1998 Mercedes Benz C230
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Mercedes Benz › C230 › 1998
These records cover every 1998 Mercedes Benz C230. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
39 complaints1 involved a crash3 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Suspension
On 09/06/2015 @ approx. 1:30 p.m., my wife, self, and grandchildren were traveling home from our grandsons first jfl football game for the season. after inspecting the suspension I noticed that the coil spring was fully expanded and arched outward badly. further inspection noticed that the…
On 09/06/2015 @ approx. 1:30 p.m., my wife, self, and grandchildren were traveling home from our grandsons first jfl football game for the season. after inspecting the suspension I noticed that the coil spring was fully expanded and arched outward badly. further inspection noticed that the upper coil spring cup/mount had rusted away and allowed the front end to drop, flattening the suspension allowing the weight of the body to rest upon the lower control arm. I did some research to find any information that I could to help me understand what just happened. My search gathered me all kinds of owners who were angered that there IS not a recall for such a major part that IS welded to the body and rusts away in man y incidences. mercedes benz will not warranty this problem. Many have stated the possibilities of many accidents that have injured and/or have killed thousands yet if there was an accident due to the failure of the welds or rusted insulated welds, no one would think that that could have been the cause and it goes unattended! I called my local mercedes benz dealer and they tell me they will not cover this problem, but, they can transfer me to the parts department so I may buy the parts to then take to a body shop to pay out of pocket to have them weld new parts on . mercedes benz dealer said it IS a common problem and have sold many of these repair parts. a forum on line states that there was legislation that there must be a section cut out of the body and a new replacement part welded in place. I am going to try to gain information for an area territory representative to discuss what part mercedes benz will take responsibilities to repair the failed welds. there should be a recall, "it IS a matter of life or death!"
- Visibility/wiper
The washer fluid reservoir leaks and must be replaced. Mercedes-benz chose to charge $282.98 for this replacement for parts and labor. The part seems obviously defective. When the car IS moving, this defect can prevent the windshield from being cleared, and cause accidents and death. Mercedes-benz cars with the defective part number must be recalled. *tr
- Fuel/propulsion system
TL* the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. While driving downhill at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled and the instrument panel illuminated. The contact also discovered a fuel leak and had the vehicle towed to a local mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 150,000.
- Steering · Suspension
I was sitting stopped in traffic with the engine off, and the front drivers' side of my vehicle just spontaneously dropped as if that part of the vehicle had fallen into a sink hole. I was waiting for a draw bridge to come down after a sailboat passed, so the car was turned off. When I got out of…
I was sitting stopped in traffic with the engine off, and the front drivers' side of my vehicle just spontaneously dropped as if that part of the vehicle had fallen into a sink hole. I was waiting for a draw bridge to come down after a sailboat passed, so the car was turned off. When I got out of the vehicle to inspect what had happened, I could see that the front spring had separated from its top mount in what I assume was the frame of the vehicle. When I searched on-line I found that this IS something that happens all the time with various models of mercedes benz. If I had been driving at highway speed I and anyone else in the car could have easily been killed, not to mention other vehicles, since the vehicle steering IS also compromised with the wheel bottoming-out on the inside of the front of the vehicle. The car IS a '98, but with only 148,000, this should not have happened. Clearly it's a design flaw. Why does nhtsa let mercedes benz get away with this without demanding a recall? When you look on the web, you can see that this IS happening to many people, and not only IS mercedes refusing to fix it for free, dealers are charging customers thousands of dollars to fix the design flaw. I just got a quote of $2,000 from one dealer over the phone to fix both front spring perches, and it could be more if anything IS damaged other than the perch itself. He said other dealers are charging $5,000 for the repair to both sides. What could be more dangerous than having your front-end suspension disintegrate spontaneously without warning? *tr
- Suspension
I was driving down the road and noticed the front end drop and the car was not handling right. I drove the car to the repair shop and had asked them to look at the shocks. That's when I was informed that the coil spring mount was cracked and was separating from the frame, I was also informed the…
I was driving down the road and noticed the front end drop and the car was not handling right. I drove the car to the repair shop and had asked them to look at the shocks. That's when I was informed that the coil spring mount was cracked and was separating from the frame, I was also informed the passenger side was not much better... They said it was due to a rust issue although the car was stored winters. Very disappointing.. I will attempt to have this repair cost covered by mercedes if not after reading the other complaints, I will never purchase another mercedes..nor will I allow anyone else I know make this mistake. *tr
- Structure › Frame and members
My left front spring perch rusted off the frame and my front wheel came off the car as I was driving. The right perch was rusted and it had to be repaired also. *tr
- Structure › Body
Right and left spring perches are rusting out and coming apart on a 1998 230 c mercedes. Perches have to be rewelded so front wheels don't come off the car. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling
TL* the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. The vehicle will stall without any prior warnings. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility, and the crank shaft position sensor was replaced, the repair did not remedy the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, but the technicians could not identify the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 121,000 and the current mileage was 122,748.
