Car · Mercedes-Benz problems

2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class problems

586 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The most reported area is air bags (53% of them). NHTSA also lists 8 service bulletins and 7 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 10. Deaths: 1.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 586 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Air bags312 · 53%
• Suspension74 · 13%
• Engine and engine cooling70 · 12%
• Body and structure63 · 11%
• Fuel system36 · 6%
• Other or unknown35 · 6%
• Service brakes27 · 5%
• Electrical system26 · 4%

11 smaller areas not shown (59 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 8 repair bulletins from Mercedes-Benz for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. LI68.05-P-059193Received May 7, 2018

   Equipment

   SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink.

2. LI54-15-P057373Received May 9, 2014

   Electrical system

   Xentry (mercedes): the fuse and relay boxes (srb) in engine compartment or rear compartment has a malfunction and disruptions to communication paths causing a no start in vehicle.

3. SC-2013110005Received March 5, 2014

   Tires

   Mercedes: see document search button for owner letter.

4. SC-2013050005Received September 24, 2013

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   Mercedes: the automatic transmission do not meet internal specifications, in some vehicles, that causes, in some cases, the transmission to make noises and need to have automatic transmission...

5. LI33-15-P047471Received April 26, 2013

   Suspension

   Xentry (mercedes): with steering at full lock, noise CAN be heard, like knocking and/or creaking, coming from area of front axle when maneuvering.

6. LI82-95-P054406Received October 11, 2012

   Electrical system

   Xentry (mercedes): after taking vehicle out transport mode, instrument cluster displays message sos mbrace service not activated.

7. LI-47-40-P053871Received July 17, 2012

   Engine and engine cooling

   Xentry (mercedes): check engine light (cel) is activated; stored in engine control unit is very fine leak.

8. 40-P-053536Received May 23, 2012

   Seat belts

   Mercedes benz: right front seat belt or left front seat belt does not roll up completely.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Recall repairs are free at a Mercedes-Benz dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 21V638000August 13, 2021

   Air bags

   An incorrect front passenger air bag may have been installed during a prior repair.

2. 20V298000May 22, 2020

   Air bags

   An incorrect replacement front passenger air bag may have been installed.

3. 19V010000January 9, 2019

   Air bags

   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...

See all 7 recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your C-Class will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Air bags 312 complaints · 53%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Suspension 74 complaints · 13%

• Struts, front pair$490 to $1,250
• Struts / shocks, rear pair$330 to $850
• Control arm replacement (one side)$250 to $800
• Wheel bearing / hub replacement (one wheel)$240 to $750

Engine and engine cooling 70 complaints · 12%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Body and structure 63 complaints · 11%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?

Of the 586 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 312 (53%) name air bags, and 74 (13%) name suspension. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 8 of the 586 complaints as involving a crash and 7 as involving a fire. They also reported 10 injuries and 1 death. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class have?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Recall repairs are free at a Mercedes-Benz dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 8 repair bulletins for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

More

• 2017 C-Class problems
• 2016 C-Class problems
• 2015 C-Class problems
• 2014 C-Class problems
• 2013 C-Class problems
• 2011 C-Class problems
• 2010 C-Class problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Mercedes-Benz recalls
• Mercedes-Benz problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.