2001 Mercedes Benz C320

WE HAVE A 2001, MERCEDES C320 THAT WE HAVE TO UNPLUG THE POWER SEATS ON EVERY TIME WE GET OUT OF THE CAR. THE POWER SEAT MODULE IS FAULTY. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES... HTTP://WWW.BENZWORLD.ORG/FORUMS/MB-SAFETY-TESTIMONIALS/1279095-C320-BATTERY-PROBLEM-PLZ-HELP.HTML . IT IS RIDICULOUS TO PAY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU PAY FOR A MERCEDES AND FOR THEM TO HAVE SO MANY CARS DOING THE SAME EXACT THING WITHOUT HAVING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 2 YEARS NOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ C320. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND FAILED. THE DEALER REMOVED THE FUEL PUMP AND FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC COMPONENT MELTED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AND IT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN EXPLOSION. THE MECHANIC ORDERED A NEW FUEL PUMP, AND DISCOVERED THAT MERCEDES WAS USING A NEW TYPE OF WIRING CONNECTION THAT LINKED THE FUEL PIPE TO THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 76,000. *AK UPDATED 06/08/07. *JB

AT 55,178 MILES (ONLY 5,000 OVER WARRANTY) I HAD TO HAVE MY FAULTY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM REPLACED. DURING THIS REPAIR AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP, THE TECHNICIANS BLEW OUT THE REAR SAM (COMPUTER CONTROLLING DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS, HAZARD LIGHTS, ETC), WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THEIR SHOP. THEY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THE REAR SAM FAILURE WAS AN UNDERLYING FAILURE THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DETECT WITH THE FIRST INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THIS REAR SAM FAILURE WAS NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD INSTALLED THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM, APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER. IN OTHER WORDS, THE INITIAL INSPECTION WAS 100% ABOUT THE FAULTY ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM. IRONICALLY, THE IGNITION DID TURN ON DURING THE INITIAL INSPECTION AND I WAS THERE TO OBSERVE THE SERVICE MANAGER SCROLL THROUGH THE DISPLAY, FIND MY MILEAGE, ETC. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF REAR SAM FAILURE ON 9/19/06, IE, VISIT WORKSHOP ON DISPLAY. NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HAVING ELECTRONIC ISSUES OF SUCH A MAGNITUDE (BOTH IGNITION AND REAR SAM) ON A CAR THAT HAD ONLY 55,000 MILES ON IT, INDICATES THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAS TREMENDOUS ELECTRONICS PROBLEMS. FURTHERMORE, WHILE I WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION PROBLEM THAT I CAME TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX, I EXPECTED THE DEALERSHIP TO TAKE CARE OF THE REAR SAM FAILURE THEY CAUSED. THEY WOULD NOT OFFER TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THEY COULD HAVE AVAILED THEMSELVES OF M-B'S GOOD WILL REPLACEMENT PARTS PROGRAM FOR THE PART AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT VERY LITTLE TIME AND MONEY. THE DEALERSHIP SUBSEQUENTLY SAID THEY DID OFFER TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS A LIE! I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH BOTH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WITH MY CREDIT CARD CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO SEEK REDRESS FOR THE DEALERSHIPS HANDLING OF THIS MATTER. THE CA DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS RECOMMENDED THAT I FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT LIGHT BULB WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE WIRING HARNESS, REAR EXTERIOR LIGHT BULB, AND ADAPTER CABLE FOR THE TAIL LAMPS WERE REPLACED. THE PARK LIGHT ERROR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE REAR LIGHT BULBS. ANOTHER, UNKNOWN, LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE SAM MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE SAME SOLUTION. UPDATED 10/04/06. *JB

