1994 Mercedes Benz E320

RECENTLY BOUGHT CAR. WIRING HARNESS HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED, BUT COMPUTER HAS NOT ACTED CORRECTLY SINCE THE WIRING SHORTED OUT DUE TO FAULTY INSULATION. THROWING FAULTS AND NO IDLE. SURGES FORWARD OR BACKWARDS ON ITS OWN. WHILE BACKING IT OUT OF GARAGE, IT SURGED BACKWARDS SO FAST THE BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD. HIT TRACTOR PARKED IN DRIVEWAY BEFORE GETTING IT STOPPED. BROKE REAR BUMPER COVER. I HAVE OLDER VEHICLES (1974 CHEVY) (1990 CHEVY PICKUP) WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WIRING PROBLEMS. NOW I HAVE A REALLY NICE 1994 E320 THAT IS JUNK BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD THE $12 - $1500 TO REPAIR IT. I CAN NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL I CAN HAVE IT REPAIRED. GOOD THING I WASN'T IN TRAFFIC BEHIND A COP WHEN IT DECIDED TO SURGE FORWARD ON IT'S OWN, OR I WOULD BE WRITING THIS FROM INSIDE A JAIL CELL. *TR

DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS KNOWN TO EXIST ON MANY MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLES MADE FROM 1990 ON, I HAVE THE EXCESSIVE EXPENSE OF REPAIRING AND REPLACING EXPENSIVE PARTS (THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS) IN THIS VEHICLE THAT FAILED PREMATURELY DUE TO FAULTY WIRING INSULATION. THE WIRING INSULATION IS INEFFICIENT AND WAS CORRECTED ON LATER MODELS, BUT CONSIDERING THAT IT IS A POOR DESIGN ON MERCEDES PART, I BELIEVE THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WIRING ISSUE. THESE CARS DO JUSTIFY THEIR PRICE IF MAINTAINED PROPERLY, AND MY VEHICLE IS OLDER AND ASIDE FROM THE WIRING HARNESS, IS IN GOOD RUNNING ORDER; YET ME, AS A CUSTOMER WHO PAYS THE PRICE TO MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE, I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS JUSTIFIED THAT MERCEDES ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE VEHICLE PRICE THE COST OF A SUPPOSED QUALITY WIRING HARNESS, YET WHEN IT FAILS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW, THE CONSUMER PAYS THE PRICE TO HAVE IT REPLACED WITH WHAT SHOULD HAVE ORIGINALLY BEEN INSTALLED. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT IN THE RECENT ROUGH ECONOMY THAT AN AUTO MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD RESULT IN MILLIONS LOST, AND ATTEMPT TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS ON THE FLAW BY CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR THE UPDATED HARNESS, BUT I FEEL THAT IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES AND SHOULD BE SORTED OUT FOR DRIVERS OF ALL VEHICLES WITH THE FAULTY HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE ON A SAFETY BASIS, IF IT HAS JEOPARDIZED THE LIFE OF THE DRIVER, THEN IT SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE (SURELY THAT IS THE LEAST THAT COULD BE DONE). MY CAR HAD A SHORT TODAY IN THE WIRING HARNESS AND IT CAUSED UNINTENDED SURGE OF ACCELERATION WHEN I PULLED UP TO A CURB AND THE CAR JUMPED OVER THE CURB AND BROKE OFF A BIG PLASTIC PIECE OF THE BUMPER. I ASK MYSELF WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THIS HAPPENED? *TR

STARTED THE CAR AT WORK AND IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH HAD NO ACCELERATION. WENT INTO LIMP HOME MODE AND I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. MY HUSBAND IS A MECHANIC AND FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS WAS DETERIORATING, FLAKING AND FALLING APART EXPOSING ALL THE WIRES. THE CAR WOULD NO LONG EVEN START. I CALLED MERCEDES TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HELP WITH THE COST OF THE PART REPLACEMENT. THEY DENIED ANY PROBLEM WITH THE PRODUCT AND WOULD NOT ASSIST IN ANY REPAIR. I LOGGED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM UNDER MY NAME AND HAVE TRIED MANY TIMES TO GET ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. THE CAR IS STILL SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AS THE REPLACEMENT HARNESS IS OVER A $1000. *TR