1999 Mercedes Benz 320

WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESS WAY AT NIGHT AT AROUND 50 MPH; THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND A SOUND OF METAL BEING THROWN AROUND UNDER THE CAR. THE SOUND CAME FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THEN AFTER A LOUD THUMP THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY NOISE. THE CAR DIDN'T FEEL THE SAME AFTER THAT. AFTER PULLING OVER AND CHECKING THE PASSENGER SIDE, YOU COULD SEE THAT THE CAR WAS VERY LOW TO THE GROUND, THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE TOP OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER JACKING THE CAR UP THE SPRING WAS NO LONGER IN THE CAR, AND THE ENTIRE UPPER ASSEMBLY OF THE SPRING SETUP WAS COMPLETELY TORN OFF. AFTER LOOKING CLOSE YOU SEE THAT THERE WAS QUITE A LOT OF RUST WHERE THE METAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROTECTED. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A VERY FREQUENT AND WELL KNOWN PROBLEM, AND THAT THE COIL SPRING PERCH WAS POORLY PROTECTED IN MY MODEL OF MERCEDES. THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED TO MY 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E320 SEDAN. THE "INCIDENT" INVOLVES THE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING PERCH FAILURE. IF IT WERE NOT FOR AN INSPECTION RELATED TO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, MY MECHANIC WAS SURE THAT A SERIOUS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GLEEN FROM MERCEDES BENZ OWNER WEBSITES, THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THESE VEHICLES AND YET MB HAS NOT ORDERED A RECALL. *NM