil level fades out and can not be read. There is no other way to check the oil level on this vehicle. Repair shops do not want to service as they can not check oil level. No dip stick on these vehicles.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact observed that after exiting the vehicle, the front passenger's side wheel disengaged. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed that the ball joint separated from the control arm. The vehicle was repaired. On a separate occasion the failure recurred with the front driver's side and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated the defective parts and photographs were available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage and vin were unavailalbe. Js

I was driving the vehicle home from work and heading uphill. My automatic air conditioning clicked off, and then i noticed a strong chemical smell. Smoke came out from under my hood. There was no safe place to pull over, so i drove another 1/4 mile until i crested the hill and came to a dip. I noticed flames coming toward me from between the driver door and the dash. I immediately pulled my car over and put it in park, grabbed my stuff and got out. The car completely burned up. I get my car regularly maintenanced by the dealer, and it said i had 1800 or 1900 miles until my next service. *tr

I have 2003 mercedes benz c230. Whenever i would start the vehicle it would give me jerk or make noise and finally just before taking it to a dealer it stalled. I had it towed. The vehicle was taken to a local shop, which suggested that the problem is much larger and needs the attention of the manufacturer and hence to taken to the dealer. It was diagnosed as the timing chain was defective and the local shop owner said this was a common problem with this vehicle and a serious problem with major cost to fix. The manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle is not repaired as the cost of fix is as large as the cars current value. The failure and current mileage is 68,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that whenever she would start the vehicle, it would jerk violently. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where it was diagnosed that the cam shaft sensor was leaking and the timing chain was defective. The manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The vin was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 92,000.

Leak on the antifreeze coolant tank where the thin hose connects to the coolant tank on top, the steel tube that is molded into the plastic slipped out and the plastic part cracked creating a leak. The antifreeze may leak and accumulate under the car, it can damage the engine, also it can leak while driving causing hazardous / slippery conditions, also children or pets / animals may drink the leaked antifreeze. This is dangerous. *tr

When signaling to turn left or right, only the left turn signal will flash. The right turn signal never flashes. However, both lights will flash when hazard lights are on and when locking/unlocking car doors. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who repaired the engine wiring harness and the engine cam shaft adjustment solenoid, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that he was driving approximately 30 mph when he crashed into a tree that had fallen in the street. The air bags did not deploy and he suffered four broken bones as a result; the vehicle was also destroyed. He was told by the manufacturer that the secondary thresholds were not exceeded to deploy the air bags. An independent inspector stated that the air bags should have deployed. The vehicle identification number was not available. The current and failure mileages were approximately 120,000. Updated 3/24/10 *cn updated 06/11/10.*jb

Engine harness and camshaft solenoids contaminated due to leaking oil which subsequently required replacement of o2 sensors. *tr

C230k coupe at 73,000 miles with sudden valve guides worn bad cylinder,compression loss recently in april i was called into mbz for a recall on a vacuum hose, here i am a few months later and i'm driving and my car starts shaking ,idling strange and then i take it to a mechanic and he figured it at first glance it may be worn valve gasket seals and i said ok let's change them and put in new plugs too...Then he checks the compression and discovers that it is half of what it should be, what? Why should the cylinder heads be worn and need to be replaced for nearly $3000, ...This seems to be happening too many owners of this model on here and mbzforums for this 2003-2005 years. Loss of compression in one or more cylinders. This should be recognized by mbz as a defect and since when do these engines fail at 50,000or even 80,000? I feel this should be paid for by them, this is ridiculous and should not be happening at this mileage!! Defect,flaw in design...They need to step up and admit it at mercedes headquarters. Please help us owners , they are getting away with this, mentioning vacuum hose recalls on this 2003 year but some dealers have recognized that these engines are defective and a recall needs to be done on these valve guides/cylinder heads. Why is it that there is an inconsistency on how this problem is recognized by the dealer and handled. Some on the forums have said that the dealer screwed them if the 50,000 warranty is over and others have had the parts only paid for by the dealer and others have had the whole thing paid!! Too many of these c230k engine cylinders/valve guides are going bad, they are defective and mbz should be correcting this. I should not pay $3000 to rebuild engine that has been maintained on schedule and for a car that is at only 73,000 miles thanks *tr

Just like other reports here - electrical malfunction. 50k miles. Took to mb dealer for rough idle at cold start up and low speeds; louder than normal idle at start and in reverse. No check engine light, no error or problem indicated in dash at all. Same diagnosis - dealer reported cam solenoids leaking engine oil into the wiring harness shorting harness components (o2 sensors etc.), high $$$ $3600-$4000 repair. Issue should be resolved and paid for by mb since this is known defect that severely reduces the drive-ability and value of the vehicle. *tr

1. The headlight cannot be turn on as i drove into a 1-mile dark tunnel in us west. 2. It persists for about 1-days during a trip to the us west in the dry heat environment. After that, the headlight work normal again as i came back to california. 3. Nothing has being done since then since i will probably not drive to us west in the visible near future. The old parts are still available in my car. *tr

Check engine light lead to rough idling and inability to drive vehicle. 2003 mercedes benz c230 with 61,650 miles on it. All cam sensors, o2 sensors, maf sensor, engine wiring harness replaced with necessary o-rings at dealer. Car was laid up 5 days and at a cost of $2,500. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. When the vehicle was started, it shook uncontrollably and the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the engine oil was leaking and damaged the wiring harness and oxygen sensor. The repair would cost $2,000. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty; therefore, they were not responsible for the repair. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 40,000.

