YearToAvoid

2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 ranks worst of 16 model years with a complaint index of 100 and 453 complaints, earning an Avoid verdict. Airbags account for 45% of complaints, followed by electrical system issues at 24%, alongside 6 recall campaigns.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
100/100
#1 of 16 C300 years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
453
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
6
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
17
reported in complaints
Fires
5
Injuries
17
Top issue
Airbags
Best nearby year
2021
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
21
18 city / 26 hwy
Injuries / deaths
17 / 0

Top 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags202 (45%)
  2. Electrical System110 (24%)
  3. Steering71 (16%)
  4. Structure & Body40 (9%)
  5. Other29 (6%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires28 (6%)
  7. Fuel System26 (6%)
  8. Engine16 (4%)
  9. Brakes15 (3%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain15 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Some owners report sudden unintended acceleration at low speeds, including while parking or waiting at a stop, resulting in forward collisions.
  • Rear tail lights fail due to melted electrical connectors or wiring harnesses, sometimes accompanied by a burning smell.
  • Owners describe Takata airbag recall issues where airbags failed to deploy in a crash or where dealers could not resolve a persistent airbag warning light.
  • One owner reported discovering after a crash that the vehicle had no airbags installed at all.
  • Some owners report the vehicle lurching forward without warning while at low speed, leading to a curb strike or rear-end impact on another vehicle.
2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 complaints: complaints filed per quarter672009 Q42013 Q42015 Q32017 Q22019 Q12020 Q42022 Q32024 Q4
453 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q4 to 2026 Q2; peak 2017 Q4 (67).

2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V010000Jan 9, 2019Airbags288,779 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014 C250, C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2014-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, GLK 350, GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, 2015-2017 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2014-2017 E550 Cabrio, and 2014-2016 E550 Coupe vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally, MBUSA is recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2011 C300, 2011-2014 C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, SLS AMG Coupe, 2015-2016 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2011-2016 E550 Cabrio, E550 Coupe, 2011-2015 GLK350 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, and 2013-2015 GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." MBUSA is also recalling certain 2012-2014 C250, E350 4Matic Coupe, SLS AMG Cabrio 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 4Matic Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2010-2011 C300, 2010-2014 C300 4Matic, C350, C63 AMG, E350 Coupe, 2011-2014 E350 Cabrio, SLS AMG Coupe, 2015-2016 E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabrio, E400 Coupe, 2016-2017 E550 Cabrio, 2010-2016 E550 Coupe, 2010-2015 GLK350 4Matic, GLK350 RWD, and 2013-2015 GLK250 BlueTec 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

  2. NHTSA 18V043000Jan 10, 2018Airbags132,167 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013 C250, C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C350, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG, C63 Coupe, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, E550 Cabrio, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E550 Coupe, GLK350 4Matic, GLK250 Bluetec 4Matic, GLK350, SLS Coupe, SLS AMG GT Coupe, and SLS Roadster vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, MBUSA is recalling certain 2010 C300, C300 4Matic, C63 AMG, E350 Coupe, E550 Coupe, GLK350, and GLK350 4Matic vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." MBUSA is also recalling certain 2009 C300, C300 4Matic, C63 AMG, and C350 vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI and WY or "Zone C." In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. Mercedes issued an interim notification to owners on February 23, 2018. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

  3. NHTSA 17V177000Mar 14, 2017Electrical System51 vehicles

    Electrical system:software

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Wagon 4Matic, GLK350 and SL550 vehicles, 2012 CLS550 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2016 E350 vehicles, 2016-2017 GL450 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ML350 4Matic BlueTec vehicles, 2015 S550, S550 4Matic and C300 4Matic Sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 C300 Sedan vehicles, and 2017 SL63 AMG vehicles. Various control units on these vehicles may have been updated with incorrect software, potentially affecting the correct deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash.

    Risk: If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

    Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

See all 6 recalls for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 →

2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
26 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other C300 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid100453621
2011Avoid93480620
2012Caution67266620

All Mercedes-Benz C300 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 a good year to buy?
No. Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 C300 ranks worst of 16 model years with a complaint index of 100 and carries an Avoid verdict.
What is the biggest problem with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300?
Airbags are the top problem area, making up 45% of complaints (202 of 453), with a median failure mileage of 75,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C300 have airbag recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag-related recalls covering this year, including Takata passenger frontal air bag module replacements (campaigns 19V010000, 18V043000, and 16V363000).
How many recalls does the 2010 C300 have?
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns affecting the 2010 C300, covering airbags and the electrical system.
How does the 2010 C300 compare to other C300 years?
The 2010 model has the highest complaint index (100) and worst rank of all 16 years tracked; by contrast, 2021 and 2024 earn Best verdicts with complaint indexes of 7 and 13.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.