dcjwlee

Hey all,

Have any of you had issues with the car's transmission being harsh when engaging reverse?

It takes a second or two to catch and can really catch you off guard if you're not careful and are already on the gas.

Wondering if there is a recall or common fix for this.

P.S. Is there any type of sticky for warranty, recall, TSB informatin?

charliele729

I think the delay going into reverse is on all the cars. I haven driven other C's and even GLK, I just simply wait an extra second to make sure it engage before I punch the gas.

dcjwlee

Alright, I'll bring it up with the dealer at my next visit, but I won't expect much out of it.


I have driven an ML500 and E320 before this car and currently drive an E350 as well but none of them exhibit the same harshness.

daniel.edwards1

My `09 C300 Sport does it. I too was worried about it. It does seem to take WAY too long to engage reverse, kind of spooky when it first happens to you.

albert101

Same thing happens to my C300. I think it's a common trait of the car. Not much you can really do about it.

Norm01

There is an update for this, bring it in to the dealer and they will upgrade the software. Mine is fine now.

dcjwlee

Thanks!

coolvi

This sounds more annoying than anything else. Well, I probably have the same issue, but normally I put the car in reverse, then check the surroundings again (as one should) which gives it enough time to do its work.

dcjwlee

No, I would have to say it is more than just annoying.

When I first started driving the car I almost ended up backing up into another car because the revs were allowed to get so high and the car started rolling back (giving me the impression that I was in gear) and when it actually engaged the car jerked back hard.

And I check my surroundings, including out both sides before backing out of any spot. It doesn't help so much. (Did you know cops get in more accidents in reverse than in high-speed chases?)

I will go ask for the update. I've had transmission issues in previous cars (most notably a harsh 1-2 shift) that I had fixed by reprogramming.

dcjwlee

By the way, what are the chances we can start a mod-regulated thread on all the common issues with the C300?

A good barebones start would be a list of all TSB's and recalls. It would be a great resource for newbies to check out before posting threads like this one.

Eventually, if the mods can filter through petty gripes from actual problems maybe we can start posting our own user complaints.

mr inkredibul

I believe its already been done. This model came out in 2007 as a 2008. Just try using the search function.

BenTrovato

Doesn't the reverse have 2 gears on the 7-speed transmission?

jaymoney92

This isn't a problem, I think it's actually a safety mechanism.
I remember seeing somewhere that this is due to that system that prevents you from rolling backwards when stopped on a hill (hill assist?).