The Lemon IndexAll cars · Mercedes-Benz C-Class · 2012
2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Advanced data.
The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.
Failure mileage by system
Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 47,600 and 96,000 miles. Median 68,000, from 167 complaints with a mileage.
| System | Median | Middle half | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 54,800 | 35,000–65,700 | 40 |
| Suspension | 120,000 | 79,500–141,500 | 17 |
| Engine | 68,000 | 49,700–90,000 | 47 |
| Body structure | 97,000 | 65,500–120,000 | 31 |
| Fuel or ev drive system | 63,500 | 43,200–97,200 | 14 |
Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.
Complaints by system
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | 24% |
| Body structure | 12% |
| Engine | 12% |
| Brakes | 12% |
| Fuel or ev drive system | 12% |
One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.
Severity, all complaints
| Total | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths | Tows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 579 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 13 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
NHTSA investigations
| Status | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Desiccated air bag inflator rupture | 2021 | – |
Manufacturer communications 129
Mercedes-Benz filed 129 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- Xentry (mercedes): check engine light (cel) is activated; stored in engine control unit is…
- M271.8 evo engine has poor accelerator response- lack of power under full load and high rpm
- The software for engine control module fails to correspond to current production configuration
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4 DR AWD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★★☆ |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class 4 DR RWD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★★☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | No | No |
Nearby model years
Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated
Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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