- Engine and engine cooling
TL* the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. While driving the vehicle would stall without any warnings. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility, and the crank shaft position sensor was replaced. the repair did not remedy the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the technician could not identify the cause of the failure. He failure mileage was 121,000 . The current mileage was 122,748.
- Structure › Body · Suspension › Front
The driver's side upper coil-spring mount tore away from the body structure, ejecting the coil spring and bushing, collapsing the front suspension and rendering the car immobile. The car was parked at the time so no collision. if the car was moving at the time of the failure there would be no way to steer it. Due to estimated repair cost of $1500-2000 versus resale value, the car was sold as-is and towed away. *Tr
- Tires
On 6/2/09, I removed my old wheel from my 1998 mercedes benz C230 prior to trading it for another vehicle. I posted the custom wheels and tires (yokohama yk520) that I purchased from discount tires. I met with a gentleman who was interested in purchasing the tires, but carefully inspected them…
On 6/2/09, I removed my old wheel from my 1998 mercedes benz C230 prior to trading it for another vehicle. I posted the custom wheels and tires (yokohama yk520) that I purchased from discount tires. I met with a gentleman who was interested in purchasing the tires, but carefully inspected them and found hairline cracks on the inside and outside wall of all 4 tires. this was enough for him to change his mind and not make the purchase. I then became suspicious and afraid that my family life could have been at risk and many other families out on roads across this country and elsewhere. on 6/3/09, I contacted discount tires and brought the complete wheel and tires for an inspection and possibly replacement. discount tires stated that the tires are a safety hazard, but would only prorate the tires and give me a partial credit toward the purchase of tires. discount then gave a number to contact yokohoma tires consumer affairs office directly to discuss this serious matter. I later contacted yokohoma consumer affairs office and discussed the matter in detail which they later refused to replace my tires of give full credit refund. I explained to them that this matter will immediately be forward to my attorney for review if this matter cannot be resolved at this level. I am very concerned that this particular yokohoma tire (yk520) 225/40r/18 has a manufacturer material or design defect that can be catastrophic to millions of families out on the roads as I write this today. I am also concerned that the millions of tire shops such as discount tires in my case fail to complete a full thorough inspection of tires and wheels upon repair or safety checks. since the purchase of these tires, I went back to discount tires for regular rotations and balances and they didn't notice this extremely dangerous hazard. now this issue comes down to who IS at fault, the tire manufacturer or the tire retailer. the legal course may have to determine this case. *tr
- Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
On friday, august 8, 2008, while driving home from work through a residential neighborhood at approximately 20-25 mph. My left front coil spring fell completely off my car! the front end dropped, I temporarily lost control of the car, and the spring went into the road, causing a road hazard for…
On friday, august 8, 2008, while driving home from work through a residential neighborhood at approximately 20-25 mph. My left front coil spring fell completely off my car! the front end dropped, I temporarily lost control of the car, and the spring went into the road, causing a road hazard for any on-coming vehicle (thankfully there were none). I was notified by the mechanic at my garage that this IS somewhat of a common occurrence with this vehicle (mercedes benz C230) and that they have been attempting to get mercedes to recall the mounting piece for this spring (which rusted) for some time with no success. IS mercedes waiting for a fatality before accepting the seriousness of this defect? no doubt if I had been on the interstate traveling at 55-60 mph I would have been one of those fatalities (as well as other motorists in the vicinity). please post this defect and try to get as many mercedes owners as possible acquainted with this defect so that they can have this mounting piece inspected before disaster strikes! this part should definitely be recalled and replaced in any car in which it IS installed. the spring, mount, and broken tie rod had to be replaced at a cost of $1,400. *Tr
- Suspension › Front
