There are 15 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz C-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
At 9,000 miles my 2006 Mercedes C350 had to have a fuel pump replaced. It was out of warranty (low miles usage for 5 year old car) so I had to pay $900 for the repair. I could smell fuel everytime I filled the tank and the Mercedes dealer said the pump had to be replaced. I read about a recall of E350 models being recalled for the same reason with the same engine. I asked the dealer about this and they said mine was not part of the recall because it is a C class Mercedes. It has the same engine with the same problem and I think this should be looked into.
Fuel flex line from firewall to Fuel rail is leaking at both connections, ie. both ends at the swaged fitting.
VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE CABIN OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. ODOR IS VERY STRONG AROUND DRIVERS REAR WHEEL AND FROM THE OUTSIDE ONCE PARKED. SMELL OF FUEL IS VERY STRONG AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING BUT SEEMS TO DISSIPATE WHEN DRIVING AT A FASTER SPEED I.E. ON HIGHWAY OVER 45MPH. ONCE I COME TO A STOP OR DRIVE BELOW 45MPH THE SMELL IS PRONOUNCED PROBABLY BECAUSE IT ISN'T BEING BLOWN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. DOES NOT CHANGE IN CORRELATION TO FUEL TANK FILL LEVEL. INSPECTED FUEL SENDER UNDER ACCESS CAP, UNDERNEATH REAR PASSENGER BENCH DRIVER'S SIDE ON APRIL 9TH 2021. FOUND FUEL PUDDLING IN/AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF FUEL SENDING UNIT. CLEANED OUT FUEL PUDDLE. MOST OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE ALSO SIMILAR TO CASE WITH THE 2003-2006 MERCEDES BENZ E55 AMG AND CLS VEHICLES FOUND UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA13003 REGARDING EMISSIONS RECALL FOR AMG MODELS USING HIGH PRESSURE FUEL SYSTEMS.
VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE CABIN OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. ODOR IS VERY STRONG AROUND DRIVERS REAR WHEEL AND FROM THE OUTSIDE ONCE PARKED. ALSO NOTICED GASOLINE/FUEL ACCUMULATION UNDERNEATH VEHICLE AROUND DRIVER'S SIDE REAR, ON UNDER BODY PANELS. SMELL OF FUEL IS VERY STRONG AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING BUT SEEMS TO DISSIPATE WHEN DRIVING AT A FASTER SPEED I.E. ON HIGHWAY OVER 45MPH. ONCE I COME TO A STOP OR DRIVE BELOW 45MPH THE SMELL IS PRONOUNCED PROBABLY BECAUSE IT ISN'T BEING BLOWN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. DOES NOT CHANGE IN CORRELATION TO FUEL TANK FILL LEVEL. INSPECTED FUEL SENDER UNDER ACCESS CAP, UNDERNEATH REAR PASSENGER BENCH DRIVER'S SIDE ON AUGUST 27TH 2016. FOUND FUEL PUDDLING IN/AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF FUEL SENDING UNIT. FUEL SENDING PART NUMBER A209-470-04-94 CLEANED OUT FUEL PUDDLE AND REINSPECTED ACCESS TO PANEL TO FUEL SENDER ON SEPTEMBER 3RD AND FOUND THE FUEL SENDER AREA HAS PUDDLED WITH GASOLINE AGAIN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PERIODICALLY TURNS ON WITH CODE P0171 USUALLY A MONTH IN BETWEEN DATING BACK TO 2015. COINCIDING WITH THE FUEL SMELL. INSPECTED GAS CAP/FILLER TUBE FOR LEAKS AS PRECAUTION BUT FOUND NO LEAK. MOST OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE ALSO SIMILAR TO CASE WITH THE 2003-2006 MERCEDES BENZ E55 AMG VEHICLES FOUND UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA13003 REGARDING EMISSIONS RECALL FOR AMG MODELS USING HIGH PRESSURE FUEL SYSTEMS.
