1999 Mercedes Benz E320

1999 MERCEDES BENZ E320, TRAVELING EASTBOUND IN THE CENTER LANE. UNIT 1 HIT HER BRAKES AND A SMALL DRIVE SHAFT BROKE AND TORE A WIRE LOOSE UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CURTAIN SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *BF ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THE BROKEN WIRE MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYING. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0858-90) UPDATED 02/15/11 *BF

DRIVER SIDE SRS AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY. NOT RELATED TO ANY COLLISION OR ACCIDENT. CAR WAS STOPPED, IN PARK, WHEN DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BANGING INTO THE DRIVER LEFT SIDE AND ARM. IF THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN STOPPED, THE DRIVER PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISE TO THE LEFT SIDE AND LEFT ARM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E-320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY LOT WHERE IT WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 112,000. UPDATED 02/23/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AN INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED SOMETHING HAPPENED WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SAY SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT WAS. UPDATED 02/28/11

TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR, THE ABS LIGHTS ON AND THE ASR, FUSE NO 2 ON THE K40 MODULE WAS BLOWN AND THERE WERE ALSO CODES INDICATING THAT NO POWER WAS GOING TO THE ASR HYDRAULIC UNIT. THERE WAS NO SIGNAL FROM THE LEFT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SPEED SENSOR. THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED A WIRING HARNESS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER HAD SHORTED WITH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE AND CREATED A SMALL FIRE THAT BURNED AND DESTROYED THE INSULATING MATERIAL THROUGH APPROX. 7 INCHES OF THE HARNESS. THE SMALL FIRE ALSO BURNED THE INSULATING MATERIAL ON 2 OTHER WIRING HARNESS IN THE VICINITY. THE TECHNICIAN HAS DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE TO BE RELATED TO THE LOCATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THE HARNESS WAS PINNED DOWN TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE BY THE AIR CONDITIONING HOSE ADJACENT TO WHERE 2 PARTS OF THE BODY WHERE JOINED TOGETHER. THE POINT WHERE THE TWO PARTS OF THE BODY WERE JOINED TOGETHER CREATED A SHARP EDGE. OVER TIME THE VIBRATION OF THE ENGINE AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES THE SHARP EDGE TO CUT INTO THE WIRING HARNESS EVENTUALLY WEARING IT TO BARE WIRE. WHEN THE BARE WIRE SHORTED WITH THE BODY, THE FIRE WAS CREATED THUS BURNING A SECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS AND THUS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTIONS INDICATED ABOVE. OVERALL, THE TECHNICIAN AND MANY OTHER REPORTS CLAIM THAT THIS WAS MERCEDES BENZ'S DESIGN FLAW AND FAILURE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS PLACED INCONVENIENTLY UNDERNEATH THE REFRIGERANT LINE. WE CAN PROVIDE THE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE IF NECESSARY.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) SEPTEMBER 12, 1998 I PURCHASED A 1999 E320W.] I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THE CAR. THE CAR IS DRIVEN LEISURELY. TO DATE, IT ONLY HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN REGULARLY OBTAINING THE A & B MAINTENANCE SERVICES. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING FOR MONTHS AND MB ALLEGEDLY CAN'T DIAGNOSE IT; AND I HAVE BEEN USING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. A SECOND OPINION MECHANIC SAID IT IS OIL SLUGGING WHICH WAS RECALLED BUT MB WON'T HONOR. HE ALSO SAID MY ENGINE / MOTOR NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS ALSO AN INTERMITTENT SCRAPING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. DURING ALL OF THE SERVICES TO MB THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL NOR PROVIDED SERVICE TO ENSURE THAT MY CAR WAS NOT AFFECTED. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT A TOTAL RECALL BUT A CASE-BY-CASE SITUATION AND I AM NOT ELIGIBLE. I AM VERY FEARFUL WHEN I AM DRIVING. EACH TIME I GO OUT I FEAR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. I DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR A ENGINE. PLEASE HELP ME. I CAN PROVIDE A TIMELINE OF THE HISTORY OF MY VEHICLE WHICH WITH HINDSIGHT LOOKS LIKE I PURCHASED A LEMON. THE SECOND OPINION MECHANIC INFORMED ME OF THE RECALL/CLASS ACTION BUT MB CONCEALED THE INFORMATION. *TR THE LOCKS WERE INOPERABLE AND THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE SERPENTINE BELT, BALL JOINTS, TIE ROD ENDS WERE ALL REPLACED. THE FUEL SENSOR LEVEL WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS A SHIMMY IN THE SUSPENSION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRES AND LEFT RIM. THE VALVE STEM WAS LEAKING, THE LEFT REAR WINDOW WAS INOPERABLE. THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY, BUT REGULARLY TURN INTO LINE BARS. THE TAIL LIGHT CIRCUIT BOARD AND THE RIGHT REAR TAIL LAMP, RIGHT FRONT HEAD LIGHT AND LEFT FRONT PARKING BULBS WERE HAD TO BE REPLACED UPDATED IVOQ 05/27/10.*JB

DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS IN 1999 MERCEDES BENZ MODEL E320S. CARMAKER SAID TRANSMISSIONS DID NOT REQUIRE SERVICING BECAUSE THEY WERE SEALED. POLICY ONLY APPLIED TO CARS SOLD IN US. RESEARCH REVEALED THIS WAS BECAUSE DEALERSHIPS IN THE US WANTED A PROGRAM TO HELP SELL CARS. THEY THOUGHT IF MZB INCLUDED THE MAINTENANCE IN THE PRICE OF THE CAR, MORE PEOPLE WOULD BUY THEM. HOWEVER, MANY OWNERS, INCLUDING ME DISCOVERED THIS WASN'T TRUE AFTER HAVING REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES E320. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE FAR LEFT. THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO SWAY THE VEHICLE INTO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO AVOID HITTING A PASSING VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO AN EMBANKMENT WHERE THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER TWICE. NEITHER THE FRONT DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE POLICE AND EMT ARRIVED AND THE DRIVER WAS HOSPITALIZED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NECK, HANDS, HEAD AND SHOULDERS. THE POLICE DETERMINED THAT CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS A RESULT OF HIS PASSENGER REAR TIRE BEING FLAT. THE CAUSE OF THE FLAT WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 140,000.