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. while driving 10 mph, the upper spring perch (where the coil spring connected to the body of the vehicle) completely dislodged. the entire driver side suspension collapsed on the vehicle. he was able to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. while driving 10 mph, the upper spring perch (where the coil spring connected to the body of the vehicle) completely dislodged. the entire driver side suspension collapsed on the vehicle. he was able to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road and it was towed to an independent mechanic. the mechanic stated that the suspension failed due to rust. the failure and current mileages were less than 150,000. Updated 11/25/08. *Lj updated 11/25/08. *Jb
- Suspension › Front
While driving on rte 50 in virginia, the front spring housing collaped and the coiled spring came off onto the road. The dealer said it was caused by metal fatigue of the brace that holds the springs onto the frame. it was a very dangerous situation as the car had to be driven to the side of the…
While driving on rte 50 in virginia, the front spring housing collaped and the coiled spring came off onto the road. The dealer said it was caused by metal fatigue of the brace that holds the springs onto the frame. it was a very dangerous situation as the car had to be driven to the side of the road immediately. this was the first time that this happened to the vehicle, though the repairer said that this has happened previously on mecredes benzes and that there was a recall in canada for this same defect. the car was repaired - two new braces were welded to the frame and shocks were replaced that were damaged due to the defect.
- Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. the contact stated that the front suspension on the left and right side coil springs has failed. he took the vehicle in to be serviced and the technician confirmed the failure. the dealer and the manufacturer have not yet been notified. the contact…
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 mercedes benz C230. the contact stated that the front suspension on the left and right side coil springs has failed. he took the vehicle in to be serviced and the technician confirmed the failure. the dealer and the manufacturer have not yet been notified. the contact stated that the coil springs were replaced due to the severe safety concern. he has the defective coil springs for proof. the cost of the repairs was $434. the current and failure mileages were 68,000.
- Electrical system
One morning car started normal but rpms were hi while in park and ever since the car drove rough, stalling at lights, dying when acceleration was presses. Check engine light came on - obd reader code says mass flow air sensor failure. Replaced the sensor, problem fixed, at a cost of $500 for part! *nm
- Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery
Nar 04/07/2003. * mr the consumer stated the battery started smoking and emitting fumes from the rear of the vehicle. the consumer stated there was a recall regarding the same problem he experienced. *jb
- Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery
01 v 366 000/battery: when the consumer removed the battery from the trunk and placed it on a crate to check the water level, it all of a sudden exploded in the consumers face. The consumer sustained acid burns, cuts and bruises to his face. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. *Jb the consumer stated that he was not touching the battery at the time of explosion. *tc
- Electrical system
When using the cigarette lighter, the dashboard began to smoke without warning. No fire reported. Please provide additional information. *jb
- Exterior lighting › Turn signal › Switch · Steering › Column
While turning on the turn signal lights turn signal lights were inoperable. also, while driving steering column had wires exposed. Consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced the steering column switch. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem occurred more than once. *ak
- Suspension › Front › Springs › Leaf spring assembly › Hanger,bracket
Spring mount brackets, driving car turned left into lot car felt like it dropped a foot took to nearest auto place, pepboys the service guy turned the wheel and the spring shot out of the car amost severley injuring him. Missed him by an inch. Took to mercedes body shop fixed it but said the other…
Spring mount brackets, driving car turned left into lot car felt like it dropped a foot took to nearest auto place, pepboys the service guy turned the wheel and the spring shot out of the car amost severley injuring him. Missed him by an inch. Took to mercedes body shop fixed it but said the other will do the same thing. I asked the service tec. If this has happened on other cars. His reply shocked me when he said several times on the C280 never has happened on the C230. It happened!!!! Help if this has happened to you it will cost about 700.00 I could only think if I was on a interstate or worse. thanks e
