1995 Mercedes Benz 280

MY SON'S CAR QUIT RUNNING. THE MECHANIC AT THE GARAGE DISCOVERED THAT THE UNDERHOOD WIRING HARNESS HAD COMPLETELY DETERIORATED. HE SPOKE WITH A MERCEDES MECHANIC WHO TOLD HIM THIS WAS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS ERA CAR WITH THIS ENGINE. I SPOKE WITH A MERCEDES CUSTOMER SERVICE REP WHO SAID THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF AN ISSUE. I POINTED OUT THAT I WAS SEEING COMPLAINTS ON THE NHSTA SITE. HE DENIED THEIR EXISTENCE. HERE ARE THE ODI ID NUMBERS I FOUND IN A QUICK SEARCH. THEY ALL DESCRIBE THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM: 769109 10059002 10005610 8014541 742685 737212 836664 733503 720365 720365 10016993 898986 714914 767707 NOW, I AM IN INFECTION CONTROL AND EPIDEMIOLOGY. IF I WERE TO SEE THESE 14 RECORDS ALL ABOUT 1994 AND 1995 MODELS, IT WOULD SUGGEST A CLUSTER AND REQUIRE SOME ACTION ON MY PART. I DON'T KNOW IF THE NHTSA WORKS THAT WAY, BUT REMEMBER THIS DATA IS FROM THE VERY FEW ANGRY CUSTOMERS THAT KNOW HOW OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET INTO THIS AGENCY. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS IN THE $2000.00 RANGE. TO THIS POINT MERCEDES HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO HELP OR COOPERATE. HIGH AND LOW VOLTAGE EXPOSED COPPER WIRES UNDER THE HOOD, NEXT TO A POTENTIAL GROUND CAN BE AN EXTREME FIRE HAZARD.*JB

8182225555: MERCEDES C 280 LEMON RETURNED TO THE DEALER ON 3/26/03/. I WALKED INTO ACURA AFTER TEST DRIVING THIS CAR W/ ERIK ON 3/27. I DROVE IT FOR 3 WEEKS. THE SRS LIGHT (AIRBAGS ) KEPT COMING ON W/ BUZZ NOISE. ON THE 5TH DAY, THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE HEAD RESTRAINTS AND REAR BUTTONS DID NOT WORK. THE RADIO FREQUENTLY GOES IN AND OUT ON SEVERAL STATIONS. THE 3RD WEEK, THERE WAS A HEAVY OIL LEAK, LEAKING FROM THE OIL PAN AND HEAD GASKET. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND DOES NOT MEET USED CAR SAFETY STANDARDS. THE POWER STEERING HAD A LEAK. THE BRAKES WERE WORN BELOW 50%, THE BRAKE SENSORS WERE BAD AND THE ROTORS WERE WORN. THE SHOCKS LEAKED GAS FROM THE FRONT AND ARE WEAK IN THE BACK. CAR ENGINE IDLE HAS A WATER PUMP LEAK. THE BUYERS GUIDE STATED ABOVE. 4/16/04, I DROVE TO ACURA TO TALK TO VERN. VERN TOLD ME THAT MERCE ALWAYS HAS OIL LEAKS. VERN SIGNED A FORM THAT STATED HE WOULD HAVE UNION 76 MECHANIC CHANGE OIL PAN GASKET, CHECK OUT PWR STR PUMP, BRAKES, MISFIRE. 4/20/04, I HEARD VERN TELL UNION 76 TO FIX THE OIL LEAK, CHANGE ALL 4 STRUTS, CHANGE THE ROTORS, BRAKES, AND SENSORS, CHECK PWR STEERING, AND CHECK THE IDLE. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK ON 4/21/04, THE MECHANICS MESSED UP THE IDLE, THE CAR WAS SHAKING . THE CAR WAS NOT LIKE THIS BEFORE. VERN HAD UNION 76 MESS UP THE CAR. THE STRUTS WERE NOT CHANGED. THE OIL LEAK WAS NOT FIXED. THE OIL PAN WASN'T TIGHTENED. THIS IS AUTO REPAIR FRAUD. ON 4/22/04 I TALKED TO KURT KEENER. HE TRIED TO TO DRAG THIS ORDEAL TILL THE WARR PERIOD RAN OUT. 4/22/04, I BROUGHT A MALE WITNESS W/ ME, I DROPPED OFF THE CAR AND REQUESTED A REFUND OF $8,012.09 FOR THE CAR AND FOR CAR INSURANCE THE AMOUNT OF $421.00. VERN WAS AWARE OF MAJOR OIL LEAK IN HEAD GASKET/PISTONS, DECEPTIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES. THIS WAS VERIFIED AT CALABASAS MOTORS ON 4/29 BY TONI PENKINS. TONI SAID THERE WERE OTHER LEAKS TOO. 8185912377. *AK

THE PROBLEMS I HAVE CITED ARE REPETTIVE....BENZ FIXES A PART, THEN IT GOES AGAIN....THE CRA CANNOT BE PROPERLY BALANCED I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY YWO INDEPENDENT CAR REPAIR SHOPS.....THE ELECTRICAL PROBELSM STARTED 3 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND ARE ONGOING.........I BELIEVE THE CAR IS UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED AND BENZ HAS BEEN LYING TO ME........NG. *AK

I HAVE PURCHASED A MERCEDES BENZ C280 THIS PAST WEEK. I HAVE FIND OUT THAT THE ENGINE IS LEAKING OIL. ACCORDING TO 2 DIFFERENT MECHANICS, ONE OF THEM IS AN EMPLOYEE OF A LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER, ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH C-CLASS MODELS. THE HEAD GASKET LEAKS OIL OVERTIME AND ENGINE OIL WILL SEEP INTO AN OIL PAN UNDER THE ENGINE. SINCE I AM NOT A MECHANIC, IT IS HARD FOR ME TO TELL THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH PROBLEM. BUT IT IS OBVIOUS THAT AN ENGINE WITHOUT THE OIL WILL FAIL. IT MAY WELL HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A ROADWAY WITH HIGH TRAFFIC, CAUSING A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. I WILL APPRECIATE YOUR ACTION ON THIS MATTER, SINCE MERCEDES BENZ REPRESENTATIVES ARE RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT THIS A TAKE ACTION. BEST REGARDS, HAKAN AKIN