1997 Mercedes-Benz C280 Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz C280. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Insulation on the wiring harness for the headlights is failing to where bare wires show and are contacting other bare wires shorting out the system. After searching online I see this is a common problem. *tr”
“Insulation on the wiring harness for the headlights is failing to where bare wires show and are contacting other bare wires shorting out the system. After searching online I see this is a common problem. *tr”
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 mercedes benz c280. While driving approximately 30 mph, the air bag in the steering wheel deployed unexpectedly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unavailable.”
“Mercedes 1997 c280 sport wiring harness. *tr”
“1997 mercedes benz, model c-280: trunk front spring anchor point (drivers side) broke from metal fatigue when the trunk was opened. The weld point did not break. Mercedes benz usa was notified of the metal failure problem and has declined to act or take responsibility, as they stated "this is due…”
“1997 c-class c280 sport mercedes-benz wiring harness problem causing random electrical problems. *jb”
“Wire harness and mass air flow sensors are well known to fail in all w202 body style mercedes maf are not a larger problem due to their low repair cost on the other hand all w202 have to have the wire harness replaced in under 10 years which for $2000+ is unreasonable due to the fact that it is a…”
“Interior windshield fogs once consumer exit the vehicle. *mr the problem occurred after the vehicle was in the park position with the engine off. The visibility through the windshield would get worse if the defogger was turned on and would not defrost when the windshield fogged up. (model-c 280)…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz C280 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.