I have a 2003 mercedes benz c230 kompressor sedan. Today my rear door opened by itself while in the car. I closed it and it opened again. This is very dangerous, since it can occur while driving at high speeds. This is the first time this has happened to me. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that the srs warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle was taken to the dealer four days later. The mechanic performed a diagnostic and stated that the srs control module was defective. The mechanic also stated that if the srs control module was not repaired, the air bags would not deploy in a crash. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current mileage was 66,000 and failure mileage was 65,704.

Check engine light came on. I took it to the dealer and they told me that the o2 sensor needs to be replaced, and the engine harness needs to be replaced. This is because the cam sensor leaked and pushed oil inside the harness and now there is oil flowing in the harness. This means everywhere there is a contact of the harness there is a possibility that there is oil on it. This seems to have become a common issue now and mercedes is ignoring it. I have noticed that i am getting bad mileage because of the bad o2 sensor. The irony is that the dealer will fix it with the same exact part number only to have it leak again in 4 years. *tr

The check engine light goes on, the next day i go to independent mercedes shop. They tell me my o2 sensors are bad. The reason that they are bad because of the cam sensor at the top end of the motor was leaking. The whole time it was leaking i didn't even know. Then the bad new everything has been coated in oil such as o2 sensors that is it gives out the check engine light. The engine harness is also coated in oil. *tr

Check engine light on, with occasional poor gas mileage, rough running. When engine starts rough, engine stop/re-start gets engine to idle/run properly. Dealer reported cam solenoids leaking engine oil into the wiring harness shorting harness components (o2 sensors etc.), high $$$ repair. First occurrence at 57k miles (just out of warranty). Contacted mb, no concern, too bad for you. Sporadic red led warning about gas cap, blinking indicator in fuel gauge, stop/restart engine, goes away (error not in owners manual). Car still running at 78k miles and usually 35 mpg during normal commute so far (without repair so far, do not have tail pipe emission check in area yet, so not mandated to fix mil light issue), clear ecm codes occasionally, come back after 3 key cycles. Stuck with car that is not worth fixing to have same problem come back. This cam solenoid/wiring harness/o2 sensor/check engine light issue should be resolved and paid for by mb since this is known defect that severely reduces the drivablilty and value of the vehicle. *tr

Camshaft magnet leaking pushing oil through engine harness" harness, ecu, o2 sensors needs to be replaced. $3,700. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230k. While driving 72 mph, the contact heard a popping sound and the warning light for the brakes illuminated on the instrument panel. She was only able to stop the vehicle by using the hand brake. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the front wheel bearing became damaged and caused damage to the spindle. The bearing needed to be replaced. The contact has pictures. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage was 61,500 and failure mileage was 60,500. Updated 4/21/08 *cn the consumer stated would like to be reimbursed for all costs incurred due to the defect. Updated 04/21/08 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The vehicle would only start after several attempts. Sometimes after the vehicle was started, it would fail and not restart. The dealer stated that there was a crack in the pcv hose. The cost for the repair was $404.27. The same day the vehicle was repaired, it failed while approaching a red light. The following day, she returned to the dealer and they stated that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The repair cost was $389.82. The current mileage was 47,022 and failure mileage was 46,646. Updated 05/05/08. *lj updated 05/05/08 *jb

2003 mercedes c230- purchased new- bought extended warranty. Have followed maintenance program religiously. Last b service was dec 4th-$900.00 on dec 27- car completely died & smoke coming out the back- coolant light on. Towed to closest dealer- they can't tell me why it happened but- the spark plugs soaked w/coolant, #2 plug smashed on top, #2 cylinder intake valve bent & broken. #2 &4 pistons damaged. Even though extended warranty is up- mercedes will not stand behind the car- say can not pin point a mfg defect even though this rarely happens even with high miles- mercedes benz usually can get well over 200,000 miles. Now cost is $8,000 to put in rebuilt motor or $11,000 to repair damaged one- something had to cause this- there were posts on your site from 2003 regarding engine & cooling issues but could not find more detailed info- nhtsa item# 10002965- do you have more info or give me advice? *jb

