2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 125 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
125
Complaints
0
Recalls
5
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
2
Injuries
28.8
Severity index
Severity index 28.8 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class ranks 96 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 21% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 39 | 31.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 25 | 20.0% |
| STRUCTURE | 15 | 12.0% |
| STEERING | 13 | 10.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | 9.6% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 7.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 6 | 4.8% |
| TIRES | 5 | 4.0% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 39 of 125 complaints (31.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 16 |
| 2023 | 28 |
| 2024 | 25 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 6 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
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.