| Issue ID | 1533513 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 11173090 |
| Manufacurer | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| Brand | MERCEDES BENZ |
| Model | C300 |
| Model Year | 2010 |
| File date | 27/01/19 |
| Component | SUSPENSION |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | I was driving my 2010 c300, 99,000 miles at approximately 40 mph when i experienced a nearly fatal collision. When i applied the brakes, i experienced a failure of the rear cross-member subframe which caused the rear left wheel to deviate in a such a way that caused the rear of the vehicle to fishtail. I had to fight to regain control of the vehicle and avoid a head-on collision. I drove the vehicle to a nearby mechanic who pointed to a break in the sub-frame where the rear-left tire suspension components attached to the rest of the car. The break appears to have manifested where the sheet metal components were welded to form a bracket in the subframe. I live in a state where annual safety inspections are carried out and the vehicle has passed such inspections with no past indicators of rust. The safety inspection focuses on the structural integrity of components such as suspension and frame. The most recent state safety inspection was carried out on september 2018, at 97,000. Furthermore, at 90,663 miles, mercedes-benz dealer conducted a thorough inspection of the vehicle and did not notice any issues with the subframe, suspension, or any other components of the vehicle. Near-fatal, catastrophic failures should not take place on a modern luxury car that is less than 10 years old, unless there is a manufacturing defect. However, mercedes-benz usa refused to consider a manufacturing defect and made the determination without reviewing photos of the structural brake. Note that based on my research, nhtsa id numbers 10504684 and 11023618 speak to similar rust issues to the sub-frame. Please investigate and launch the recall campaign. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 99018 |
| Number of Occurences | |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | FALLS CHURCH, VA |
| VIN pattern | WDDGF8BB3ARXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 40 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |