1999 Mercedes Benz E Class

WHILE DRIVING CAR ON A LOCAL EXCURSION OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL NO LONGER LINED UP STRAIT. TOWARD THE END OF THE TRIP, I NOTED WHAT SEEMED LIKE STEERING IRREGULARITIES, THEN A RUBBING/ WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT. AFTER ARRIVING HOME AFTER DARK, I COULD SMELL HOT RUBBER. ALSO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE NEXT MORNING, I REMOVED MY FRONT LEFT TIRE TO INSPECT THE AREA. I FOUND THE END OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CRACKED OPEN FROM THE BOTTOM AND BENT UPWARD. THE CONTROL ARM IS HOLLOW AND APPEARED TO HAVE RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, WHICH APPARENTLY CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS BENT INWARD AND THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS LOWER THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. DURING MY TRAVELS, I HAD NOT HIT ANY BUMPS TO CAUSE SUCH DAMAGE. HAD THIS BROKEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I FEEL VERY LUCKY. AFTER AN ONLINE SEARCH, I FOUND TWO OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING IN THIS MODEL MERCEDES. ALSO, MY INDEPENDENT MERCEDES REPAIR SHOP HAS SEEN THIS FAILURE BEFORE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E55. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE UPPER SPRING PERCH FRACTURED, WHICH RESULTED IN A SEPARATION FROM THE FRAME. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

I OWN A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E55 AMG (W210). AFTER PARKING THE CAR WHILE GROCERY SHOPPING, I RETURNED AND FOUND THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING AND TWO OTHER PARTS WERE FOUND LYING UNDER THE VEHICLE. I MOVED THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL BROKEN PARTS AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME AT 15 MPH, MAKING ONLY VERY MINOR TURNS (FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE). UPON INSPECTION WITH THE WHEEL OFF, THE UPPER SPRING PERCH HAD BECOME ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME RAIL, SEVERED THE ABS SENSOR WIRE (WHICH CAUSED SEVERAL WARNING CODES RELATED TO THE ABS, BAS AND ESP BRAKING SYSTEMS), AND HAD ALSO CHIPPED THE INNER RIM OF THE WHEEL AND PUT A VERY LARGE SLASH NEAR THE BEAD OF THE TIRE. I HAD JUST INSPECTED THE PASSENGER SIDE THE WEEK PRIOR WHILE CHANGING A FLAT TIRE, AND WITNESSED NO CORROSION/RUST WHATSOEVER. VEHICLE HAS 90,000 MILES, HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN THE WINTER, AND THE ONLY RUST ON THE VEHICLE IS WHERE THE SPRING PERCH TORE AWAY FROM THE FRAME RAIL. THE REST OF THE CAR, BODY AND UNDERCARRIAGE, IS RUST FREE. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER AND WAS OFFERED NO HELP, AND STRONGLY DISCOURAGED AGAINST THERE BEING ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE DONE FOR ME, AS IF THEY WERE READING A SCRIPT RELATING TO THE AGE OF THE CAR AND LOCATION/CLIMATE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MB USA, WHO IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM. *TR

ON APRIL 27, 2008 MY CAR'S FRONT LEFT SIDE SPRING FAILED WHEN DRIVING BACK HOME AT A SPEED OF 30 MPH. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL AND GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE PERCH RIPPED OFF, IT SOUNDS LIKE MY WHEEL CAME OFF. THE STEERING WAS JAMMED AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THE SPRING ON THE PAVEMENT. ON MAY 3, 2008 I DROVE TO NEAREST AUTO SHOP WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY AND PAID $80 FOR AN INITIAL CHECK UP AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. THE SPRING PERCH RUSTED AWAY AND BROKE. I COMPLAINED WITH MERCEDES BENZ USA AND I DID NOT GET ANY ANSWER FROM THEM. IT'S BEEN IN MY GARAGE FOR FIVE MONTHS. *TR

ON APRIL 27 2008 MY CAR'S FRONT LEFT SIDE SPRING PERCH FAILED WHEN DRIVING HOME AT A SPEED OF 30MPH. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL AND GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE PERCH RIPPED OFF, IT SOUNDED LIKE MY WHEEL CAME OFF. THE STEERING WAS JAMMED AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THE SPRING ON THE PAVEMENT. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME. ON MAY 3, I DROVE TO THE NEAREST AUTO SHOP WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY AND PAID $80 FOR AN INITIAL CHECK UP AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. THE SPRING PERCH RUSTED AWAY AND BROKE. I HAVE HAD 4 MERCEDES SO FAR, 1984 300D, 1987 SEL 420, 1991 300D AND THIS 1999 E300D. I'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SPRING PERCHES WITH THE 3 OLDER MODELS BUT, THIS 1999 E300D HAD THIS PROBLEM. THIS 1999 E300D WILL BE THE LAST MERCEDES I WILL EVER OWN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS. ON AUGUST 27, 2007, WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE DECELERATED AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HOOD APPEARED LOWER TO THE GROUND THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED A COIL SPRING ROLLING ACROSS THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT DRIVE OVER ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRONT SPRING PERCH MOUNT WAS RUSTED AND SHEARED OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120,000.

1999 MERCEDES-BENZ E-300 AND E-430 ANTI-NOISE CAPSULE FELL OFF***CC SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL LEAPED INTO THE AIR WITH A LOUD BANG. THE CONSUMER ASSUMED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE MOMENTARILY THEN MOVED SLOWLY OFF THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION THE CONSUMER SAW THAT NONE OF THE TIRES HAD BLOWN OUT BUT THAT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE HAD DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE SAME PART CAME OFF THE CONSUMER E430 TEN DAYS AGO. ON THE E430 MODEL THE PART IS CALLED A COOLING PAN. *NM

1999 MERCEDES BENZ E300 TURBO DIESEL OVERFLOW FUEL LINES CRACKS AND LEAKS. FUEL DRIPS TO GARAGE FLOOR, CREATING DANGEROUS FUEL/AIR MIXTURE IN AN ENCLOSED ENVIRONMENT. RETURNED CAR TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALER SERVICE SAID THIS IS COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THIS CAR, BECAUSE CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD AND THE OVERFLOW FUEL LINES ARE MADE OF RUBBER AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. COST OF REPLACEMENT ABOUT $1,000.00. *NM