I was driving normally last week when the driver's head restraint system (known by Mercedes as Neck Pro) unexpectedly and without warning blew at my head. The noise was very loud, and the headrest slammed against my head. Luckily, I was driving approximately 20-25 miles per hour, daytime, on a residential street without too many other vehicles. I was able to pull over to investigate what happened and ensure I wasn't injured and did not collide with any objects in the road. If this had happened on the highway at highway speeds with a less attentive driver, I could see this potentially resulting in a major collision. The road was fat, no bumps, weather was clear. There is no reason why this happened. From what I can tell, the system looks like it failed (plastic clips broke off) and the system did not intentionally deploy. It has not been repaired and is available for inspection. I have not taken it to the dealership for review. The vehicle is in perfect condition with no warnings. It very recently passed Maryland state inspection.
2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 airbags problems
114 complaints (43% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 52,880. 3 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 114
- of this car's complaints
- 43%
- typical mileage
- 52,880
- crashes
- 3
- recalls
- 4
Which part fails
- Frontal: passenger side: inflator module1
- Frontal1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Mercedes-Benz C300 airbags problems in other years
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012 C250, C250 Coupe, C300, C350, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG, and C63 AMG Coupe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. An incorrect replacement front passenger air bag may have been installed.
- Risk
- An incorrect passenger air bag may not provide adequate protection, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, 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 2020060011.
Recall number 20V298000 · 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
- 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
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2012 C300 4Matic, C250, C250 Coupe, C350, C350 Coupe 4Matic, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Cabrio, E350 Coupe, E550 Cabrio, E550 Coupe, GLK350 4Matic, GLK350, SLS AMG Cabrio, and SLS AMG Coupe 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 2009 C300 4Matic, C300, C350 and C63 AMG 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." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above MBUSA is recalling certain 2008 C300 4Matic, C300, and C350 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 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 front passenger air bag modules, free of charge. Owners were sent an interim notification in March 2017. Second notices started going out in October 2018 and continue to be mailed as parts become available. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑877‑496‑3691
Recall number 17V017000 · 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 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
3 signal Signal light comes one saying abs, another SRS MALFUNCTION, also crushed control inoperable. Car will come one as normal next day car comes on no lights not 1 button work turn signals didn’t work then my car fan came on in the engines the also the when they the electric isn’t working i have to manually shift the gear
The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that the driver’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who cleared the code. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,541.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz c300. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. ## VIN passed ## mercedes-benz c300 2012 ##
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz c300. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact reached out to mercedes-benz of massapequa (101 sunrise hwy, amityville, ny 11701, (631) 213-2023) where it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz c300. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v017000 (air bags) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz c300. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags). Mercedes benz of chantilly located at 14841 stonecroft center ct, chantilly, va 20151, was contacted and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
I have an airbag recall that the dealer keeps putting off. I understand this is a dangerous recall and I need to get it fixed!
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 mercedes benz c300. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) however the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to mercedes benz of billings (3045 king ave w, billings, mt 59102), and was rejected to be serviced due to the part not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that part would be available august of 2020. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 mercedes-benz c300. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v010000 (air bags) however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact contacted mercedes-benz of jacksonville located at (10231 atlantic boulevard, jacksonville, fl 32225 (855) 979-0550) where it was confirmed that the remedy part was not available. The manufacturer was not contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Questions about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 airbags
Does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 114 complaints about the airbags of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300, 43% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 52,880 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 airbags?
Yes, 4 recalls: 20V298000, 19V010000, 17V627000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Mercedes-Benz C300 have bad airbags?
The Mercedes-Benz C300 model years with the most airbags complaints are 2011 (250 complaints), 2010 (202 complaints) and 2012 (114 complaints).
Other 2012 Mercedes-Benz C300 problems
Suspension 69Body 55Brakes 15Electrical 12Fuel system 12Steering 8Engine 5Transmission 5Lights 4Wheels 4Visibility 3Acceleration 1Driver assistance 1Seat belts 1Tires 1
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