Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system10
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Seats5
- Suspension5
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Tires4
- Unknown or other3
- Power train3
- Exterior lighting1
- Structure1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 15 2002 C-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class failed the safety check 1.92% of the time — 4% less often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 104,456 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (95 kW, 127 hp), 1.8 petrol (105 kW, 141 hp) and 2.0 petrol (120 kW, 161 hp), out of 11 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 95 kW 127 hp | 319 |
| 1.8 petrol | 105 kW 141 hp | 274 |
| 2.0 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 217 |
| 2.1 diesel | 85 kW 114 hp | 98 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 87 |
| 2.1 diesel | 105 kW 141 hp | 72 |
| 2.6 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 68 |
| 3.2 petrol | 260 kW 349 hp | 43 |
| 3.2 petrol | 160 kW 215 hp | 43 |
| 2.3 petrol | 145 kW 194 hp | 21 |
| 2.7 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 21 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
1,283 first registered in 2002 are on Dutch roads; 22% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €77,125.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde468
- Band onvoldoende profiel432
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm380
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen345
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm299
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling289
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd235
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect231
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,653 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,556 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 116 of these cars first registered in 2002 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2002 the figure was 58%.
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
848 of these cars first registered in 2002 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 300,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
141 2002 cars are on the New Zealand register; 94% arrived as used imports, 1% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
| 2022740 22 Dec 2022 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the sunroof glass may not be properly attached to the sliding roof frame. Over time, the glass can become loose and could separat… |
| 2021478 23 Jul 2021 | Structure Issue: This recall is for certain vehicles inspected under Mercedes-Benz recall 7891003 (Transport Canada recall 2019-668) that require a second inspection. … |
| 2019668 23 Dec 2019 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the sunroof glass may not be properly attached to the sliding roof frame. Over time, the glass can become loose and could separate… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10028147 | MERCEDES: REPLACING THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBER (LEFT AND RIGHT) BELOW THE MAIN FLOOR PANEL ON ALL MY 204 UP TO 12/31/07. (C300, C350, C300 4-MATIC, C63 AME). *PE |
| 10025642 | MODEL 203 (C) SERIES FROM PRODUCTION 8/1/01 TO 2/1/03 AND MODEL 209 (CLK) SERIES UP TO PRODUCTION 2/1/03; ESP VISIT WORKSHOP WITH FAULT CODE C1185. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)