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2009 Mercedes-Benz C350Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 65 owner complaints about the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C350, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-711 the manufacturer reports only 54% of affected cars repaired.

43
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.3× the C350 median · #2 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 54%Owner complaints652 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage60kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 12, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C350 has problems

65 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags251
Steering200
Electrical system160
Exterior lighting130
Engine50
Seats30
Service brakes30
Power train20
Fuel/propulsion system20
5 other systems50

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2009 Mercedes-Benz C350 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

74%repaired · 2026 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 18V-043 · Jan 10, 2018 · 132,167 vehicles · 97,355 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

86%repaired · 2018 Q3

Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Recall 17V-177 · Mar 14, 2017 · 51 vehicles · 44 repaired

Risk. If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

71%repaired · 2026 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-017 · Jan 10, 2017 · 104,119 vehicles · 73,436 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

66%repaired · 2026 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-363 · May 26, 2016 · 258,163 vehicles · 169,998 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
65%repaired · 2026 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-081 · Feb 11, 2016 · 711,159 vehicles · 464,166 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

54%repaired · 2017 Q2

Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Recall 15V-711 · Oct 27, 2015 · 127,504 vehicles · 68,800 repaired

Risk. The malfunctioning air bag control unit may cause the air bags to unexpectedly deploy increasing the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

67%repaired · 2015 Q4

Exterior lighting: tail lights

Recall 14V-177 · Apr 11, 2014 · 252,867 vehicles · 170,117 repaired

Risk. Dimming or failure of the tail lights reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of stopping or turning, increasing the risk of a…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Mercedes-Benz.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other C350 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the C350 median. How we score

'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'17'20
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C350, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Loss of rear lighting assemblyEA13008 · closed May 12, 2014
    Led to recall 14V-177
  2. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What C350 owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TAKATA RECALL - WE HAVE CALLED ALEX RODRIGUEZ MERCEDES OVER 5 TIMES AND HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT NUMEROUS TIME. HAVE ASKED EACH TIME ABOUT THE RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TAKATA AIRBAGS. WE GET THE SAME ANSWER EVERY TIME-' AS SOON AS WE GET THE REPLACEMENT WE WILL CALL…
Complaint 11139535 · Oct 10, 2018
I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING RECALL LETTERS FROM MERCEDES-BENZ SINCE MAY 2016 FOR THE DRIVER-SIDE TAKATA AIR BAG AND IN AUGUST 2016 FOR THE PASSENGER TAKATA AIR BAG AS WELL AS MAIL FROM TK HOLDINGS INC, BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET MY AIR BAGS REPLACED. I WAS TOLD I WAS IN A LATTER PHASE AND WOULD HEAR…
Complaint 11092586 · May 8, 2018
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C350W. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V081000 AND 17V017000 (AIR BAGS). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL…
Complaint 11052482 · Dec 5, 2017

Own a 2009 C350?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.