- Vehicles
- 252,867
- Built between
- Jan 2007 – Jul 2011
- Models
- 6
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 18 August 2014
- Repaired
- 67%
- Unrepaired
- 82,750
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2007 and July 2011. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2008-2009 Mercedes-Benz C300Built January 2007 to July 2011
- 2008-2009 Mercedes-Benz C350Built January 2007 to July 2011
- 2008-2010 Mercedes-Benz C63Built January 2007 to July 2011
- 2010-2011 Mercedes-Benz C300Built January 2007 to July 2011
- 2010-2011 Mercedes-Benz C350Built January 2007 to July 2011
- 2011 Mercedes-Benz C63Built January 2007 to July 2011
Repair progress
82,750 of 252,867 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q4 2015.
67% repaired — 170,117 of 252,867 reported
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 C300, C300 4Matic, C350, and C63 AMG vehicles manufactured January 26, 2007, through July 13, 2011. In the affected vehicles, a poor electrical ground connection may result in the dimming or failure of the tail lights.
What could happen
Dimming or failure of the tail lights reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of stopping or turning, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Mercedes will notify owners, and dealers will replace the bulb holders if not previously updated and replace any corroded connectors, free of charge. The recall began on August, 18, 2014.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2007 to July 2011
- Recall reported to NHTSA11 April 2014
- Owners notified18 August 2014
- Latest repair reportQ4 2015 — 67% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 11 April 2014.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Mercedes at 1-800-367-6372.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.