The bonding agent on my roof ( between the glass panel and frame of car) is breaking down- The other week, when I had the sun roof open in direct sun ( my car is usually parked in covered parking) the bonding was sticky to the touch, and got all over my hand when I inspected the rail. I took it to Mercedes, because I thought that it was under recall # 202004011 for this very issue, but they said it was not a covered model. They wanted to charge $300 for an inspection and diagnosis. MBUSA customer service also not interested in investigating whether this issue is affecting my model car. In the recalled models, there is a danger of the glass roof separating from the vehicle.
The worst 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine10
- Electrical7
- Fuel system6
- Seat belts5
- Brakes3
- Transmission3
- Body2
- Visibility2
- Airbags1
- Steering1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230
Recalls 3
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.
- Risk
- A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. This recall is an expansion of previous the federal safety agency recall number 22V‑954. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024120001/2/3.
Recall number 24V874000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.
- Risk
- A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. This recall expands the federal safety agency recall number 19V‑918. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and 2023010006.
Recall number 22V954000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit:
- Risk
- A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020040011.
Recall number 19V918000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 52
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is...
- Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper...
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamps leaking or fogged
- Vehicle with atypical reduced heat output
What 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes benz c230. The contact stated he noticed the front driver side head lights was melted. The contact stated he replaced the bulb himself. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercedes-benz c 230. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the parts for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the sunroof was inoperable. The contact reached out to mercedes-benz of palm springs located at (4095 e. Palm canyon dr, palm springs, ca 92264, (760) 328-6525) and was informed that the part for the recall repair was unavailable and was not able to provide a time frame for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Sunroof defective and mercedes is not honoring this recall. C class was announced as part of recall, however they would not honor 2004 c230 defective sunroof. Please help. I am sure that mercedes is doing their best not to repair as many as possible.
Fuel system is leaking getting check engine lights can't pass smog and egr hoses that run down by the super charger are leaking cause the rubber they used knowing this would happen all have to do with the check engine light on
I have a mercedes benz c230 the light is on but the SRS is on give message that said drive to a work shop
My daughter is 18. This was my mercedes that I handed down to her that I thought would be safe. However, the driver and passenger side seat belt buckles are not locking the seat belts properly. This is part of a recall done by mercedes. However, when I called the mercedes dealership and asked them if my car was recalled, they said that my VIN number wasn't one of the cars. I don't understand if my car is doing same thing that the recall says. There will be a heck of a lawsuit if my daughter was to get in a wreck and her seat belt malfunctioned. This is what the recall says and my daughter's vehicle is doing the same thing. ......some seat belt buckles may have a burr on a metal component of the locking mechanism. This could prevent the seat belt from locking under certain conditions. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury. Dealers will replace the affected seat belts. This recall is expected to begin on december 22, 2003. The mercedes-benz recall number is 2003 120006. You would think mercedes would take caution and fix this if the owner is telling them the seat belt is doing the same thing on the car that the recall says. I would like for mercedes to take full responsible and fix my vehicle at no charge. If not and something happens to my daughter, I will file a lawsuit. Period. Thanks
I was driving on the I-95 at 60 MPH and turned on my air conditioner when smoke began to come out of the vents. I shut off the air conditioner and the smoke stopped. I visited with my parents and as I started the car and it was idling, I turned on the air conditioner and smoke began to come from the vents again and flames appeared under the dashboard. I was able to put out the fire and pulled the fuse box cover off and found the fuse box was where the fire had started. There was a paper with fuse sizes and locations put (by mercedes) in between the fuses which had been singed, and part of the fuse box and some of the fuses had melted. I did an internet search and found a complaint on a mercedes forum where this had happened to another 2004 mercedes c230.
I have my car in the auto repair shop and the mechanic tells me I need a pvc hose and a oxygen sensor and both those items are on a recall list. He asked me to call the dealer I was told by the dealer that those are recall items but not for my car. My complaint is why if this is a recall item it should be for all cars. Those are the only 2 things wrong with my car. I need help.
Vehicle has 136,000 miles and has been well maintained by all owners. Drivers buckle or latch no longer operating. Prior to this it was becoming hard to release buckle after use. Now stuck in closed position. It indicates that the belt is buckled but it will not catch. Verified nothing is stuck in mechanism.
Compare the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230
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Questions about the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230
Is the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 reliable?
Owners have filed 31 complaints about the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230, fewer than a typical C230 model year.
What is the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 year score?
The 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 scores 83 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mercedes Benz C230: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230?
Engine and cooling, with 10 complaints, typically around 59,000 miles. Next is electrical (7).
How many recalls does the 2004 Mercedes Benz C230 have?
3 recalls, covering visibility.
What year does the Mercedes Benz C230 have bad engine?
The Mercedes Benz C230 model years with the most engine complaints are 2006 (53 complaints), 2007 (36 complaints) and 2003 (22 complaints).
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