My 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe’s front driver seat belt will not fully retract to its stowed position. This creates THREE safety hazards: 1.Passenger Trip Hazard: The extended belt causes difficulty when exiting from the rear seat — passengers can easily trip over the non-retracting belt 2.Door Damage Risk: Belt gets stuck in the door, preventing proper closure and potentially damaging the door or wearing down the seat belt webbing 3.Safety System Failure: A belt that doesn’t retract properly may not fully restrain occupants in a crash, compromising the seat belt safety system Dealer Response: My dealership told me this is “out of pocket” repair cost, even though the identical retraction issue exists in 2017–2021 C-Class Cabriolet (A205 platform) vehicles that ARE covered under Safety Recall 21V-032000. Mercedes fixed this with damping foam adjustment in the recalled Cabriolets but is refusing the same repair on C300 Coupes. Defect Pattern: This is the same design flaw in the front seat belt retractor geometry that caused the recall. The distance between the retractor and damping foam within the B-pillar doesn’t meet production specifications. Safety Risk: If occupants find the belt inconvenient due to poor retraction, they may not wear it — increasing crash injury risk. No advance warning of retractor failure exists. Request: the federal safety agency should investigate whether the C300 Coupe should be included in this recall or if a separate recall is needed for the same defect. Vehicle Info: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe
Mercedes-Benz C300 seat belt problems
22 of the 2,727 owner complaints about the Mercedes-Benz C300 describe seat belt won't latch or retract, most of them for the 2017 model year.
- owner complaints
- 22
- worst model year
- 2017
- typical mileage
- 20,000
By model year
- 20221
- 20192
- 20181
- 201714
- 20131
- 20103
Often reported together
What owners say
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that upon arriving at his destination and exiting the vehicle, the driver’s side seat belt retracted and became stuck in the retracted position. As a result, the contact was unable to use the driver's side seat belt. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 67,000.
I have noticed the driver seat belt not retracting after usage. Upon looking online I saw a post about a recall. Called local Benz dealership and BenzUSA customer service both said my Vin is not part of the specified recall.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated that both the front driverâs side seat belt and front passenger's side seat belt had failed to retract as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the seat belts buckles would unintendedly lodge under the seats. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V032000(Seat Belts); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.Â
1. Driver seat back broke in a rear collision. Documented in EMS report and Kentucky State Police official investigation photos. 2. Driver head rest failed, completedly came off during rear collision. Front passenger side did not fail. Documented in Kentucky State Police official investigation photos. 3. Driver side seat belt failed, completedly came off during rear collision.Documented in Kentucky State Police official investigation report and photos. Driver sustained massive and severe injuries. Prior issues: both front door and left rear door handle interior plastic broke and had to be repair. Major safety issue
Passenger seat belt doesn’t lock properly sometimes comes out and is very hard to put in on entry of vehicle
Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V‑032 Manufacturer Name : Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC the federal safety agency Recall No. : Manufacturer Recall No. : JAN 29, 2021 21V‑032 NR Manufacturer Information : Manufacturer Name : Address : Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC Company phone : 1‑877‑496‑3691 13470 International Parkway Jacksonville FL 32218 Population : Number of potentially involved : Estimated percentage with defect : Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2017-2021 Mercedes-Benz C300 Vehicle Type : LIGHT VEHICLES Body Style : Descriptive Information : Power Train : GAS 2-DOOR Production Dates : Mercedes-Benz MY2017-2021 C300 18,589 vehicles. The recall population was determined through production JAN 19, 2016 - JUL 17, 2020 records. I was told this was not under recall when I found it is. The seat belt won’t retract. Please advise.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes Benz C300. The contact stated that while making a left turn at 40 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact and the seat belt also failed to restrain the contact during the crash. Due to both failures, the contact's head and chest hit the steering wheel. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance and given an X-ray exam. The contact was treated for lacerations to the forehead and suffered pain to the head, neck, back, and chest. The whereabouts of the other driver were unknown. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic and later back to the contact's home where it remained in the contact's possession. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2017 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the driver’s side seat belt failed to retract as designed. The contact stated that the seat belt was loose. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V032000 (Seat Belts) as a possible cause for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
1) seatbelt not retracting to proper position causing breakage 2) belt stopper broke off 2x. Replaced 1x and broken again
Related recalls
Seat belts: front
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2022-2025 C 300, and 2023-2024 AMG C 43 vehicles. The driver-side seat belt cover may not be properly installed on the seat belt tensioner, which can cause the seat belt anchor to come loose.
- Risk
- A loose seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt covers, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2025040012.
Recall number 25V253000 · Recall details
Seat belts: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2021 C-Class, E-Class, E-Class Coupe and Convertible, GLC, CLS, AMG GT 4-door Coupe and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. A faulty electrical contact within the seat position switch may prevent the driver and passenger air bags and seat belt force limiters from properly activating during a crash.
- Risk
- Air bags and seat belts that do not perform properly in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat position switches, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 21, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021040016.
Recall number 21V230000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: retractor
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2021 C300, 2017-2020 AMG C43, and AMG C63 vehicles. The front seat belts might not fully retract to their stowed position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- If the seat belt does not fully retract, the occupant may find the operation of the seat belt inconvenient and not wear it, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will check the retraction function of the front seat belts and adjust the damping foam within the B-pillars, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 26, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021020010.
Recall number 21V032000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019 C300 4Matic Cabriolet, C43 AMG Cabriolet, C300 Cabriolet, C300 Coupe, C300 4Matic Coupe, C43 AMG Coupe, E450 Coupe, E53 AMG Cabriolet, S450, S560, E450 Cabriolet, E450 4Matic Cabriolet, E450 4Matic Coupe, E53 AMG Coupe, S450 4Matic, S560 4Matic, S63 AMG and S65 AMG vehicles and Mercedes-Mayback S650 and S560 4 Matic vehicles. A correctly fastened seatbelt may be inaccurately detected as being unfastened, preventing the seat belt pre-tensioners from activating in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- If the seat belt tensioning does not activate in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt buckles, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019020012.
Recall number 18V839000 · Recall details
Seat belts: pretensioner
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017 C300, C300 4Matic, C300 Coupe, C300 Coupe 4Matic, C43 AMG, C43 AMG Coupe, C43 AMG Cabrio, C63 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, C63S AMG, C63S AMG Coupe, C63S Cabrio, GLC300, GLC300 4Matic, GLC43 AMG, S550, S550 4Matic, S550e, S600, S63 AMG 4Matic, S65, Mercedes-Maybach S550 4Matic, and Mercedes-Maybach S600 vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat seatbelt pretensioners that may not function properly in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
- Risk
- If the front seat seatbelt pretensioners do not function properly, the seat occupants may not be adequately restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belts, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372.
Recall number 17V251000 · Recall details
Questions about the Mercedes-Benz C300 seat belt
Which Mercedes-Benz C300 years have seat belt won't latch or retract problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2017 (14 complaints), 2010 (3 complaints) and 2019 (2 complaints).
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