- Power train › Automatic transmission
I have a 1998 mercedes C230 with a defective transmission. for the past 3 months I've been trying to get the mercedes regional manager (macintosh) to address the problem, which has been present since the vehicle was new, but only became dangerous in the last several months. macintosh IS aware of…
I have a 1998 mercedes C230 with a defective transmission. for the past 3 months I've been trying to get the mercedes regional manager (macintosh) to address the problem, which has been present since the vehicle was new, but only became dangerous in the last several months. macintosh IS aware of the problem and its serious nature, but refuses to return my calls. I've been told by the mercedes dealer that I cannot escalate the situation further. the problem IS that the transmission causes the car to lurch forward a few seconds after a hard stop. for example, if I had to break suddenly if a child came out in front of the car, it could lurch forward a few seconds after I had stopped with disastrous results. the vehicle also has delayed acceleration, lurching forward at a much faster rate than intended. the transmission has never felt right since I took delivery in 98, but at the time I was ensured that it was normal. I spoke with one of mercedes?? Top mechanics at foreign motors west recently who told me this IS common for c class vehicles manufactured from 1997 to early 1998. the service manager also said my problems are common with today??s vehicles. mercedes has apparently known about this transmission issue for years. mercedes installed different components in later models to correct the problem. since the transmission often lasts for about 100,000 miles before the problem occurs, dealers are often able to charge the $8,000 for a new transmission and shirk responsibility. I'm sure there have been situations with disastrous consequences with less knowledgeable drivers than i. this IS my third mercedes and clearly they've adopted a lower-quality approach toward building and recalling vehicles in the last 5 years. hopefully you can do something to protect consumers. I don't know a lot of people with an extra $8,000 laying around to fix a problem that you wouldn't expect in a car like this. *nlm
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch
Consumer states vehicle would jump out of gear while driving. Dealer notified.*jb. Consumer sated the problem continued even after the transmission was fixed and still jerks in and out of gear.*jb
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Consumer states all the side door power windows was unable to go down, dealer contacted and unable to correct the problem. Feel free to provide any further information.*jb
- Structure › Body › Door
Consumer states power lock would lock and unlock on its own while driving, dealer contacted. Feel free to provide any further information.*jb
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10186141NTG5.5: Incorrect time shown on instrument cluster, COMAND display, and analog clock
- 10186135If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single cracking noise from the area of the ESP hydraulic unit
- 10181124Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- 10167563The COMAND unit does not start or the COMAND display remains dark. The COMAND unit cannot be operated. Note: The problem disappears after a lengthy idle period (>6h) or after interrupting the power supply (circuit 30).
- 10166099Pneumatic comfort systems with insufficient performance, entirely inoperative or leaky.
- 10164810Throttle lift-off clunking noises at drive shafts of front axle
- 10151959Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- 10135599Clunking noise from front axle suspension strut or rear axle shock absorber on short strokes of the damper
- 10028624Mercedes vehicle: the anti-lock brake system (ABS) return flow pump running without control with corresponding fault code c1401, clean and insulated the connector for the return flow pump relay. Models 202 and 208. Model years unknown.
- 10028586Mercedes vehicle: the srs indicator lamp IS illuminated and code b1058 and b2dbo are stored, replace the srs control unit. Models 203 and model 209. Model years unknown.
- 10028585Mercedes vehicles: the xenon or bi-xenon headlamp not functioning. A function description can be found in wis document gf8s.10-p-20010 (203), gf82.10-p-0003q (209); gf82.10-p-3002r (230). Model years uknown.
- 10022893Check engine light on / fault codes fc1200 / fc1208 stored in me-sfi control unit. Mercedes-benz model C230, C280, C350, slk280, slk350, clk350, clk550, E350, E550, cls550, S600, and sl550. Equipped with M272 engine or M273 engine. Updated 8/28/08.
- 10020460Play in the rack and pinion steering system. Models 203, 209, 210, 211, 215, 220, 230. Mercedes benz. Updated 5/13/09.
Every Mercedes Benz C230 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.