Used car safety, rank #29 of 181
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD, a midsize luxury car, compared with its class and with the current model.
Honorable MentionIIHS 2023 edition Β· 2018β2021 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. This is the historical edition. See the July 2026 release for newer used cars.
The 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 9 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize luxury cars average of 24.8, which is 64% below the class average. That places it #29 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 84.0/100, earning our Honorable Mention designation, and it typically sells used for $20,000 to $34,000.
What the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan death rate means
At 9 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD beats the midsize luxury cars average of 24.8 by 64%. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 21, so even the pessimistic end of the range is no worse than the class average.
The other-driver death rate of 26 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. It is higher than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used luxury cars
The safest midsize luxury cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD highlighted. It ranks 3 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Lexus ES 350 at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus ES 350 | 2019-20 | 0 (0 to 29) | 94.5 | 4.0/5 | $24,000 to $35,000 |
| Audi A4 2WD | 2017-20 | 7 (0 to 21) | 85.6 | 3.5/5 | $18,000 to $30,000 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD (this page) | 2017-20 | 9 (0 to 21) | 84.0 | 3.5/5 | $20,000 to $34,000 |
| Tesla Model 3 2WD | 2019-20 | 15 (0 to 33) | 78.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Audi A4 4WD | 2017-20 | 17 (0 to 36) | 77.4 | 3.5/5 | n/a |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 2WD | 2017-20 | 28 (5 to 51) | 64.2 | 3.5/5 | n/a |
| Acura TLX 2WD | 2018-20 | 31 (0 to 64) | 59.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Tesla Model 3 4WD | 2019-20 | 52 (9 to 96) | 42.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2WD | 2017-20 | 64 (11 to 117) | 35.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for midsize luxury cars: 24.8 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Reliability and cost of ownership
Reliability: 3.5 out of 5
RepairPal rates the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 3.5/5, 13th out of 31 in its category. Owners spend about $739 a year on repairs and maintenance, visiting the shop 0.7 times a year for unscheduled work, and 9% of those repairs are severe.
RepairPal detailsUsed price: $20,000 to $34,000
Typical asking prices for 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD listings. For a model with a death rate of 9, that buys more real-world protection per dollar than most alternatives in the midsize luxury cars class.
Safety recalls for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 9 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD, 64% below the class average (24.8 for midsize luxury cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 84.0 out of 100 and rank #29 of 181 used vehicles, with a Honorable Mention designation.
What is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD driver death rate?
9 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 21. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan died at a rate of 26 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD compare with other midsize luxury cars?
The midsize luxury cars class averages 24.8 driver deaths per million; the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD sits at 9. Among the 9 midsize luxury cars compared above it ranks 3 by safety score; the top of that group is the Lexus ES 350 with a death rate of 0.