2006 Mercedes Benz CLK500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON A RAINY DAY, THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ENGAGED AND THE "EMERGENCY BRAKE ON" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR BRAKES HAD RUSTED AND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS FALLING APART AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND SUPPORTED THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED GASOLINE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND ONLY WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

MY TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY GOES INTO LOW GEAR WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWS DOWN WITHOUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO WARN TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. IF I PULL OVER & TURN THE ENGINE OFF & BACK ON, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT GEARS NORMALLY FOR A FEW DAYS. THE MERCEDES DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM & NO OTHER CARS DO THIS. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON & THE TRANSMISSION WON'T CHANGE GEARS AT ALL. NOW THE DEALER SAYS THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED FOR $6500. A INDEPENDENT MERCEDES REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THAT MERCEDES MAKES A NEW TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY / ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT, TO FIX MY PROBLEM, FOR $4500 LESS THEN THE DEALER PRICE. HOWEVER, MERCEDES SENT A POLICY LETTER TO THEIR DEALERS ON 4/15/11 THAT SAYS MERCEDES WILL NOT SELL VALVE BODIES / ECU FOR MY TRANSMISSION TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS. THE MERCEDES 4/15/11 LETTER REFERS TO A POLICY DOCUMENT TRP POLICY # PAC003 TO JUSTIFY NOT SELLING THE PART TO NON DEALERS. THIS DOCUMENT DEFINES THEIR RULES FOR SELLING THEFT RELATED PARTS. I READ THE DOCUMENT "PAC003", & IT ONLY SAYS THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP MUST PROVIDE DOCUMENTS THAT PROVE OWNERSHIP. MERCEDES IS IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF MULTIPLE LAWS & REGULATIONS. MERCEDES FORCES ME TO PAY A MUCH HIGHER PRICE TO THEM TO REPAIR THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT & THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I THINK THIS IS CALLED A "MONOPOLY"! THEY USE THE "ANTI THEFT PART" AS AN EXCUSE TO CHARGE ME AN EXTRA $4500. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE STEALING MY CAR. I'M WORRIED ABOUT BEING KILLED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHING INTO ME FROM BEHIND BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SHIFTS INTO LOW GEAR. I'VE BARELY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I SPOKE WITH MANY OTHER OWNERS AT THE DEALERSHIP, & THEY WERE ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS. IT IS TIME FOR THE NHTSA TO STOP MERCEDES GOUGING CUSTOMERS. *JS