2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 570 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
570
Complaints
0
Recalls
22
Crash reports
7
Fire reports
24
Injuries
56.5
Severity index
Severity index 56.5 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 145 2013 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C-Class ranks 85 of 145 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 41% of its model-year peers. See the full 2013 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 285 | 50.0% |
| SUSPENSION | 73 | 12.8% |
| STRUCTURE | 70 | 12.3% |
| ENGINE | 57 | 10.0% |
| STEERING | 47 | 8.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 38 | 6.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 34 | 6.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 27 | 4.7% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 285 of 570 complaints (50.0%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 14 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 45 |
| 2018 | 126 |
| 2019 | 108 |
| 2020 | 62 |
| 2021 | 26 |
| 2022 | 82 |
| 2023 | 38 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 4 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.