Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train2
- Seats2
- Air bags1
- Electrical system1
- Equipment adaptive/mobility1
- Vehicle speed control1
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, 18 2005 C-Class vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 12 people died inside them, and 3 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class failed the safety check 1.88% of the time — 18% less often than the average 2005 passenger car (2.30%). Median odometer at inspection: 117,758 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2005 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 (90 kW, 121 hp), out of 12 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 105 kW 141 hp | 804 |
| 1.8 petrol | 120 kW 161 hp | 324 |
| 2.1 diesel | 90 kW 121 hp | 230 |
| 2.1 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 164 |
| 2.5 petrol | 150 kW 201 hp | 46 |
| 1.8 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 38 |
| 2.6 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 34 |
| 1.8 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 29 |
| 5.4 petrol | 270 kW 362 hp | 28 |
| 3.0 diesel | 165 kW 221 hp | 25 |
| 3.0 petrol | 170 kW 228 hp | 24 |
| 3.2 petrol | 160 kW 215 hp | 20 |
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
1,810 first registered in 2005 are on Dutch roads; 27% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €46,624.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde875
- Band onvoldoende profiel673
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling539
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm512
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect500
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm430
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar404
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen393
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
6,213 cars built in 2005 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,215 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, 129 of these cars first registered in 2005 took their annual MOT test. 58% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2005 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 0.8% | 13.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 0.8% | 21.5% |
| Road Wheels | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Suspension | 0.8% | 17.3% |
| Visibility | 0.8% | 7.5% |
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
1,689 of these cars first registered in 2005 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
182 2005 cars are on the New Zealand register; 95% 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 2005 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
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING MY 2006-2008 M-CLASS, R-CLASS, MY 2005-2009 SLK-CLASS, MY 2005-2008 C-CLASS, MY 2003-2004 AND 2006-2008 CLK-CLASS, MY 2003-2008 E-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2008 CL-CLASS, MY 2008 CLS-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2007-2008 S-CLASS, MY 2003 G-CLASS, AND MY 2003-2004, 2006 AND 2009 SL-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SPORT MODEL STEERING WHEELS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." IN CERTAIN LOW RISK AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT TESTS CONDUCTED BY NHTSA, USING AN OUT-OF-POSITION UNBELTED 5TH PERCENTILE FEMALE CRASH TEST DUMMY, IRREGULARITIES WERE DEMONSTRATED INDICATING THAT OCCUPANTS MAY NOT BE PROPERLY PROTECTED IN A CRASH.
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 2005 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 |
| 10019822 | INSPECT TRANSMISSION PILOT BUSHING AT ELECTROCHYDRAULIC UNIT AND REPLACE IF NECESSARY. THE TRANSMISSION PILOT BUSHING MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON THE CONTROL UNITS WITH NON-TEMPERED SEALING RINGS WHICH MAY CAUSE A SMALL LEAK TO OCCUR. *TT UPDATED 04-11-07. *KB |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)