| Issue ID | 1149595 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10676129 |
| Manufacurer | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| Brand | MERCEDES BENZ |
| Model | C300 |
| Model Year | 2010 |
| File date | 09/01/15 |
| Component | ENGINE |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | The belt tensioner for the serpentine belt seized up causing the serpentine belt to shred and causing damage to the upper and lower pulleys. The car became immobile immediately as all the accessories were rendered useless, like the power steering, alternator, etc. As a result, the following had to replaced: serpentine belt, tensioner, upper pulley, and lower pulley. I was very fortunate that this occurred when i was parking in a parking lot after driving on the highway. If this had happened at highway speeds, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have caused a very serious accident, as you would have no steering on the highway. While researching this safety concern online, it seems like this is a relatively common issue with 2008-2011 c-class vehicles. Some were reported to be repaired under warrant while most others had to pay for the repair costs out of pocket. This is a very serious safety concern that can possibly lead injury or death. I spoke with mercedes benz corporate regarding this issue and was told that it is not an issue and there is nothing they will do about it. I emphasized how dangerous this can be at highway speeds and they did not seem to be concerned. My recommendation to mercedes benz is to recall the 2008-2011 c-class for this issue before it causes a serious injury or death. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | BOONTON, NJ |
| VIN pattern | WDDGF8BB2AFXXXXXX |
| 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 | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 6 |
| Drive train type | AWD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | |
| 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 |