2007 Mercedes Benz C280

THIS VEHICLE SHOWS SAME SYMPTOMS AS WHAT WAS INVESTIGATED ON REPORT# VRTC-DCD-3206 BY NHTSA. UPON FILLING UP THE GAS TANK TO FULL, GAS LEAKS FROM SANDING UNIT UNDER REAR PASSENGER SEAT. FEW TIMES THE GAS HAS MADE ITS WAY OUT AND DRIPPED FROM REAR LEFT WHEEL WELL. REACHED OUT TO MB USA AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL WAS ONLY IN E-CLASS AND THEY WILL NOT EXTEND IT TO C-CLASS. I SEE THIS AS A POOR PRODUCT DESIGN AS THE CAR ONLY HAS UNDER 14,000 MILES. IT'S BOTH HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD.

AFTER MY CAR WAS SERVICED ON JANUARY 11, 2013, I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE EVERY TIME I FILLED MY GAS TANK. THE SMELL WAS EVIDENT INSIDE MY CAR AND IN THE GARAGE AND EVEN IN MY HOUSE. AFTER THE THIRD FILLING OF MY GAS TANK AND AN EVER-WORSENING SMELL, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO ASCERTAIN AND FIX THE PROBLEM (MARCH 15, 2013). THEY FOUND FUEL LEAKING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR AND REPLACED IT FOR $1200. I SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ON MARCH 20, 2013, THAT FEDERAL SAFETY REGULATORS ARE INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM IN THE E-CLASS, AND YOU SHOULD KNOW IT IS OCCURRING IN THE 2007 C-CLASS, ALSO. I CAN STILL DETECT AN ODOR, THOUGH NOT AS STRONG, AFTER I FILL THE GAS TANK. *TR

AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK I NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE IN THE CABIN WHILE AT A STOPLIGHT. UPON RETURNING HOME, THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF AND COULD SMELL THE GASOLINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE EXTERIOR. AFTER THE CAR WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR ROUGHLY 3 HOURS, WE NOTICED A "POOL" OF GASOLINE ON THE DRIVEWAY SURFACE. CONTACT WITH MERCEDES-BENZ OF WACO REVEALED THAT THE TECHNICIANS THERE HAVE DONE MANY TANK/SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENTS AS THESE ARE "KNOWN TO FAIL AND BEING OUT OF WARRANTY THESE REPAIRS WOULD COST NO LESS THAN $1800 OUT OF POCKET AND WILL LIKELY NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WE SUGGEST YOU RESEARCH RECALL STATUS AND COMPLAINTS MADE BEFORE DOING A POSSIBLE TEMPORARY FIX." WE ARE CONCERNED WITH DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION AND ARE EXTREMELY UPSET WITH THE LACK OF SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE MERCEDES C280 2007 WHEN IT'S FILLED UP, OR FILLED PAST THE SECOND NOTCH ON THE FUEL METER. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TANK UNDERNEATH THE REAR SEATS REVEALS A VISIBLE FUEL LEAK ON THE LEFT SENDING UNIT A THE TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS SUGGEST THIS LEAKAGE MAY BE RELATED TO A MARCH, 2008 EMISSIONS RECALL CONDUCTED BY MERCEDES BENZ (EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN # 2008-020001) WHICH INVOLVED POTENTIAL CRACKING OF THE FUEL FILTER MODULE IN VEHICLES EXPOSED TO HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. I CONTACTED TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS WHO OWN MERCEDES REPAIR SHOPS, AND THEY BOTH CONFIRMED THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH MERCEDES VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT MODELS AND YEARS. FIXING IS VERY EXPENSIVE (CLOSE TO $800). MEANWHILE, THE LEAKED FUEL COULD IGNITE A FIRE, EXPLOSION, AND, TO THE LEAST EXTENT, IS SENDING FUEL FUME OUT TO THE ENVIRONMENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR