1998 Mercedes Benz C230

ON 09/06/2015 @ APPROX. 1:30 P.M., MY WIFE, SELF, AND GRANDCHILDREN WERE TRAVELING HOME FROM OUR GRANDSONS FIRST JFL FOOTBALL GAME FOR THE SEASON. AFTER INSPECTING THE SUSPENSION I NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRING WAS FULLY EXPANDED AND ARCHED OUTWARD BADLY. FURTHER INSPECTION NOTICED THAT THE UPPER COIL SPRING CUP/MOUNT HAD RUSTED AWAY AND ALLOWED THE FRONT END TO DROP, FLATTENING THE SUSPENSION ALLOWING THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY TO REST UPON THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. I DID SOME RESEARCH TO FIND ANY INFORMATION THAT I COULD TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT JUST HAPPENED. MY SEARCH GATHERED ME ALL KINDS OF OWNERS WHO WERE ANGERED THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL FOR SUCH A MAJOR PART THAT IS WELDED TO THE BODY AND RUSTS AWAY IN MAN Y INCIDENCES. MERCEDES BENZ WILL NOT WARRANTY THIS PROBLEM. MANY HAVE STATED THE POSSIBILITIES OF MANY ACCIDENTS THAT HAVE INJURED AND/OR HAVE KILLED THOUSANDS YET IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE WELDS OR RUSTED INSULATED WELDS, NO ONE WOULD THINK THAT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE AND IT GOES UNATTENDED! I CALLED MY LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER AND THEY TELL ME THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS PROBLEM, BUT, THEY CAN TRANSFER ME TO THE PARTS DEPARTMENT SO I MAY BUY THE PARTS TO THEN TAKE TO A BODY SHOP TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THEM WELD NEW PARTS ON . MERCEDES BENZ DEALER SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAVE SOLD MANY OF THESE REPAIR PARTS. A FORUM ON LINE STATES THAT THERE WAS LEGISLATION THAT THERE MUST BE A SECTION CUT OUT OF THE BODY AND A NEW REPLACEMENT PART WELDED IN PLACE. I AM GOING TO TRY TO GAIN INFORMATION FOR AN AREA TERRITORY REPRESENTATIVE TO DISCUSS WHAT PART MERCEDES BENZ WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITIES TO REPAIR THE FAILED WELDS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL, "IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH!"

THE WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR LEAKS AND MUST BE REPLACED. MERCEDES-BENZ CHOSE TO CHARGE $282.98 FOR THIS REPLACEMENT FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THE PART SEEMS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING, THIS DEFECT CAN PREVENT THE WINDSHIELD FROM BEING CLEARED, AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND DEATH. MERCEDES-BENZ CARS WITH THE DEFECTIVE PART NUMBER MUST BE RECALLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ C230. WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO DISCOVERED A FUEL LEAK AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I WAS SITTING STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WITH THE ENGINE OFF, AND THE FRONT DRIVERS' SIDE OF MY VEHICLE JUST SPONTANEOUSLY DROPPED AS IF THAT PART OF THE VEHICLE HAD FALLEN INTO A SINK HOLE. I WAS WAITING FOR A DRAW BRIDGE TO COME DOWN AFTER A SAILBOAT PASSED, SO THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT WHAT HAD HAPPENED, I COULD SEE THAT THE FRONT SPRING HAD SEPARATED FROM ITS TOP MOUNT IN WHAT I ASSUME WAS THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I SEARCHED ON-LINE I FOUND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH VARIOUS MODELS OF MERCEDES BENZ. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED I AND ANYONE ELSE IN THE CAR COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN KILLED, NOT TO MENTION OTHER VEHICLES, SINCE THE VEHICLE STEERING IS ALSO COMPROMISED WITH THE WHEEL BOTTOMING-OUT ON THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS A '98, BUT WITH ONLY 148,000, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. CLEARLY IT'S A DESIGN FLAW. WHY DOES NHTSA LET MERCEDES BENZ GET AWAY WITH THIS WITHOUT DEMANDING A RECALL? WHEN YOU LOOK ON THE WEB, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE, AND NOT ONLY IS MERCEDES REFUSING TO FIX IT FOR FREE, DEALERS ARE CHARGING CUSTOMERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE DESIGN FLAW. I JUST GOT A QUOTE OF $2,000 FROM ONE DEALER OVER THE PHONE TO FIX BOTH FRONT SPRING PERCHES, AND IT COULD BE MORE IF ANYTHING IS DAMAGED OTHER THAN THE PERCH ITSELF. HE SAID OTHER DEALERS ARE CHARGING $5,000 FOR THE REPAIR TO BOTH SIDES. WHAT COULD BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN HAVING YOUR FRONT-END SUSPENSION DISINTEGRATE SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT WARNING? *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND NOTICED THE FRONT END DROP AND THE CAR WAS NOT HANDLING RIGHT. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND HAD ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE SHOCKS. THAT'S WHEN I WAS INFORMED THAT THE COIL SPRING MOUNT WAS CRACKED AND WAS SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME, I WAS ALSO INFORMED THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS NOT MUCH BETTER... THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO A RUST ISSUE ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS STORED WINTERS. VERY DISAPPOINTING.. I WILL ATTEMPT TO HAVE THIS REPAIR COST COVERED BY MERCEDES IF NOT AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER MERCEDES..NOR WILL I ALLOW ANYONE ELSE I KNOW MAKE THIS MISTAKE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY, AND THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED, THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,748.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ C230. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY, AND THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. HE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,000 . THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,748.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE UPPER COIL-SPRING MOUNT TORE AWAY FROM THE BODY STRUCTURE, EJECTING THE COIL SPRING AND BUSHING, COLLAPSING THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND RENDERING THE CAR IMMOBILE. THE CAR WAS PARKED AT THE TIME SO NO COLLISION. IF THE CAR WAS MOVING AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO STEER IT. DUE TO ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OF $1500-2000 VERSUS RESALE VALUE, THE CAR WAS SOLD AS-IS AND TOWED AWAY. *TR