1997 Mercedes Benz E320

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

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND THE FRAME JUST DROPPED. THE DRIVE FELT LIKE I HAD ALL FLAT TIRES. IF I WAS TRAVELING AT AN INCREASED SPEED, I WOULD HAVE CRASHED. LATER I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SPRING PERCH RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE-OUT. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1997 E320 MERCEDES AND NO ONE WILL ISSUE A RECALL UNTIL A FAMILY DIES. THE DEALERSHIP TRANSFERRED MY CAR TO THE BODY REPAIR SHOP AND PAID HALF OF THE COST. SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE AN EXECUTIVE DECISION AND ISSUE A RECALL.*JB

THE SPRING SUPPORT OR CUP IN THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WELL BROKE AWAY CAUSING A TREMENDOUSLY BIG NOISE. THIS APPARENTLY WAS CAUSED BY MERCEDES NOT USING A HIGH QUALITY SEALANT ALLOWING WATER TO GET INTO THE WELDS. CORROSION AND FAILURE FOLLOWED. I HAVE READ THAT THIS COMMON IS COMMON AMONGST 300 CLASS CARS AND THAT THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT BEING PURSUED IN CANADA. *JB

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY 1997 E320 IN 2003 I TOOK THE CAR IN TO REPORT AN ODD ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION WHILE DRIVING IN CRUISE CONTROL. DEALER AT NEWPORT BEACH CA TOLD ME THAT CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT DESIGNED TO DRIVE IN HILLS, ALL OF OC IS FULL OF HILLS. THEY DID NOTHING TO REPAIR PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. IN ADDITION I REPORTED THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL OPENER TO NOT WORK IN TEMP ABOVE 80 DEGREES. I'M NOT SURE IF THE PROBLEM IS RELATED. IN 2005 THE SENSOR NOTICE CAME ON TO REPORT ELECTRONIC PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE MB IN AUSTIN TEXAS. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $400 TO FIX. SINCE WE WERE ON AN EXTREMELY TIGHT BUDGET I ASKED HIM IF IT WENT UN-REPAIRED IF I WAS WORSENING A PROBLEM OR ENDANGERING MY SELF OR MY FAMILY IF I CONTIUED TO DRIVE IT THAT WAY. HE SAID IT WOULD BE OK TO DRIVE. NOW A FEW MONTHS LATER AROUND JANUARY (COLD WEATHER) THE CAR STARTED TO IDLE INTO VIBRATIONS AND A STRONG GAS SCENT FILLS THE CAR. NOT TRUSTING THE MB I TOOK MY CAR TO FIRESTONE, THEY TOLD ME IT NEEDED A SERIOUS TUNE UP...WHICH SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I DID ONE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO...I'M NOT SURE WHO TO TRUST AND NOW I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE HARNESS WIRING AND THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SPONTANEOUS FIRES. *JB