On july 30, 2015 around 1900 hrs. I was leaving home going to pick up my kids from around the corner. I came to a stop light (red). Begin to move forward when a loud bang happened then scraping. I got out the car to address the situation and observed that my vehicle was sagging. I retraced my tracks on foot and located my coil spring. Once I got back home, I jacked up the car and noticed my upper spring housing on my passenger side was broken.
The worst 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine10
- Lights5
- Suspension5
- Electrical4
- Fuel system4
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine10
- Lights5
- Suspension5
- Electrical4
- Fuel system4
- Steering3
- Body2
- Visibility2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Brakes1
- Transmission1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Engine crankshaft pulley failure
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail.
PE03058
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 10
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- NTG5.5
- If the customer brakes sharply from a speed of > 30mph, without ABS intervention, there is a single...
- Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
- Throttle lift-off clunking noises at drive shafts of front axle
- Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
- Clunking noise from front axle suspension strut or rear axle shock absorber on short strokes of the damper
- The COMAND unit does not start or the COMAND display remains dark
- Mercedes vehicle: the anti-lock brake system (ABS) return flow pump running without control with...
- Play in the rack and pinion steering system
- Check engine light on / fault codes FC1200 / FC1208 stored in me-sfi control unit
1999 Mercedes Benz C280 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8L 6‑cyl | RWD | 19 | 25 | 21 |
What 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz c280. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the upper spring perches became fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz c280. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH over a bump and a loud popping noise emitted outside of the vehicle. The front end of the vehicle began to fall towards the ground and tilt to the right. The contact continued to drive with caution. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they detected excessive rust corrosion within the frame. A new spring perch and bushing will need to be welded to the frame; the technician advised the vehicle not be driven due to a safety hazard. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes c280. The contact stated that the rear lights constantly burn out and had been replaced at least twenty times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the lights were burning out and creating a fire hazard. The cause of failure was not determined. The contact planned to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the failure diagnosed. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 155,000. The VIN was not available.
After arriving home and driving over a speed bump in our apartment complex at a slow speed, we heard a popping noise. Then, as we were turning into a parking space, we heard a grinding or dragging noise. While looking under the front right tire to see if something had come loose, the left side of the car dropped suddenly after another loud popping noise. After looking under the car some more I saw the spring was laying on it's side behind the wheel. I jacked the car up and removed the spring which was just lying there loose and saw the upper mount/perch had a lot of rust on it and looked like it had bent upward and gave way, releasing the spring. Luckily happened just outside our apartment door, but had just driven home from a town 30 minutes away on I-75 at 70 MPH! Glad it didn't give way then!!! I have found tons of other complaints like this online searching "mercedes spring perch rusted". Very common problem, should be recalled in my opinion, or at the very least a minimal charge to the customer to have new mount/perch rewelded on both sides at the same time. Only a matter of time before the right side gives way I guess!
On november 24, 2010 our 1999 mercedes benz c280 sedan engine stalled/stopped running with no warning. Fortunately for us we were not on a fast moving surface street, a highway or a freeway. This situation, when the engine stalls/stops makes it is extremely difficult to steer the car and stop it since the brakes and power steering are difficult to use effectively with the engine is not running. After refueling the car we traveled approximately 100ft when, without any dash board warning lights or any other indications, the engine stopped running. We attempted to start the engine several times and it would not start. We called aaa of southern california at approximately 3:15pm, the tow truck arrived at 3:55pm and the tow truck driver asked us to attempt to start the car and to our surprise the engine started. We drove to south bay mercedes benz, torrance, california, with the tow truck following us. While the work order was being prepared, service bay personnel attempted to start the car several times and were unable to do so. After about 35 minutes, another attempt to start the engine was successful. Our concern is that the engine stalling/stopping is major safety hazard and it would have been a total disaster for us and other drivers had this happened in a high traffic situation. This problem should be in-depth investigated by the federal safety agency traffic safety organization. This investigation should be made to determine frequency of occurrence, review mercedes benz service reports and other c280 owners. This car has always been serviced at south bay mercedes, torrance, ca, and has been driven less than 20,000 miles. The engine stalling/stopping was corrected by replacing the front crankshaft temperature sensor. There are no redundancies when this part fails.
1999 mercedes benz c280 drivers side spring perch rusted and broke . Causing spring to fly off lower control arm and suspension to drop . The front steering would no longer operate because wheel was trapped in wheel well. The incident immediately disabled . Car was towed to repair and new spring , perch,and plastic bushing were purchased. The perch was welded to the frame ,new spring installed all at owners expense.
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz c280. The rear tail light bulbs and plastic holder melted seven times. The dealer has not diagnosed the vehicle; however, they replaced the plastic holder and bulb under warranty. The contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 45,000 and current mileage was 151,000.
Shortage in tail lamps and melting of bulbs.
Mercedes-benz 1999 c280. Crankshaft pulley fell apart while at a stop sign not far from home, was able to drive back home before complete breakdown. Smelled burning rubber, no fire. The car has only 25,284 miles.
Compare the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280
Other model years
Questions about the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280
Is the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 reliable?
Owners have filed 34 complaints about the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280, fewer than a typical C280 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280?
Engine and cooling, with 10 complaints, typically around 48,000 miles. Next is lights (5).
How many recalls does the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Mercedes Benz C280 have bad engine?
The Mercedes Benz C280 model years with the most engine complaints are 2007 (14 complaints), 2006 (13 complaints) and 1999 (10 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 get?
Official estimates for the 1999 Mercedes Benz C280 range from 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.8L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 19 city and 25 highway.
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