2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 75 owner complaints about the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, or 9.8 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.23, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #20 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Mercedes-Benz models its rate is about the same; against other Luxury sedans it is 92% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-02-10 and 2026-08-16. Median delay from incident to filing: 14 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2018) drew 14.9 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2020) drew 6.9 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 12 complaints, 85% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (21.3% of complaints), followed by Electrical (14.7%) and Body & structure (10.7%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “engine”, “light illuminated”, “diagnostic”, “risk” and “significant”. 3 reports (4.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 50 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (39% of incidents). In the last 12 months 15 new complaints were filed, versus 15 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.23
- vs. other Mercedes-Benz models0.96
- vs. other 2019 models0.21
- vs. other Luxury sedans1.92
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (12)0.15
- #20 of 76 · 2019Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Engine · Common terms in reports
- engine13
- light illuminated6
- diagnostic5
- risk6
- significant4
- towed6
Electrical · Common terms in reports
- communication electrical3
- notification communication3
- ota3
- received7
- ave3
- amount recall5
Body & structure · Common terms in reports
- sunroof4
- local3
- recall4
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Body & structure
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 3
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 1
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 50 months
What owners report
On the afternoon of February 6, 2024, as I was turning into my driveway to park in front of the garage, my car unexpectedly accelerated despite my foot being on the brake pedal.
i was involve in a accident, i was Tbone and the driver side airbags didnt deploy.
Shifting gears when stopped and the car lunged forward while I was stopped at a red light. I almost hit the car in front of me at the red light. Very rough gear changes and changing out of the correct gear to the wrong one and then back into another one.
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG C43. The contact stated that the convertible roof headliner tension cord was frayed, and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer.
Throttle body and accelerator pedal position sensors failed. Component is available for inspection upon request. Independent service center confirmed failure on 1/3/2026 with 6 stored fault codes: P2101, P0122, P0222, P0123, P0223, P2135.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2019 · Luxury sedans
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Audi A4 | 8 | 1.0 | 0.02 |
| 2019 Lexus ES | 34 | 4.4 | 0.1 |
| 2019 BMW 5 Series | 38 | 5.0 | 0.12 |
| 2019 BMW 3 Series | 41 | 5.3 | 0.13 |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 54 | 7.0 | 0.17 |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 75 | 9.8 | 0.23 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
75 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, or about 9.8 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 21.3% of complaints.
Does the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class have any recalls?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Is the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 15 new complaints were filed, versus 15 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.
How does the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 75 owner complaints about the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, or 9.8 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.23, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #20 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Mercedes-Benz models its rate is about the same; against other Luxury sedans it is 92% higher.