There are 5 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Classin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On Tuesday, the steering wheel failed to operate while making a left turn. While making a left turn the steering wheel locked and the brakes did not function to stop the vehicle. The vehicle continued to steer to the left and I almost hit another vehicle head on. What stopped my vehicle was the emergency brake system activated by almost hitting the other vehicle head on. They luckily saw me head on and tried to quickly move out the way. This happened two times the second time Thursday, there was a school bus to the left of me my car. I was not making a left turn but on a road that the curve went left and the steering wheel locked in that position. My wheel was locked and failed to stop for about 45 seconds with no car in front to trigger the emergency brakes. Immediately to my left was a school bus. The school Bus was not expecting my vehicle to cut them off in this manor, the bus had to make a hard stop to not crash into me. I feel my life and the life of the individuals in the other vehicle and school bus were all put at risk. I towed my car to the dealer and was advised that they did not see any recalls for my vehicle. They also advised me that based on the inspection and the incident details that they would need to replace the steering rack and pinion. My vehicle was operating as it normally did and did not have any system warning prior.
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving normally one day, the vehicle randomly lost power steering. There were messages for the brake assist and the rear sensors displayed. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V850000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not cover the repair because the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and making a left turn, the steering made an abnormal sound. The contact pulled into the nearest parking lot, where the steering wheel locked. There were messages for the brake assist and the rear sensors displayed. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V850000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not cover the repair because the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
The steering wheel tilt no longer works
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ OF BROOKLYN (1800 SHORE PKWY BROOKLYN NY 11214; (718) 258-5100) WHO STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF SIMILAR ISSUES HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS TYPICALLY CAUSED BY AN IMPACT. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,506.
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