I HAVE A VERY LOUD ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM NEAR MY BACK WHEEL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE CAR RIDES FINE AND I GET GOOD GAS MILEAGE BUT IT IS NOT LEAKING ANYWHERE. I TOOK MY BACKSEAT OUT AND THERE WAS NOTHING WET. I ALSO REPLACED THE GAS CAP AND IT DID NOT HELP
WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FILLED PAST TO FULL, THERE IS AN OVERPOWERING FUEL SMELL IN VEHICLE CABIN. THE OFFENDING SMELL ALSO FILLS THE GARAGE AND THE GARAGE DOOR MUST BE PARTIALLY LEFT OPEN FOR SAFETY: FEAR OF EXPLOSION. *TR
EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE GAS TANK; THERE IS A STRONG ODER OF FUEL IN THE CABIN. MY WIFE AND I HAVE A NEWBORN AND NOW DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING WITH SUCH A STRONG ODOR..THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL EMITTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE PARKED, THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL ODOR EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT RESOLVED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
UPON FILLING GAS TANK NOTICED FUEL SMELL IN GARAGE. THIS HAPPENED MANY TIMES. DECIDED NOT TO FILL COMPLETELY, AND SMELL WENT AWAY. I NOW ONLY PUT 10 GALLONS IN THE TANK AND DO NOT FILL UP. I'M SENDING THIS BECAUSE I SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE LA TIMES INDICATING THIS MAY BE PROBLEM WITH "E" CLASS VEHICLES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILTER WAS DIRTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,089 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,499.
BOTH SENDING UNITS IN THE FUEL TANK WERE LEAKING AND WERE REPLACED BY RBM MERCEDES OF 7640 ROSWELL ROAD, ATLANTA, GA 30350 FOR THE AMOUNT OF $ 828.05. I HAVE ORIGINAL REPAIR BILL AND IT CAN BE SUBMITTED AT YOUR REQUEST. *TR
AROUND DECEMBER 2010 I BEGAN NOTICING THERE HAS BEEN A GAS SMELL FROM REAR WHEEL HOUSING AND REAR SEAT WHENEVER I FILL UP THE GAS TANK. I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH VARIOUS FUEL LEVEL AND CONCLUDED THAT GAS SMELL STARTS WHEN GAS IS MORE THAN 3/4 FULL. I HAVE BEEN TRYING NOT TO FILL GAS MORE THAN 3/4 AND HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED A DELIVERY UNIT AND ALL THE SEALS, WHICH HAVE BEEN PROBLEMATIC AREAS FOR MANY MERCEDES. THE GAS SMELL DID NOT GO AWAY AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE DUE TO THE RISK OF FIRE IN ADDITION TO THE UNPLEASANT GAS SMELL IN THE CABIN. *TR
IN JULY 2009, AFTER FILLING MY VEHICLE WITH GASOLINE (38,000 MILES), I DROVE HOME, PARKED MY VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE AND EXITED THE INTERIOR. AFTER EXITING, I SMELLED THE VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE EMITTING FROM, WHAT APPEARED THE REAR OF THE CAR. I DID NOT SEE ANY LEAKS OR ANY EVIDENCE OF FUEL, SO I WENT INSIDE MY HOUSE. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, I ENTERED MY GARAGE AND WAS IMMEDIATELY OVERWHELMED WITH THE FUMES OF GASOLINE. I CHECKED MY CAR AGAIN, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY LEAKS. I THEN OPEN MY CAR DOOR AND THE FUMES WERE EVEN STRONGER. AFTER LOOKING AROUND, I NOTICED THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE REAR SEAT. FEARING AN EXPLOSION MAY OCCUR, I OPENED MY GARAGE DOORS AND CAR DOOR AND TURNED ON SEVERAL FANS TO "AIR-OUT" THE AREA. THE NEXT DAY, I DROVE TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY YEAR AND MODEL AND SAID THE FUEL GASKETS WERE BAD ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK WHICH IS RIGHT UNDER THE BACK SEAT. HE EXPLAINED WHEN FILLING UP, THE SEALS LEAK, BECOME SATURATED WITH FUEL AND EVEN SATURATE THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE SEAT. HE SAID IF I WANTED IT FIXED, IT WOULD BE AN ESTIMATED $500. HE ALSO SAID IF I DID NOT WANT TO PAY TO FIX IT, HE SUGGESTED I ONLY FILL MY TANK TO 3/4 SO THE SEALS WOULD NOT BECOME WET. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT MY CAR WAS STILL LIKE NEW WITH ONLY 38,000 MILES AND MBZ SHOULD FIX THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT AT NO CHARGE. HE REFUSED. I CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THIS DANGEROUS, FAULTY ISSUE TODAY. MY CAR ONLY HAS 79,000 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. I NOTICED SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND LAWSUITS HAVE BEEN FILED, HOWEVER, I DO NOT KNOW THEIR STATUS. CAN YOU PLEASE ASSIST ME WITH THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE. MY FAMILY AND I SUFFER FROM SEVERE HEADACHES EACH TIME THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE LURCHED CONTINUOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH. THERE WAS ALSO A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTED GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN BACK TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026