2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250, and owners have filed 272 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Air bags: frontal
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.
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.
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Inflator module (air bags)
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.
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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
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,…
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.
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Air bags: frontal
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…
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.
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Inflator module (air bags)
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,…
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…
272 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 have filed 272 complaints with NHTSA; 3 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 67,604 miles. Complaints peaked in 2017 with 83 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“-The steering wheel and brake locked up and became unusable while driving at approximately 75mph. Cruise control was enabled for a few miles (maybe 2) and disabled after. Around 5 minutes after disabl”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 15, 2025 · Vehicle speed control
“The contact owns a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning li”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 18, 2025 · Engine
Compare Mercedes-Benz C250 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercedes-Benz C250 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 | 5 | 272 |
| 2013 Mercedes-Benz C250 | 7 | 278 |
| 2014 Mercedes-Benz C250 | 5 | 163 |
| 2015 Mercedes-Benz C250 | 4 | 12 |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz C250 | 0 | 1 |
Checking a specific 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250
How do I know if my 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 17V017000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
- C3003,469 complaints
- E3502,170 complaints
- E3201,164 complaints
- ML350952 complaints
- GLK350904 complaints
- ML320742 complaints
- C230657 complaints
- C 300495 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.