1997 Mercedes Benz E320

MY HUSBAND & I WERE OUTSIDE AND HEARD A LOUD CRASH. MY MERCEDES FELL TO THE GROUND ON THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE. IT TOOK 2 JACKS TO LIFT IT UP. WITH THE TIRE OFF HE FOUND THE SPRING PERCH COMPLETELY RUSTED OFF, THE SPRING AND HOLDER ON THE GROUND. OUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD WITH MY SON WHEN IT HAPPENED. WE DID A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH AND FOUND THIS TO BE MORE COMMON THAT WE COULD IMAGINE. THE DEFECT EVEN PROMPTED A RECALL IN CANADA. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR WITH 103K+ MILES. ORIGINALLY IT WAS PURCHASED IN NC BUT I HAVE LIVED IN MN FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW & DRIVE AN SUV IN THE WINTER. I CALLED MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHEN I FOUND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CLOSED. THEY SAID THEY COULD TOW IT TUESDAY & HAVE IT ASSESSED BUT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY IT WOULD BE UP TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE WHAT TO DO AND HOW MUCH TO CHARGE. THE DEFECT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED IN THE US. MERCEDES IS AWARE OF THE ISSUES & DEALERS ARE PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVES AT RISK. I BOUGHT THIS CAR B/C THE 1997 CONSUMER REPORTS RATED IT THE BEST CAR MONEY COULD BUY AND SAFETY WAS THE ONLY REASON I WAS WILLING TO PAY SO MUCH. I WAS ALMOST KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT AND WANTED THE BEST FOR MY UNBORN CHILD. THE BEST COULD HAVE KILLED US TODAY. I WOULD LIKE OTHERS TO BE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE & I WOULD LIKE IT DOCUMENTED SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN A MERCEDES DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WILL BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG, AS I WAS TODAY WHEN THE LADY PUT ME ON HOLD & NEVER CAME BACK. *TR

WHEN I CHANGED TIRES TODAY (MARCH 4, 2007), I FOUND SEVERE CORROSION/RUST ON THE FRONT SPRING PERCHES. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE PERCH WAS ALREADY RUSTED THROUGH ON ONE SIDE. THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. IT IS IN MY GARAGE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES WITH MERCEDES W210 BODY STYLED CARS. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS A 1997 MERCEDES BENZ E320. ON 12/30/06 WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE COIL SPRING FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE AND LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH NO FRONT END SUSPENSION AND NO ABILITY TO STEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT NIGHT, HE WAS DRIVING ON A WIDE ROAD, AND NO ACCIDENT ENSUED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED, BUT THAT THE CONTACT NEVER REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE SPRING PERCH NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE HAS NO SPRING PUSHING IT DOWN ANYMORE. NEITHER THE WEATHER NOR THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE A FACTOR IN THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154000. *JB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE COIL SPRING FROM THE LEFT FRONT OF THE CAR FLEW OFF. IT NEARLY MISSED A CAR DRIVING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND A PEDESTRIAN. APPARENTLY, THE SPRING PERCH BROKE OFF THE CAR ALLOWING THE SPRING TO FLY OUT. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A DEATH. THE DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS A RARE DEFECT ALTHOUGH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SAYS IT IS VERY COMMON. *JB

CAR BEGAN TO RIDE ABNORMALLY; VIBRATION IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND NO MOVEMENT FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION AS WOULD NORMALLY BE OBSERVED AS A RESULT OF SHOCK ABSORBER TRAVEL. BROUGHT THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. AS I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT THE FRONT SUSPENSION TOTALLY COLLAPSED AND THE FRONT SPRINGS FELL OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BODY SHOP AND THE LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER ALL CONFIRM THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT FROM MERCEDES THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS UNWILLING TO RECALL. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES ON THE INTERNET. HAD THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY I AND MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE BODY SHOP FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS AS THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM MERCEDES BENZ IN GERMANY. I AM FORCED PAY FOR A $2800 REPAIR, AS WELL AS RENT A CAR FOR WEEKS WITH NO ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OF THE NECESSARY PART TO REPAIR THE CAR. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OF A FRAME WELD SHOULD NEVER OCCUR ON ANY VEHICLE. THE FACT THAT MERCEDES HAS NOT BEEN FORCED TO ISSUE A RECALL IS OUTRAGEOUS. *JB

CAR (1997 E 320 WITH 90K MILES) WAS IN FOR ROUTINE 90K MAINTENANCE AND MECHANIC FOUND CRACKED SPRING PERCH ASSEMBLY. DEALER CALLED TO TELL ME IT MUST BE FIXED, CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT A FATAL CRASH COULD RESULT AT HIGH SPEEDS. BUT TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. LATER TOLD ME THEY WILL PAY FOR HALF AS PART OF "GOODWILL WARRANTY." HALF??? WHAT IF THERE WAS A CRASH DUE TO THIS? WHAT IF I HAD NOT BROUGHT IT IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE? I WAS TOLD BY AN UNNAMED SOURCE AT THE DEALER THAT THEY SEE "TONS OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE E CLASS, FROM 1996-2000 MODELS." HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE AFFECTED E CLASS. ANOTHER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE OTHER ONE COULD BREAK. BUT THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROACTIVELY REPLACE IT BEFORE IT SHOWS SIGNS OF TROUBLE. HE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE 50% GOODWILL WARRANTY AND SHUT UP OR THEY WOULD PULL THE OFFER OFF THE TABLE!!! UNBELIEVABLE THAT A COMPANY LIKE MERCEDES BENZ WOULD TOLERATE THAT KIND OF CUSTOMER ABUSE FROM A PUNK SERVICE MANAGER. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE A LIFELONG MERCEDES CUSTOMER, BUT AFTER THIS HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER. TOO BAD, BECAUSE THE LOANER CAR I AM DRIVING WHILE MY REPAIR IS BEING DONE IS A FANTASTIC CAR (I'M IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW ONE) AND I'D BUY ONE TOMORROW IF IT WERE NOT FOR THIS. INSTEAD, I WILL BE BUYING A LEXUS. MERCEDES SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY WITH THIS WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM INSTEAD OF PROTECTING CORPORATE PROFITS. SHAME ON YOU MERCEDES BENZ. THIS IS BAD BUSINESS. *NM