Known APK problem

Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204: wheels and wheel bearings

On the Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204 the APK inspector finds wheels and wheel bearings problems 3.1× as often as on cars of the same age: at 13–15 years 0.5%, against about 0.2% nationally.

Illustration Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204

Window: Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · Updated: 16 Oct 2026

What is it?

Play or noise in the wheel bearings, or damaged wheels.

Repair indication: mediuma targeted repair at the garage.

How to check it at the viewing

On the test drive, listen for a humming noise that rises with speed.

Ask the seller: Have any wheel bearings been replaced?

By age

Share of inspected Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204s with this defect, compared with all cars of the same age.

Age	Type	C-Klasse W204	95%-CI	National	Difference	n
11 – 12 years	A	0.3%	0.2 – 0.5%	0.1%	2.6×	3,384
11 – 12 years	B	0.2%	0.1 – 0.4%	1.0%	0.2×	3,384
13 – 15 years	A	0.5%	0.3 – 0.7%	0.2%	3.1×	4,854
16+ years	A	0.5%	0.3 – 0.9%	0.3%	2.0×	3,181
16+ years	B	0.4%	0.2 – 0.7%	2.0%	0.2×	3,181

A = structure, safety or costly mechanics; B = fail, usually simple; C = advisory. An age is missing when this defect is not among the most common there.

Comparable cars at 13–15 years

Model	Wheels and wheel bearings	Vs. national
Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204	0.5%	3.1×
Peugeot 308 I	0.6%	0.4×
SEAT Altea	1.5%	1.1×
Toyota Auris I	1.1%	0.8×
Lexus CT 200h	0.3%	0.2×
Suzuki SX4 I	0.7%	0.5×

Looking at a Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204? Check that car

Enter the plate and see the APK history, open recalls and how this car compares with other Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204s of the same age.

All weak spots of the Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204 · Wheels and wheel bearings: which models more often · Checklist for this model

Frequently asked questions

Does the Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204 often have wheels and wheel bearings problems?

Yes, more often than average at the APK. At 13–15 years the inspector found a wheels and wheel bearings defect on 0.5% of inspected Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204s, against about 0.2% of all cars of the same age (3.1×). Source: RDW Open Data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.

How do you check the wheels and wheel bearings on a used Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse W204?

On the test drive, listen for a humming noise that rises with speed.

Repair indication: small, medium or large. An indication of the usual repair, not a quote: the real cost depends on the car, the cause and the garage.

Source: RDW Open Data (CC0), analysis CarXray.nl. 6,857,004 inspected passenger cars aged 3 years and older, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026. Each car counts once. How we know