YearToAvoid

2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 8 C350 years

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 ranks worst of 8 model years, with a complaint index of 100 and 18 NHTSA complaints, 4 recalls, and 3 crashes tied to airbag non-deployment. It's rated Avoid relative to other C350 years.

Complaints
18
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
3 / 0
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
20
17 city / 25 hwy

Top 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags10 (56%)
  2. Brakes2 (11%)
  3. Electrical System2 (11%)
  4. Other2 (11%)
  5. Steering2 (11%)
  6. Engine1 (6%)
  7. Fuel System1 (6%)
  8. Structure & Body1 (6%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (6%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain1 (6%)

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy in rear-end and frontal collisions, sometimes resulting in injuries.
  • The electronic steering lock (ESL) and electronic ignition switch (EIS) fail around the same time, disabling the vehicle.
  • Power steering cuts out at highway speed, making the vehicle hard to turn.
  • Fuel odor appears when filling the tank, traced to cracked fuel filter mounting studs that leak.
  • The vehicle rolls out of park on level ground even after the brake pedal is pressed.
  • The interior door handle cable eyelet breaks, trapping occupants inside during an emergency.
2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 complaints: complaints filed per month3Jan 2015Feb 2017Jul 2017Nov 2017Jan 2018Feb 2019Dec 2020Jun 2023
23 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2015 to Jun 2023; peak Jul 2017 (3).

2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 recalls

4 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 16V363000May 26, 2016Airbags258,163 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 C300 Sedan, C300 4matic Sedan, C350 Sedan, C63 AMG Sedan vehicles, 2010-2011 GLK350, GLK350 4-Matic and E350 Coupe vehicles, 2011 SLS AMG, E350 Convertible, E550 Coupe and E550 Convertible vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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, unless included in "Zone A" above, MBUSA is recalling certain model year 2008 C300 Sedan, C350 Sedan, C63 AMG Sedan and C300 4-Matic Sedan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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." Vehicles not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. Owners were sent an interim notification October 2016. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.

  3. NHTSA 16V081000Feb 11, 2016Airbags711,159 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 ML320 BlueTec 4Matic, GL320 BlueTec 4Matic and R320 CDI 4Matic, 2011 E350 Cabriolet and E550 Cabriolet, 2009-2011 ML350, ML350 4Matic, ML550 4Matic, ML63 AMG, and C63 AMG, 2010-2011 ML450 4Matic Hybrid, E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic, E550 Coupe, E550 4Matic, and E63 AMG, 2011-2012 GL350 BlueTec 4Matic and R350 BlueTec 4Matic, 2009-2012 GL450 4Matic, GL550 4Matic and R350 4Matic, 2007-2008 SLK280, SLK350, and SLK55 AMG, 2011-2014 SLS AMG Coupe, 2012 SLS AMG Cabriolet, 2013-2014 SLS AMG GT and SLS AMG GT Cabriolet, 2005 C230 Kompressor and C320, 2006-2007 C230, 2006-2011 C350, 2008-2011 C300 and C300 4Matic, 2010-2012 GLK350 and GLK350 4Matic and 2007-2008 Chrysler Crossfire vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: MBUSA will their notify owners, and Fiat Chrysler will notify the affected Chrysler owners. Dealers for the respective brands will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Mercedes-Benz owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372 and Chrysler owners may contact Fiat Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.

See all 4 recalls for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 →

2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17 MPG
Highway
25 MPG
Combined
20 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,000
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 C350 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)025507510020102011201220132014201520172020
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid10018420
2011Caution7126420
2012Avoid8635522

All Mercedes-Benz C350 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 reliable?
Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2010 C350 has the highest complaint index (100) of the 8 model years covered, ranking worst overall. It carries 18 complaints, 4 recalls, and 3 crashes, mostly tied to airbags.
What is the top problem area for the 2010 C350?
Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 56% of complaints (10 of 18), with a median failure mileage of 160,000 miles and involvement in 3 crashes.
Does the 2010 C350 have an airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists three separate airbag recalls affecting the 2010 C350, including campaigns 19V010000, 16V363000, and 16V081000, covering passenger frontal airbag module replacement.
How does the 2010 C350 compare to other model years?
The 2010 model has a complaint index of 100, higher than 2011 (71), 2012 (86), 2013 (43), 2014 (57), and 2015 (29), making it the worst-ranked year of the 8 covered.
What else besides airbags do owners report on the 2010 C350?
Owners also report brake issues (11% of complaints), electrical system failures (11%), and steering problems (11%), with median failure mileages ranging from about 71,030 to 98,500 miles.

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.