2003 Mercedes Benz E Class

THE CAR HAS A VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL. THE GASOLINE ODOR PERMEATES THE CABIN AND, WHEN PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE, CAUSES A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF GAS FUMES THAT OVERWHELMS A THREE CAR GARAGE AS WELL AS THE 1000 SQUARE FEET LOCATED ABOVE THE GARAGE (EVEN WITH ALL ADJOINING DOORS CLOSED). SHOULD THE GASOLINE CONCENTRATION REACH THE PROPER LEVEL, IT MAY CREATE A FIRE OR EXPLOSION HAZARD. ONCE THE TANK IS 1/8 EMPTY, THE FUEL ODOR GOES AWAY AND DOES NOT RETURN UNTIL THE GAS TANK IS ONCE AGAIN FULL. HAD AUTO CHECKED BY THE LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER AND THEY STATED PROBLEM COULD NOT BE LOCATED BUT I NEEDED TO REPLACE ENTIRE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY TO RESOLVE ISSUE. TOOK CAR TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO FOUND SIGNS OF GASOLINE LEAKAGE COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK AND RUNNING DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE TANK. BASED ON RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON THE WEB, IT APPEARS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH E CLASS MERCEDES YEARS 2003 TO 2006. THE POSTINGS FOUND ON SEVERAL MERCEDES BENZ OWNER SITES INDICATES THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DETECTED SINCE THE CARS WERE NEW. A PERSONAL FRIEND, WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL, HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PREVALENCE OF THE ISSUE INDICATES A DESIGN/ ENGINEERING FAILURE THAT RESULTS IN GASOLINE LEAKING FROM 'SOMEWHERE' IN THE FUEL SYSTEM IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL TANK. I REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF ORDERING A RECALL TO ADDRESS AN OBVIOUS UNDERDESIGN FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENT. *TR

I OWN A MERCEDES BENZ E-500, 2003, WITH ONLY 31,700 MILES ON IT. ON FRIDAY, JULY 16, I HAD IT SERVICED AT MY LOCAL MB DEALER IN LARCHMONT, NY. ON SUNDAY, JULY 18, AS I STARTED THE CAR IN MY GARAGE, A WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED SAYING "STOP. CAR TOO LOW". I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY WILL LOOK AT IT BUT, I BELIEVE IT IS A FAILURE OF THE FRONT RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) AIRMATIC SUSPENSION, THE CAR IS OBVIOUSLY OUT OF WARRANTY BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, AFTER ONLY 31,700 MILES, THAT SUCH A PART CAN FAIL. I'M RATHER HESITANT TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY ARE ASSURING ME THAT IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE. IN MY RESEARCH I FOUND THAT MB HAS HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THIS TYPE OF PART AND I WISH FOR THE NHTSA TO TAKE SOME SORT OF ACTION TO FORCE MB TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED TWO RECALL LETTERS WERE RECEIVED REGARDING THE BRAKES, #05V133000 AND #04V296000. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE REPAIR WORK DID NOT NEED TO BE COMPLETED. THE CONTACT THEN ALERTED THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE WORK WAS NOT DONE, AND THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIPS DISCRETION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE WORK NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED.

I WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR-END COLLISION IN 9-04 WHERE MY 2003 MERCEDES (MB) WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME. MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP IN TIME EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TRAVELING ONLY ABOUT 20 MPH AND THAT I APPLIED QUICK, MAXIMUM PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES. THERE WAS ONE OTHER "CLOSE-CALL" A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I CALLED THE MERCEDES CUSTOMER SERVICE 800 # AND THE MERCEDES DEALER, BOTH OF THEM DENIED THAT THERE WERE ANY REPORTS OR RECALLS OF BRAKE FAILURE. THEREFORE I WAS DEEMED TO BE AT FAULT FOR THE ACCIDENT AT THAT TIME. WHEN I TOOK MY MB FOR ROUTINE SERVICE IN 2-05, THE TECH INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A BRAKE RECALL AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE THE REPAIR. NOW IN 2-06, I RECEIVED YET ANOTHER BRAKE RECALL (CAMPAIGN # 2005-110001). ONE STATEMENT IN THE RECALL WAS "THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WILL BE NOTICEABLY LONGER WHICH COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH." MY PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING MB RESULTED IN THEIR REPEATED DENIAL THAT THEY WERE AT FAULT FOR THE BRAKE FAILURE AND THE ACCIDENT. WITH THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED AND THE REPEATED NATURE OF THE BRAKE RECALLS, I FEEL THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD REIMBURSE MYSELF AND OTHERS LIKE ME FOR THE INCREASES IN THE INSURANCE PREMIUM AS WELL AS THE INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE. IT IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR THE INTEGRITY OF A RENOWNED CAR COMPANY. *JB

I OWN A MERCEDES E 500 ,YEAR 2004.I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE BRAKE PROBLEM AFTER I ALMOST KILL MYSELF WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED YESTERDAY. THE MERCEDES FAILED TO INFORM THE CONSUMER ESP. THIS KIND OF DEFECT. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS RECALL WAS SINCE MAY AND HAD TO EXPERIENCE MYSELF BEFORE RECEIVING THE RECALL LETTER. THIS IS NOT A GOOD BUSSINESS PRACTICE AND IN FACT A NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE COMPANY. THIS CAN CAUSE MY LIFE AND MAY OTHERS WHO OWN THE SAME MODEL OF CAR IN WHOM I KNOW A FEW AND THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RECALL LETTER.