2000 Mercedes Benz C230

2000 MERCEDES C230 DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED 4 TIMES ON THIS CAR, AND THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. THIS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS COLLISION, AS DRIVERS BEHIND ARE NOT AWARE THAT I'M SLOWING DOWN/STOPPING. ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WHEN THE BRAKE SWITCH FAILED, IT WAS ALSO NOT POSSIBLE TO SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF THE "PARK" POSITION. DURING THE LAST FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION WORKED OK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LID SPRINGS FAILED IN THE CLOSED TRUNK LID POSITION. IF THE TRUNK LID IS MANUALLY LIFTED, IT MAY NOT REMAIN IN THE UP POSITION AND COULD INJURE SOMEONE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HINGE SPRING BRACKET AND ASSOCIATED SPRINGS. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $829.17. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V285000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK:LID:LOCK). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

1.) NO ACCIDENT THOUGH CAR WAS CONSIDERED TOO UNSAFE TO DRIVE WHEN REAR COIL SPRING WAS DISCOVERED AS BROKEN WHEN MY WIFE TOOK THE CAR TO NEW COUNTRY MOTORS; HARTFORD, CT TO INVESTIGATE A VERY INTERMITTENT "THUNK" FROM THE REAR UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR WHICH WAS INITALLY WAS THOUGHT TO BE SOMETHING IN THE TRUNK. 2.) WE WERE PLANNING TO TAKE THE CAR ON A 800 MILE TRIP THAT EVENING AND HAD NO IDEA THAT THE NOISE INDICATED AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION (SPRING COULD DISLODGE AND GO THROUGH TIRE RESULTING IN A MAJOR LOSS OF CONTROL). 3.) WE HAD TO RENT A CAR AT A COST OF $170 PLUS PAY FOR THE LABOR AND ALIGNMENT $632 DESPITE THE DEALER/MERCEDES PAYING FOR THE 2 REPLACEMENT REAR COIL SPRINGS. (APPROX $100 VALUE) I ASKED FOR THJE OLD PARTS, BUT THE MANAGER SAID THAT THEY WERE BEING SENT TO MERCEDES FOR EVALUATION AND THEN HE WOULD GIVE THEM TO ME.

ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. RINGS ON THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF RINGS. *AK THE DEALER DID NOT HONOR THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY. THE SPEAKERS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY CHANGE THE RADIO SOUND, CENTER CONSOLE DID NOT OPEN PROPERLY, VOLUME DID NOT WORK, THERE WAS A WIND NOISE COMING FROM BEHIND THE DRIVER WHILE IN MOTION, DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER WAS EXTREMELY HOT, BLOWER MOTOR WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE FAN SPEED CONTROL SWITCH ILLUMINATION WAS INOPERATIVE AT TIMES. *SC *JB