1999 Mercedes-Benz C280 Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1999 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 45 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
3
2fires
SUSPENSION
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
STRUCTURE:BODY
2
SUSPENSION:FRONT
2
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
2
Total complaints45

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“On july 30, 2015 around 1900 hrs. I was leaving home going to pick up my kids from around the corner. I came to a stop light (red). Begin to move forward when a loud bang happened then scraping. I got out the car to address the situation and observed that my vehicle was sagging. I retraced my…”

SUSPENSION · reported 2015-07-30

“On july 30, 2015 around 1900 hrs. I was leaving home going to pick up my kids from around the corner. I came to a stop light (red). Begin to move forward when a loud bang happened then scraping. I got out the car to address the situation and observed that my vehicle was sagging. I retraced my…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2015-07-30

“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz c280. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 mph, the upper spring perches became fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.”

SUSPENSION · reported 2014-11-13

“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz c280. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph over a bump and a loud popping noise emitted outside of the vehicle. The front end of the vehicle began to fall towards the ground and tilt to the right. The contact continued to drive with caution. The…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2011-12-09

“After arriving home and driving over a speed bump in our apartment complex at a slow speed, we heard a popping noise. Then, as we were turning into a parking space, we heard a grinding or dragging noise. While looking under the front right tire to see if something had come loose, the left side of…”

SUSPENSION:FRONT · reported 2011-05-02

“After arriving home and driving over a speed bump in our apartment complex at a slow speed, we heard a popping noise. Then, as we were turning into a parking space, we heard a grinding or dragging noise. While looking under the front right tire to see if something had come loose, the left side of…”

SUSPENSION · reported 2011-05-02

“On november 24, 2010 our 1999 mercedes benz c280 sedan engine stalled/stopped running with no warning. Fortunately for us we were not on a fast moving surface street, a highway or a freeway. This situation, when the engine stalls/stops makes it is extremely difficult to steer the car and stop it…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING · reported 2010-11-24

“1999 mercedes benz c280 drivers side spring perch rusted and broke . Causing spring to fly off lower control arm and suspension to drop . The front steering would no longer operate because wheel was trapped in wheel well. The incident immediately disabled . Car was towed to repair and new spring ,…”

SUSPENSION:FRONT · reported 2009-12-10

Defect investigations

Investigation PE03058 Opened 2003-12-17 · closed 2004-04-22

ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FAILURE

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER-STEERING ASSIST.ODI HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 546 NON-DUPLICATIVE REPORTS THAT ALLEGE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1999 Mercedes-Benz C280 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.