The 2003 mercerdes benz 300c engine suddenly caught on fire while driving it to work. The car stalled, flames shoot out the front hood, the car would not restart, so i coasted to the firm. I opened the hood to see blue flames shoopt 20 feet in the air. A passerby tried to put out the firwe unsucessfully with a fire extiquisher. The flames got hotter and shot 60 feet in the air, and police and fire department responded and were finally able to put out the fire . The engine block melted down ,and there was a large hole burnt into the pasenger space. The car was totaled. I wrote mercedes benz, and they were being nonresponsive. I have photos of the melted engine block and the large hole burned into the pasenger space through the engine firewall. *ak

2003 mercedes c230. Seat belt comes un-buckled at random times while driving and dealer will not fix because defect cannot be duplicated at dealership. I note that the 2004 models were recalled for this same defect. Why doesn't the recall cover the 2003 model?*jb

Dt*: the contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, there were exhaust fumes entering the cab of the vehicle from an unknown area. The fumes caused the contact to develop headaches. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer was unable to determine the problem.

Dt: the contact states the airbag system failed twice in the past ten months. The onboard computer said srs warning did not drive at that time,. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. There was a code reset in the computer. This happened again, and they replaced a fuse box in the dashboard. The gas gauge has also gone out twice in one month. The dealership drained the gas and reset a computer code. When it happened again they had to replace a part in the gas tank and reset the computer code again. Both items were working correctly at this time.*ak

Rough idle; rattling noise in engine area, harsh shifting, no throttle response, hesitates when accelerating with a clicking sound, window contros scratch window tint

This is a 2003 c230 kompressor; manual transmission. Check engine light came on; in for service 4 times; cylinder head needs to be replaced/ valves not seated properly. Now mb says they can't find parts.*ak

Excessive loud "squeaking" coming from front driver and passenger seat area. Problem has been addressed once with dealership and has was not corrected. Taking vehicle back in for second attempt.*ak

2003 c230 has transmission that jerks, and requires excessive effort to get vehicle to move when in reverse, also has weak rim design, and bend easily, hit pot hole on highway and bent front rim. *ak

A year ago, i brought a c230 compressor at mercedes-benz and since then, i had to repair my a/c twice, the abs light has been fixed twice in one week, and now my transmission is acting out. Although i have brought my car in a great deal, the problem(s) still exist. In one month alone, i brought my car in about 3 times to fix almost the same problem(s). My last visit was this past week, and just today, i got my car back and the transmission still feels funny. It jerks when i step on the accelerator and for some reason, i feel more unsafe now then before.*ak

I bought my mercedes c230 kompressor 9 days ago. It has only 380 miles on it. 2 days in a row when the car is placed into drive the entire vehicle shakes violently. Mercedes is going to attempt to fix the problem. Ss. *ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated that there was an excess of smoke coming from the tail pipe, blinding the contacts view of vehicle following. The vehicle then began to lose power abnormally and was moved from the roadway where it was towed to the dealer. The dealer advised that an engine valve had melted into two pieces and a piece of the valve was found in the manifold. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage and current mileages were 90,000.

While visiting south eastern utah in a period of one week there was no throttle response on three separate occasions. Throttle responded on the third press of gas pedal on each occasion. Car had only 7,500 miles on it. On first occasion, there was a strong smell of gas inside the car. Dash board indicator did not show any malfunction during any of these occasions. *ak

Consumer disappointed with her problematic, unreliable and potentially unsafe vehicle. *ph the window seals scratched the glass tint. The radio reception was poor and the keyless entry system only worked at close range. The technician indicated that the tint was likely the cause of the poor reception and inability to use the entry system at further distances. The dealer installed scraper seals to alleviate the scratching. The vehicle shut off five times in a 45 min period and all the service lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken tot he dealer who determined that a cylinder had misfired and water was in the spark plugs. The dealer replaced he cylinder head and all valves. The bas, esp and abs light illuminated while driving. There was a lack of airflow power when the a/c was used. The vehicle hesitated when accelerating. There was a strong mildew odor coming through the vents. Cd skipped when turning corners. A rattling noise could be heard from the engine while the a/c was on. *nm

This is a new mercedes-benz c230 compressor engine with one thousand miles. Last month a sulfur smell emitted from the exhaust while warming. I was told this is normal. Three times this week on ignition the car shook violently and would not stop until the engine was turned off. The car is drivable and i have returned it to the dealer. They are attempting to fix it. *jb

New car died in middle of the road. Vehicle stalled when coming to a stop. *bf the consumer believes the vehicle continued to stall die to faulty engineering of the vacuum and compression systems. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer five times for this problem but no matter how many times the parts were replaced the vehicle continues to stall. The dealer replaced broken vacuum hose, brake booster hose and oxygen sensor. *nm

Consumer states that vehicle is two weeks old and has a fuel tank problem. The engine light stays illumniated. The dealer states a part needs to be replaced in the plastic gas tank. Please provide more information. Mr