The 2025 c300 rwd sedan was parked outside for about an hour. After getting back into the car and reversing, the rear camera would not display. The camera/parking interface was activated however there was an error symbol where the camera image is displayed, with a camera crossed through. Restarting the car, shifting back into drive, and stowing the camera did not restore the rear camera image. The camera deploys upon reversing and the lens/housing is clean. The image is not displayed in the driver display. This is unacceptable and another software issue that causes intermittent equipment failure, disabling vital safety systems and greatly increasing the risk of a collision.
Mercedes-Benz C300 backup camera problems
19 of the 2,727 owner complaints about the Mercedes-Benz C300 describe backup camera failure, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 19
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical mileage
- 30,000
Is there a fix? There are 19 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20251
- 20223
- 20211
- 20202
- 20191
- 20183
- 20162
- 20156
Often reported together
What owners say
Rearview Camera is not displayed when the vehicle is placed in reverse. The display shows a black screen. A Recall Notice has been published for other vehicles of the same year, make, and model. The failure of the Rearview Camera results in safety risks during normal use of the vehicle.
Started car, put in reverse, reverse camera did not engage, screen blacked out, I restarted car thinking systems and computers needed a re-boot. The backup camera no longer works. Coincidently, in reading the recall of the back-up camera on the 2019 C 300 Mercedes, this fits and checks all the boxes. I would like to get this fixed asap, my car has $63,000 miles, and no backup camera. The safety of this feature is remarkable, and cannot express how often I used it, I can see many things that I cannot see now. This problem has been confirmed by my mechanic. The dealership and MB USA has referred me here. The screen black out was the first and only warning I received before no longer able to engage camera, this happened in late Winter 2025. I am shocked that my VIN is not a part of the recall. Please add this so that I am able to use my back-up camera. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
All on a sudden the entire screen goes blank. It has happened at least 4 times and each time the service center does some patching and it works for a few month. When it happens, all the safety features are off including reverse camera. Also, no way to set the temperature or turn of the AC. In both cases, it can lead to significant damage. The recent incident happened when I was a very busy area and without any safety feature, the car was pretty much un-drivable.
I recently purchased a 2018 Mercedes C300 and I noticed the rear view camera will not show an image. It mechanically will open and all other cameras are fully functional but the image will not show instead I see a icon of a camera in a red crossed circle. When doing VIN serch on my vehicle I don't see any open recalls. However, I noticed that the federal safety agency campaign number 22V232000 has recalled this exact issue. Although the report 573 says for it applying to 2019 models but with a production date between 2017 to 2021 vehicles applying. So I believe this recall should also apply to my vehicle.
When starting vehicle, center screen of vehicle was completely off and dark. Moreover, with this screen being off, you are not able to control any of the vehicle functions such as AC, Maps, Radio, Rear Camera, etc. On the other hand, on the digital speedometer screen, a warning message states "Blind Spot Assist Inoperative" and when putting the vehicle in gear, a loud beep sounds within the car and then the next warning message appears that states, "PARKTRONIC" inoperative see owners manual"
Rearview camera not displaying any image when transmission is put in reverse.
Upon starting my vehicle today the center screen did not power on. The vehicle displayed several messages indicating various safety features were unavailable, including blind spot assist, lane keeping assist, parking assist, etc. Additionally, the exterior cameras (e.g., reverse camera) were inoperable as well. Since the center screen controls the sound system and climate control system, those systems were also unavailable. I restarted the car several times but the screen remained off. I purchased this car in August 2022 and have driven it approx. 3,600 miles - this is the second time this issue has occurred. The first time happened in Sept 2022 and it resolved by itself the following day. However, I believe this problem presents a safety concern since most, if not all, of the vehicle's various safety systems are disabled when it occurs.
Rear camera doesn’t work
The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact was reversing out of her driveway at 3 MPH, the contact was using her rearview camera. The contact stated that the image froze and she crashed into a parked vehicle with the rear passenger side bumper of her vehicle. The contacts bumper was scratched and dented. The other vehicle had sustained a large dent in the driver’s side door. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local repair and not a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had been repaired cosmetically. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact had received the manufacturer recall letter and related the accident to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V232000 (Back Over Prevention). The failure mileage was approximately 6500.
