2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class engine problems
100 of the 318 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 124 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 100 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 2 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 23 · 2023: 29 · 2024: 21 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 4
Half of the 12 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 16,000 and 56,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
318 complaints in all about the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Mercedes-Benz C-Class engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
2016 Mercedes-Benz C63 S AMG, M177 4.0L twin-turbo V8. This engine is marketed under Mercedes-Benz's "One Man, One Engine" philosophy — hand-assembled by a single master technician.
My coils are faulty and needing to be replaced, but not part of the existing recall for C63s coils. On the message forums for C63s I’ve come across a lot of owners that are having issues not being part of the recall. Campaign No
This is a known problem with The Mercedes cars from 2015 through 2018. The Service advisor said this is a know issue with this year, I asked can you do it for free because it is a Merc issue. He said he cannot do it. The cost for this repair is $2500 in Mercedes show room. These should be recalled and repair it for free for the customers
Around the 58,000 mile mark my check engine light on my 2016 Mercedes C300 4MATIC came on . I checked the gas cap, as that can set off the check engine light, and the check engine light went off the next day. 3 days later the check engine light comes on again, so I repeated the steps of taking the gas cap off and putting back on.
2016 MB 300 C, AWD at 87000 miles started giving gas fuel smell when parked in our garage after driving. I took to a local Foreign Car Repair facility and they found a fuel leak at the fuel injector pump. The mechanic changed the Fuel Injector Pump (Bosch) at a total cost of $745.31.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 17V114000 CriticalFeb 23, 2017 · 307,629 vehicles
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2015-2017 C300 4Matic, C300, CLA250, CLA250 4Matic and CLA45 AMG vehicles, 2017 C300 4Matic Cabrio, C300 4Matic Coupe, C300 Cabrio, C300 Coupe, E300, E300 4Matic, E400 4Matic Wagon, E43 AMG 4Matic, GLA250, GLA250 4Matic and GLC300 4Matic Coupe vehicles and 2016 C350e and GLC300 vehicles and 2016-2017 C450 4Matic AMG Sport and GLC300 4Matic vehicles. In the event that the engine or transmission cannot turn over, the starting current limiter may overheat from the repeated attempts of the starter motor attempting to start the vehicle.
124 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- LI01.20-P-080884 Service bulletinAug 12, 2026
- Complaint Oil leaks found on M176 or M177 engines diagnosed to be from the cylinder head cover area Cause Unknown (under investigation) Remedy If oil leaks are found at left or right cylinder head cover area please collect the following information and open TIPS case. 1. Collect photos of the leak 2. Include close up and wide view photos to accurately represent the location 3. Include if the vehic
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Source: the same files- fuel system problems 67 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 100 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (31% of everything owners filed about it), and 124 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 17V114000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 43,000 miles; half of them between 16,000 and 56,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.