Used Mercedes C-Class 2021-present reliability
Category: Executive car
The Mercedes C-Class is a good car with an excellent plug-in hybrid version. Used prices are still high, though, and the interior quality is a little mixed.
What should I look for in a used Mercedes C-Class saloon?
A prestige brand image isn’t always an indicator of superior quality, as the data for the previous generation of the Mercedes C-Class shows in our reliability survey, with nearly a third of cars presenting a problem. Although these problems should have been ironed out in this generation, it's worth listing these so you can reference them against your new C-Class.
This list of faults reported have been numerous, so you'll need to check everything. Try all the electrical items work while you poke around the interior, try the sat nav and make sure the air-con blows cold air and that there are no weird smells. During your test drive, listen out for any interior rattles; pay attention to the gearbox and that it operates smoothly and that there are no nasty knocks and bangs from the suspension over bumps.
Check also that the car doesn't pull heavily to one side as you're driving down the road, and that it also doesn't deviate under braking. The engine should have a smooth power delivery and not have any flat-spots or surges of acceleration. On automatic versions, make sure the kick-down function works under full acceleration - when it is safe to do so.
What are the most common problems with a used Mercedes C-Class saloon?
There have been no recalls so far for this generation of C-Class.
Is a used Mercedes C-Class saloon reliable?
In our most recent reliability survey, this version of the C-Class was too new to feature. However, for reference, the previous version of the C-Class finished eighth out of 24 cars in the executive car class.
Reliability rating 87.3%
What went wrong? Non-engine electrics 11%, exhaust 6%, fuel system 4%, battery 3%, bodywork 3%, infotainment/sat-nav 3%, brakes 2%, steering 2%, engine 1%, gearbox/clutch 1%, interior trim 1%
A third of C-Classes went wrong, according to owners, who reported a wide range of issues. Faults rendered more than a third of cars undriveable, and one in four was off the road for more than a week. Although 81% of cars were fixed for free, a small percentage of owners paid out more than £1500 in repair bills.
Owner’s view “This is the worst car I have ever bought. Faults haven’t been properly fixed and the service from the dealer has been poor”
Mercedes as a brand finished in a disappointing 24th place out of 32 manufacturers in the same survey, below Audi, BMW and Lexus.
If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