Related recalls
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2024-2026 AMG GT, C-Class, E-Class, SL, CLE, and GLC vehicles. The infotainment control unit may reset while the vehicle is in motion and cause the instrument panel display to go blank.
- Risk
- An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer and warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the infotainment control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2026. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2026050004. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning May 8, 2026.
Recall number 26V281000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL, GLC, EQE SUV, EQE, EQS SUV, and EQS vehicles that were incorrectly repaired under recall 24V‑115. An incorrect fuse box that was not designed for the vehicle may have been installed.
- Risk
- An incorrect fuse box can result in a sudden loss of drive power or a loss of critical safety functions such as the restraint systems or instrument cluster, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Additionally, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the main fuse boxes, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2025050003/4.
Recall number 25V255000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C 300 vehicles. The bolt securing the electrical wire to the pre-fuse box could be improperly tightened, causing the wire to overheat. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024070005.
- Risk
- An overheated wire can cause a fire and a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and rework the wiring harness, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 2, 2024. Owner may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑877‑496‑3691.
Recall number 24V446000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2023-2024 C300, AMG C43, S580e, S580, Maybach S580, Maybach S680, AMG SL43, AMGSL63, GLC300, EQE350, EQE500, EQS450, EQS580, AMG EQS, 2023 S500, AMG SL55, AMG EQE, 2024 E350, E450, AMG C63e S, CLE300 Coupe, CLE450 Coupe, and GLC300 Coupe vehicles. The 80-Amp fuses may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the fuses to fail.
- Risk
- An 80-Amp fuse that fails can result in a sudden loss of drive power or a loss of critical safety functions such as the restraint systems or instrument cluster, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Additionally, there could be an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the main fuse boxes, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024030008.
Recall number 24V115000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C300 and 2023 AMG C43 vehicles. The ground connections for the electrical wiring harness may not be secured properly, which can result in the electrical wiring harness overheating.
- Risk
- An overheated wiring harness can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the ground connections for the electrical wiring harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6373. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023070016, 2023070017, 2023070018, and 2024070016.
Recall number 23V463000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2023 C300 and 2023 AMG C43 vehicles. The transmission wiring harness may be the incorrect length, which can result in harness damage and a loss of drive power.
- Risk
- A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the transmission wiring harness routing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6373. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2023070015.
Recall number 23V462000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: rear compartment/trunk
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022 C300 vehicles. Moisture accumulation in the trunk may leak into the signal acquisition module (SAM), causing an electrical short circuit.
- Risk
- An electrical short circuit in the SAM could lead to various malfunctions, such as rear exterior lighting failure, unintentional rear seat folding, and rearview camera failure, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. In addition, an electrical short circuit might increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a cover for the SAM, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 2, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022090011.
Recall number 22V678000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2022 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, GLB-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. An error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure, disabling the emergency call (eCall) system.
- Risk
- A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting the emergency services call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on July 8, 2022, May 17, 2024, July 29, 2024, and September 27, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's numbers are for this recall is 2022060005 and 2023110006.
Recall number 22V365000 · Recall details
Communication
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 C300, E300, 2018-2020 CLA250, 2020 CLS450, AMG E53, AMG GT53, GLE450, 2018 AMG E63, AMG GTA, 2017-2020 GLA250, GLC300, 2019 GLC350, AMG GLC43, 2017-2018 GLE350, 2019 AMG GLC 43, GLC350, GLE400, 2017 GLS450, S550, C300 Cabrio, and 2018-2019 S560 vehicles. On June 18, 2021, an additional 9 vehicles were added, including certain 2021 GLA250, GLC300, 2018 S450, E400, and 2017 CLA250 vehicles. The communication module might have been inadvertently deactivated during a service visit, which could have disabled the Emergency Call (eCall) function.
- Risk
- A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting emergency services through the call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the communication module and activate it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Letters for the owners of the 9 additional vehicles were mailed July 9, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021030005.
Recall number 21V072000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 - 2021 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle model details. The software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- Failure of the eCall system may result in emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong location, increasing the risk of injury following a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and the communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑877‑762‑8267. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021020025.
Recall number 21V058000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mercedes-Benz C300 backup camera
Which Mercedes-Benz C300 years have backup camera failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (6 complaints), 2018 (3 complaints) and 2022 (3 complaints).
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