Airbags didn’t deploy during accident, vehicle hit on drivers side, greatly impacted, driver seatbelt was on. All recalls were completed. Impact from other vehicle that hit my vehicle had deployed airbags.
2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 airbags problems
163 complaints (59% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 60,000. 12 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 163
- of this car's complaints
- 59%
- typical mileage
- 60,000
- crashes
- 12
- recalls
- 4
Which part fails
- Frontal: driver clockspring/spiral cassette1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Mercedes-Benz C250 airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2016 E400 Coupe, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2011-2014 E350 Coupe, and 2012-2014 E350 Cabrio vehicles. An incorrect front passenger air bag may have been installed during a prior repair.
- Risk
- An incorrect air bag may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag on the affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372.
Recall number 21V638000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 19V010000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 18V043000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling these vehicles: 2014-2018 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, CLA45 AMG 4Matic, 2015-2018 GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, GLA45 AMG 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C63S AMG, 2012-2014 C250, C350, C300 4Matic, E550 4Matic, 2013-2014 C63 AMG, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2013-2015 C350 4Matic Coupe, GLK250 4Matic BlueTec, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, 2016-2017 C350e, C43 AMG, 2015 C400 4Matic, 2016-2018 C63 AMG, GLC300, GLC300 4Matic, 2017-2018 C300 Coupe, C300 4Matic Coupe, C43 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, C63S AMG Coupe, C300 Cabriolet, C300 4Matic Cabriolet, C43 AMG Cabriolet, C63 AMG Cabriolet, C63S AMG Cabriolet, GLC300 4Matic Coupe, GLC43 AMG, GLC43 AMG Coupe, 2014 E350 Coupe, E350 4Matic Coupe, E350 Cabriolet, E400 Hybrid, 2015-2017 E400 Coupe, E400 4Matic Coupe, E400 Cabriolet, 2014-2017 E550 Coupe, E550 Cabriolet, B250e, 2014-2016 E250 BlueTec, E63 AMG 4Matic Wagon, 2012-2013 E350 BlueTec, 2012-2016 E350, E350 4Matic, 2015-2016 E400, E400 4Matic, 2012 E63 AMG, 2014-2015 E250 4Matic BlueTec, 2013-2016 E350 Wagon, 2017 GLC300d 4Matic, and 2018 GLC350e 4Matic. The driver's air bag may unexpectedly deploy due to insufficient grounding of the steering components if an electrostatic discharge occurs and the air bag clockspring is broken.
- Risk
- If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will add sufficient grounding to the steering components, free of charge. The recall began in December 6, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑877‑496‑3691.
Recall number 17V627000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
EA21002
What 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was driving in a parking lot and suddenly my air bag deployed for no reason I did not hit anyone or get hit for the airbag to deploy. Suffered some bruising on my right forearm and in my left ear I still hear ringing from the airbag deploying.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the front passenger's side air bag unexpectedly deployed with no impact on the vehicle. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact parked and then restarted the vehicle before driving to the residence. The contact sustained bruises and scratches on his forearm, but medical attention was not received. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The glue that suppose to make sure my windshield is secure is no longer secure. The windshield moves as I am driving. It’s only on the corner of the driver side. Everything else is secured. Also my airbags (passenger and driver). There is a recall but its not showing when I run the Vin # .
"Front Right Malfunction Service Required." Recently purchased vehicle, dealer performed recalibration before sale (error did not display during test drive or before purchase). 30 minutes after purchase notification popped up, dealer agreed to pay for repair. Took to non-purchasing Mercedes dealer, they were able to reproduce and quoted for $4179. Repair included seat replacement and height adjustment replacement. Purchasing dealer then refused repair The error pops up randomly, with person in passenger seat and without. Afraid to have anyone ride as a passenger, if a wreck occurs the airbag could not deploy.
Per the attached Repair Order 948486 dated May 13, 2020, when I brought in the car to Fletcher Jones in Newport Beach for the airbag recall, I thought both of the Takata airbags were replaced and not just the passenger airbag. In fact, Repair Bill Job A states: “Replace Driver and Front Passenger Airbag”. “No Charge” I did not notice that they only replaced the passenger airbag. I would not have known the driver’s side was not replaced if the airbag warning light did not come on. Please direct Fletcher Jones to finish this repair properly. Per the enclosed photos, my dash display now has an image of the airbag and it says “Front Left Malfunction Service Required”. I am very worried what will happen if we get into an accident. Per the highlighted text attached, on April 14, 2021, a driver reported: “Front drivers air bag malfunction light is illuminated and horn nor any controls on steering wheel work at all.” I checked the horn and the steering wheel controls on our C250 when I read this. I discovered they do not work on our car as well. This drivers report goes on to say: “…repairman states this is a common issue with this car. I believe this is a serious safety issue with this vehicle as the airbag malfunction can possibly cause serious injury to the driver and the horns inability to function prevents the driver from alerting any other drivers if they stray from lane, are backing out of parking space, or distracted at a red traffic signal.” On Repair Order 948486 Fletcher Jones tried to reset the headrest which popped open when I sat in the car and put my head against it to rest. It was not due to any accident, the car was stationary. Fletcher Jones could not reset the headrest and asked for $1200 for a new one. Clearly this is also a defect because it did not occur during an accident and the headrest should not have separated. An attached article shows the Takata airbag problems still exist as ticking time bombs. MB CEO did not reply to my letter.
2013 mercedes benz c250. Consumer writes in regards to takta airbag safety recall. The consumer stated it was difficult getting in contact with the dealer in order to have the recall repair completed. The consumer requested to have the vehicle towed or, picked up by the dealer, due to having medical issues.
The contact owns a 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH, the driver’s side air bags were inadvertently deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
As I sat in my vehicle waiting for the traffic light. I felt a sudden hit on my head. At that moment I was confused, and thought someone had rear ended me. So like anybody would, I pulled over only to find out that the headrest on my 2013 Mercedes Benz C250 had came apart. It seems like the plastic inside tore apart from the springs causing pressure for it to deploy.
Driving vehicle normally and turn the wheel and hear clicking sound from around steering wheel. Front, drivers air bag malfunction light is illuminated and horn nor any controls on steering wheel work at all. Error message displayed "front left malfunction, service required" symbol for airbag displayed. Took vehicle to mercedes of palm beach dealership and they stated their were no open recalls on this model. I mentioned campaign 2017120024 (elec) campaign desc. 1709p46c62 (elec) and they state no open recalls on my vehicle. Took vehicle to reputable established mercedes repair shop and they diagnosed the issue as "no communication with steering control module" repairman states this is a common issue with this car. I believe this is a serious safety issue with this vehicle as the airbag malfunction can possibly cause serious injury to the driver and the horns inability to function prevents the driver from alerting any other drivers if they stray from lane, are backing out of parking space, or distracted at a red traffic signal.
Questions about the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 airbags
Does the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 163 complaints about the airbags of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250, 59% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 60,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 airbags?
Yes, 4 recalls: 21V638000, 19V010000, 18V043000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mercedes-Benz C250 have bad airbags?
The Mercedes-Benz C250 model years with the most airbags complaints are 2012 (168 complaints), 2013 (163 complaints) and 2014 (94 complaints).
Other 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 problems
Engine 48Fuel system 29Steering 19Electrical 14Transmission 14Body 11Acceleration 5Suspension 5Brakes 4Seat belts 4Driver assistance 3Visibility 3Seats 2Lights 1Tires 1Wheels 1
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