Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system3
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Seat belts1
- Power train1
- Equipment1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Air bags1
- Fuel system, other1
- Unknown or other1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 14 2003 C-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 11 people died inside them, and 2 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 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class failed the safety check 2.05% of the time — 2% less often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 118,414 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2003 Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (105 kW, 141 hp), 1.8 petrol (120 kW, 161 hp) and 2.1 diesel (105 kW, 141 hp), out of 10 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 105 kW 141 hp | 1,032 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 270 |
| 2.1 diesel | 105 kW 141 hp | 98 |
| 2.1 diesel | 90 kW 121 hp | 87 |
| 2.1 diesel | 85 kW 114 hp | 83 |
| 2.6 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 63 |
| 3.2 petrol | 160 kW 215 hp | 52 |
| 3.2 petrol | 260 kW 349 hp | 23 |
| 2.7 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 23 |
| 3.0 diesel | 170 kW 228 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
1,806 first registered in 2003 are on Dutch roads; 20% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €51,523.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde847
- Band onvoldoende profiel674
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm591
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling448
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm447
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd391
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen384
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect384
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
3,053 cars built in 2003 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,681 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, 154 of these cars first registered in 2003 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2003 the figure was 57%.
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
1,417 of these cars first registered in 2003 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 317,000 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
106 2003 cars are on the New Zealand register; 79% arrived as used imports, 18% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2003 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… |
| 2003199 27 Aug 2003 | Steering On certain vehicles, the nut on the bolt which connects the steering gear to the steering coupling may not be tightened correctly. Loosening of the nut could r… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2003 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 2003 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 |
| 10017494 | A SOFTWARE CHARACTERISTIC MAY AFFECT THE RATIONAL SPEED OF THE STARTER. THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT WILL BE REPROGRAMMED. *TT |
| 10014547 | HIGH-PITCHED WHINING NOISE HEARD ON TELEPHONE/VCS/TELE AID CALLS. *TT |
| 10006927 | BLEED BRAKE SYSTEM AND CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM FOR AIR ON THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL (SBC) SYSTEM USING STAR DIAGNOSIS. ALSO INCLUDES MERCEDES-BENZ 211 MODEL MY2004. *TT |
| 10006768 | ENGINE CONTROL MODULE MAY HAVE BEEN FLASHED INCORRECTLY, THUS AFFECTING ENGINE EMISSIONS. THIS ALSO INCLUDES MERCEDES SLK-CLASS 2003. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)