2001 Mercedes Benz 600

AT APPROXIMATELY 1:45AM ON JULY 4, 2009 WHILE TRAVELING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 65 NEAR MARSHALL, ARKANSAS I WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION (IN THE INSURED VEHICLE A 2001 S600 MERCEDES-BENZ) WITH A COW THAT RAN ONTO TO THE HIGHWAY IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND STATE FARM. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR STATE FARM APPROVED AUTO REPAIR SHOPS IN THE AREA, STEVE'S BODY SHOP, WHICH IS NOT A CERTIFIED MERCEDES REPAIR FACILITY. DUE TO STATE FARM'S REQUIREMENT THAT I LEAVE THE CAR AT STEVE'S BODY SHOP, A NON-MERCEDES CERTIFIED REPAIR FACILITY, THE CAR TOOK OVER TWO MONTHS TO REPAIR AND WAS REPAIRED INCORRECTLY DUE TO STEVE NOT BEING A CERTIFIED MERCEDES MECHANIC/FACILITY. WHILE DRIVING HOME I NOTICED THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON (IT HAD NOT BEEN ON PRIOR TO THE CRASH), THE RIGHT SIDE HEAD LAMP WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND WINDOW DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, THE ABC HYDRAULIC WAS NOT FUNCTIONING, AND THERE WAS A DENT ON THE TOP OF MY CAR. NONE OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS EXISTED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. I TOOK STEVE'S AUTO BODY SHOP'S REPAIR ESTIMATE TO A CERTIFIED MERCEDES MECHANIC WHO THOROUGHLY REVIEWED AND RESEARCHED THE REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE, THE PARTS USED, THE COST OF THE PARTS, AND THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. AFTER REVIEWING THE ESTIMATE THE CERTIFIED MERCEDES BENZ MECHANIC INFORMED ME THE ONLY WAY THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE AMOUNT STEVE CHARGED WAS IF NON-MERCEDES BENZ AFTERMARKET PARTS WERE USED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE ASSUMPTION MADE BY THE MERCEDES CERTIFIED MECHANIC PROVED TO BE TRUE. AFTER BRINGING THIS VERY SERIOUS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF STATE FARM THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE PROPERLY REPAIRED. INSTEAD THEY ARE TRYING TO TOTAL MY VEHICLE AND PAY $9200 AS SETTLEMENT OF THE CLAIM. THE AFOREMENTIONED AMOUNT IS MORE THAN $12,000 LESS THAN THE MARKET VALUE OF THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. THE CAR IS NOW UNSALVAGEABLE AND HAS BEEN UNDRIVEABLE FOR 5MONTHS. *TR

1. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I PURCHASED THE AUTO. SOMETHING IN THE FRONT PART OF THE AUTO MAKES A THROBBING NOISE. IT CAUSES EITHER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OR THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO LOSE ITS BALANCE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. IN A ONE HOUR TRIP, IT WILL HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND FOR A PERIOD OF FROM 5 MINUTES TO 20 MINUTES. 2. ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS OR BOTH LOSE THEIR BALANCE. IT FEELS AS IF THE SOME OF THE LUGS HOLDING THE WHEEL ARE LOSE. I WAS STOPPED ONCE BY THE POLICE BECAUSE THE POLICE THOUGHT IT WAS DANGEROUS. I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE AUTO DEALER. IT OCCURS WHEN I CHANGE LANES AND GO OVER THE LANE MARKERS. THE WHEELS START VIBRATING. IT CAUSES EITHER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OR THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO LOSE ITS BALANCE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. IN A ONE HOUR TRIP, IT WILL HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND FOR A PERIOD OF FROM 5 MINUTES TO 20 MINUTES. THE CONSEQUENCE IS THAT THE PROBLEM CAUSES THE FRONT TIRES TO BE EATEN UP FROM JUST THE SIDE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 5,000 MILES. ALSO THE RIMS BECOME BENT AND I HAVE TO REPLACE THE RIM AT MY EXPENSE EVEN THOUGH MY AUTO WAS UNDER ORIGINAL WARRANTY. I HAVE LEARNT SINCE FROM THE DEALER THAT THERE IS A COMPUTER THAT HAS SOFTWARE THAT BALANCES THE TIRES, THAT THE SOFTWARE WAS MADE FOR GERMANY WHERE THERE ARE NO LANE MARKERS, AND SO HERE IN THE USA, THE LANE MARKERS TRIGGER THE SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, THE SOFTWARE CANNOT KEEP UP, BECAUSE THE SOFTWARE WAS NOT WRITTEN FOR SUCH A HAPPENING ( GOING OVER LANE MARKERS ), SO WHEN IT HAPPENS, THE COMPUTER GOES BESERK, AND THE TIRES LOSE COMPLETE BALANCE. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED ON FUTURES YEARS OF S600. MY 2001 S600 WAS THE FIRST YEAR MAKE. 3. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION BLINKED ON AND OFF, THEN FAILED COMPLETELY, MAKING THE GAUGES DIFFICULT TO READ IN THE DAYTIME AND IMPOSSIBLE AT NIGHT. THE SERVICE DEALER'S MOBILE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL # 06V028000 FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL DUE TO THE VIN.

WHILE DRIVING, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO WARNING. *AK THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD SUDDENLY DISENGAGE AND WAS INTERMITTENT, THE WINDOW HAD BLOWN OUT DURING BAD WEATHER, THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL DID NOT FUNCTION MOST OF THE TIME, THE ABC WARNING HAD COME ON, THEN SUDDENLY THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD GONE OUT, THE BRAKE-LINING HAD GONE THIN, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED EMPTY WHEN THE TANK WAS FILLED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD GONE OUT (AGAIN), THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR WASH WHEN WATER GUSHED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WITH THE WINDOWS CLOSED, THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE JUMP STARTED TWICE AND THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, THE TURN SIGNAL HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE AND THE CONSUMER FOUND THE "REAR SAM" FUSE BOX WITH CORROSION ALONG WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. *SCC *JB