2004 Mercedes Benz 230: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
56,435 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Air Bags:Side/Window is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 6 complaints (16.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 16.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 16.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags:Side/Window | 1 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System | 1 |
| Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
Air Bags:Side/Window: 1; Electrical System: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System: 1; Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner: 1; Power Train: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 2 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
2005: 3; 2007: 1; 2012: 2
Pattern summary
Air Bags:Side/Window leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10120571 · 2005-05-10 (May 10, 2005)
DT: THE CONTACT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT LIKE IN THE CENTER OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIR BAGS, AND NEITHER ONE OF THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HE SAID THE VEHICLE WAS HIT PRETTY HARD AND THEY SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE DEALER TOLD HIM THAT THE AIR BAGS COULD DEPLOY IF HIT IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS, AND THAT MAYBE WAS THE REASON WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER SAID PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, AND THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. ALSO, MANUFACTURER SAID THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE AIR BAGS MESSED …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10120571 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10124836 · 2005-06-24 (June 24, 2005)
DT: CONTACT STATES THERE IS A CHEMICAL SMELL COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE SERVICE DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER BOX TWICE AFTER A WEEK THE ODOR RETURNED. THE FOURTH TIME THIS HAPPENED THE SERVICE DEALER FINALLY STATED IT WAS CORROSION IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE PADDING UNDERNEATH THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS REPLACED.*AK *SB *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10124836 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10144433 · 2005-12-05 (December 5, 2005)
DT; THE CONTACT STATED TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. ON THREE OCCASIONS THE CAR REVVED WITHOUT GEARING DOWN BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. ON ALL OCCASIONS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 24,705 miles reported. Look up ODI 10144433 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10181668 · 2007-02-05 (February 5, 2007)
TL*- CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HER 2004 MERCEDES BENZ C230 THERE WERE EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF FROM AN UNKNOWN AREA. THE FUMES CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HAVE A HEADACHE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AT 25,000 MILES ,AND SHE WANTED THE DEALER TO CHANGE THE AIR RECIRCULATION, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULDN'T CHANGE IT DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THE DEALER BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 26,555 miles reported. Look up ODI 10181668 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10449482 · 2012-02-27 (February 27, 2012)
WAS DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY TODAY 2/27/1980 WHEN MY 2004 MERCEDES 230 WENT FROM 65 TO 35MPH ALMOST WAS KILLED BY A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND ME!!!! LOOKED ONLINE TODAY TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WELL I WENT TO ONE SITE OVER 200 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THEIR IS ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IT IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED TODAY BY MY OWN CAR!!!!! 2/27/1980 130PM THIS HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY NOW IAM HAVING IT TOWED AND REPAIRED AND I HAVE SORE NECK ALSO. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS PLEASE. I …
Owner-reported narrative. 124,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10449482 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10460392 · 2012-06-03 (June 3, 2012)
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. REPAIR DONE TO FIX ISSUE FOUND AS STATED BY MERCEDES PARK PLACE TECH IN DALLAS TX - 'FOUND ENGINE CONTROL MODULE SENDING INCORRECT SIGNALS DUE TO OIL DAMAGE. ALSO FOUND AIR INTAKE TEMP SENSOR WITH OIL DAMAGE. NECESSARY TO REPLACE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND INTAKE TEMP SENSOR. REPLACED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS AND BOTH O2 SENSORS. THE TOTAL CHARGE WAS $3432.12. THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM DUE TO MANUFACTURE DEFECT THAT HAD SUBSEQUENT RECALL 2009100001. THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY CAR ON …
Owner-reported narrative. 86,314 miles reported. Look up ODI 10460392 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.