BEGINNING ON 10/18/01 TO PRESENT, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 34 DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: (1) REMOTE INOP - 10/18/01; (2) REMOTE INOP - 11/14/01; (3) REPLACED REMOTE - 12/3/01; (4) REMOTE INOP - 12/11/01; (5) REPLACED FRONT PADS & SENSORS - 12/26/02; (6) REPLACED RIGHT FRONT DOOR WINDOW MOTOR - 4/24/03; (7) REPLACED REMOTES - 5/15/03; (8) REPLACED CRANKSHAFT SENSOR & CONNECTOR MODULE - 12/2/03; (9) REPLACED FAULTY REAR SAM CONTROL MODULE - 12/2/03; (10) REPLACED A/C PRESSURE SWITCH - 12/2/03; (11) REPLACED AIR MASS METER SENSOR - 12/11/03; (12) REPLACED RIGHT DOOR WINDOW REGULATOR - 1/5/04; (13) REPLACED REAR SHADE ROLLER BLIND - 1/5/04; (14) REPLACED SIDE BAG CONNECTOR ALL DOORS - 1/9/04; (15) REPLACED RIGHT FRONT DOOR WINDOW SEAL - 2/27/04; (16) REPLACED OIL LEVEL SENSOR & RESEALED OIL PAN - 4/28/04; (17) REPLACED SWAY BAR BUSHING AND CASTER ARMS - 4/28/04; (18) RESEALED ELEC PLUG FOR TRANS - 4/28/04; (19) REPLACED RIGHT REAR DOOR LINKAGE AND KNOB - 7/22/04; (20) REPLACED A/C BLOWER & FAN SPEED REGULATOR - 8/23/04; (21) REPLACED RIGHT REAR DOOR WINDOW REGULATOR - 8/23/04; (22) REPLACED MOUNTING CLIPS & BEARINGS DRIVER SEAT - 8/23/04; (23) REPLACED RIGHT REAR DOOR WINDOW MOTOR - 2/7/05; (24) LOW OIL LIGHT ON, CHANGED OIL & FILTER - 2/7/05; (25) REPLACED OIL SENDING UNIT - 3/17/05; (26) REPLACED RIGHT FRONT SEAT CONTROL MODULE - 5/20/05; (27) REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND REGULATOR - 5/20/05; (28) REPLACED DRIVER SIDE SEAT CLAMPS & PINS - 5/20/05; (29) REPLACED BRAKE PADS, SHOES, ROTORS AND DISC - 5/20/05; (30) REPLACED LEAKING TRANS PLUG AND LEAKING PAN GASKET - 5/20/05; (31) FUEL GAUGE INOP - 6/27/05. AT PRESENT "REMOTE WILL NOT OPEN TRUNK & MALFUNCTION (ELECT STAB PROG ESP) IS ON. I HAVE ASKED THAT VEHICLE BE REPLACED WITH A RELIABLE VEHICLE OF SAME TYPE AND MILEAGE, HQ MERCEDES LLC HAS REFUSED ON 2 OCCASIONS. I HAVE CONTACT WITH THE DEPT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS.*JB

LOW OIL LIGHT COMES ON WHEN VEHICLE IS DRIVEN FOR 1 HOUR OR MORE CONTINUOUSLY. PROBLEM STARTED AT 41,458 MILES AND STILL EXIST AT 64,892. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP (DICK DYER & ASSOCIATES, COLUMBIA, SC) FIVE (5) TIMES FOR THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. DURING EACH VISIT, DEALER EITHER ADDED UP TO A QUART OF OIL OR DID A COMPLETE OIL CHANGE. DEALER CANNOT CORRECT OR FIND THE CAUSE.*JB

DT: CONSUMER WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS NAVIGATION, RADIO/CD, TELEPHONE, VOICE COMMAND, GAS GAUGES, AND POWER WINDOWS WERE NOT WORKING. SINCE THEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS WERE REPLACED TWICE, AND WILL BE REPLACED THE THIRD TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND CONTACTED MERCEDES ,WHO SAID THEY COULD REPLACE NAVIGATION AND THE RADIO/CD WHICH S\WERE CONNECTED BY SAME COMPUTER FOR $3,000. DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED, BUT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED OR REPAIRED.*AK

DT: CAR HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS FROM AIR BAGS TO BRAKES TO ALTERNATOR. OWNER DOESNT THINK HE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS, ACTUALLY THE MAIN CONCERN HE HAS IS ABOUT THE WARRANTY. UPON PURCHASE, THE VEHICLE AIR BAG LIGHTS CAME ON, THEN THE BRAKES AND ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AS WELL. THE BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE. THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AFTER THE OWNER INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY. *JB