2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 51 electrical system complaints for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300, 13% of all 381 complaints filed for the year. Three related recalls exist, covering software updates, a starter fuse, and headlamp adjusters. The median mileage at failure was 20,010 miles.
- Electrical System complaints
- 51
- 13% of 381
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 2
- Median mileage
- 20,010 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- The Collision Prevention Assist Plus system frequently shows an "inoperative" warning and cuts throttle response, leaving the car unable to accelerate on demand.
- Loss of acceleration often happens suddenly at speed, including on highways, forcing drivers to coast or pull over.
- Some owners describe the car entering what they call "limp mode," where power returns only partially even with the pedal fully pressed.
- Keyless-go and touch-pad control systems were reported as behaving unpredictably, including doors unlocking unexpectedly.
- Warning indicators for stability control, collision prevention, and cruise control sometimes illuminate together during the same failure event.
- Dealers in several cases could not duplicate the fault despite repeat visits, and the problem later recurred.
When 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 15, 2014, latest May 7, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300
- 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.
- NHTSA 17V114000Feb 23, 2017Electrical System307,629 vehicles
Electrical system:starter assembly
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 C300 4Matic, C300, CLA250, CLA250 4Matic and CLA45 AMG vehicles, 2017 C300 4Matic Cabrio, C300 4Matic Coupe, C300 Cabrio, C300 Coupe, E300, E300 4Matic, E400 4Matic Wagon, E43 AMG 4Matic, GLA250, GLA250 4Matic and GLC300 4Matic Coupe vehicles and 2016 C350e and GLC300 vehicles and 2016-2017 C450 4Matic AMG Sport and GLC300 4Matic vehicles. In the event that the engine or transmission cannot turn over, the starting current limiter may overheat from the repeated attempts of the starter motor attempting to start the vehicle.
Risk: If the starting current limiter overheats, the surrounding components can melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fuse in the electrical line to the starter, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2017080002.
- NHTSA 15V087000Feb 11, 2015Electrical System9,137 vehicles
Exterior lighting:headlights
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015 C300 and C400 vehicles manufactured from June 18, 2014, through September 5, 2014, that fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." The affected vehicles were assembled with horizontal adjustment mechanisms that allow the owner to change the horizontal adjustment used during the manufacturing process, instead of the proper sealing caps.
Risk: If the original horizontal adjustment is used to alter the low beam aim, the misaimed headlamp may not properly illuminated the road or cause increased glare to oncoming drivers, which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Mercedes-Benz will notify owners, and dealers will replace the horizontal adjustment mechanisms on the headlamps with sealing caps on the affected vehicles. The recall began May 23, 2016. Owners may contact Mercedes at 1-800-367-6372.
Electrical System complaints by C300 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical system complaints does the 2015 C300 have?
- NHTSA lists 51 electrical system complaints for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300, which is 13% of the 381 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for electrical problems on the 2015 C300?
- Yes. NHTSA lists three related recalls: 17V177000 for a software update, 17V114000 for an added starter fuse, and 15V087000 for headlamp adjustment mechanisms.
- At what mileage do electrical failures typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for electrical system complaints on the 2015 C300 is 20,010 miles.
- What is the most common electrical complaint on this car?
- Owners most often report the Collision Prevention Assist Plus system triggering an inoperative warning that cuts acceleration while driving.
- Were there any crashes linked to these electrical complaints?
- NHTSA data shows 3 crashes and 2 injuries associated with electrical system complaints for the 2015 C300, with no fires reported.