2002 Mercedes Benz C Class

THE 1ST INCIDENT; MY MERCEDES C240 WAS ONLY 2 MONTHS NEW. 2ND INCIDENT AT 10.5 MOS, 3RD: EXACLTY 1 YEAR, 4TH: 1 YR/3 WKS, 5TH: 13 MOS. ALL 5 TIMES THE CAR EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT DYING OUT OF THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING, & BRAKES. 3 OF THE 5 INCIDENTS THE CAR WOULD NOT START & REQUIRED A TOW TO THE DEALER, HAVING THE DEALERS WORK ON THE CAR ONLY TO HAVE THE CAR DIE OUT AGAIN. BIGGEST COMPLAINT BESIDES MINE, MY CHILDREN, & OTHER FELLOW FREEWAY TRAVELERS LIVES BEING IN DANGER IS THE LACK AND DISRESPCTFUL ATTITUDE OF THAT FROM MERCEDES BENZ'S CUSTOMER SERVICE.

IN OCTOBER OF 2001, I PURCHASED A NEW (2002) MERCEDES BENZ C-240. IT CAME EQUIPPED WITH GERMAN MADE CONTINENTAL CONTOURING TIRES. IT IS WITH THESE TIRES THAT I AM EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM. I HAVE 19,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND ALREADY HAVE HAD TWO SLOW LEAKS IN TWO DIFFERENT TIRES (PASSENGER SIDE FRONT/REAR). THE FIRST TIRE LEAKED (AT ABOUT 17,000 MILES) BUT ABLE TO BE PATCHED. WHEN I BROUGHT THE SECOND TIRE INTO AN STS TIRE DEALER, I NOTICED THAT THEY SOLD CONTINENTAL TIRES. SINCE I HAD THE TWO PROBLEMS, I ASKED THE MANAGER IF THEY SOLD MANY CONTINENTAL TIRES AND EXPLAINED MY EXPERIENCES (IN BOTH CASES THE TIRES HAD NAILS, OR SIMILAR METAL, EMBEDDED IN THEIR TREAD). AGAIN, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THE TIRE WAS REPAIRED. IN THE SECOND INSTANCE, THE DAMAGE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE TIRE AND COULD NOT BE PROPERLY PATCHED. I HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW TIRE. HERE IS MY CONCERN. THE STS MANAGER, ASKED ME IF MY TIRES WERE FACTORY TIRES. I INDICATED THAT THEY WERE THE ONES THAT CAME WITH THE (NEW) CAR. HE INDICATED THAT FACTORY TIRES ARE TYPICALLY MADE TO THE SPECIFICATION OF THE AUTO MANUFACTURER, NOT THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. HE EXPLAINED THAT BECAUSE THE AUTO MAKER ORDERS TIRES IN SUCH QUANTITY, THEY CAN SET THEIR PRICE. IN MOST CASES, FOR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT PRICE, THEY NEED TO ADJUST THE COMPOSITE FORMULA OF THE TIRE -- ESSENTIALLY MANUFACTURING INFERIOR TIRES. THIS WAS HIS EXPLANATION OF WHY I MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH MY FACTORY TIRES. HE FURTHER INDICATED THAT TIRES SOLD TO TIRE RETAILERS ARE MANUFACTURED TO THE TIRE MAKERS' STANDARDS AND WILL PROVIDE A MUCH LONGER USEFUL LIFE (HE INDICATED 60,000 + THOUSAND MILES FOR THE CONTINENTAL CONTOURING TIRE I JUST PURCHASED TO REPLACE MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRE). THE KICKER IS THAT CONTINENTAL DOES NOT WARRANTY THEIR TIRES AGAINST ROAD HAZARDS! IF HIS EXPLANATION ABOUT FACTORY TIRES IS TRUE, THIS IS VERY DISTURBING AND I BELIEVE THAT CONSUMERS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW.

3/03 WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF PURCHASING MY 2002 C-240, THE AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING, FUEL GAUGE FAILED, HEADLIGHT WASHER BROKE, AND ONE OF THE VENTS ON THE DASH FELL APART. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER 2002 C-240, AND WHILE DRIVING THE LOANER CAR IN THE MOUNTAINS, IT BEGAN DOWN SHIFTING ITSELF AND THERE WAS NO POWER. CAR WOULD COME TO COMPLETE STOP AND THEN WOULD START MOVING AGAIN. HAPPENED 6 TIMES. MERCEDES DEALER THOUGHT WAS ISOLATED INCIDENT. I FELT IT WAS VERY SERIOUS AS I WAS ON INTERSTATE WHEN IT WOULD SUDDENLY STOP IN TRAFFIC. COULD HAVE CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. 4/03 AIR CONDITIONING NOT WORKING AGAIN. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING MY C-240 BETWEEN 30 & 60 MPH I CAN FEEL A VIBRATION ON THE SHIFT LEVER & THE STEERING WHEEL & IF PUT MY HAND ON TOP OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. YOU CAN SENSE THE VIBRATION AROUND YOU. IT SEEMS TO COME FROM THE POWER TRAIN, VIA DRIVE SHAFT, TRANS. OR DIFFERENTIAL, THE DEALER REPLACED & BALANCED ALL FOUR TIRES, AND IT I THUOGHT IT WAS CORRECTED BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSITS SOMETIMES IT IS MORE NOTICIBLE THAN OTHERS, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT BUT ON A TEST DRIVE THE SERVICE MAN SAID HE CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING WRONG & THAT IT MIGHT BE ME....