2000 Mercedes Benz E320

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT OF THE VEHICLE FRACTURED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG, BUT THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

2000 MERCEDES BENZ E-320. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION CAUSED THE DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVE SHAFT DROPPED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. WHEN THE STATE TROOPER ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, HE NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAD LOST ALL OF ITS TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IT WAS LIKELY THE DRIVE SHAFT HIT A TRANSMISSION LINE AND CAUSED IT TO RUPTURE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS, AS IT WAS NOT WORTH THE EXPENSE OF FIXING. THE CONSUMER DID NOT BELIEVE, THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED BECAUSE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. *JB UPDATED 10/28/14

ON TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, CAR STARTED, IMMEDIATELY RED-LINED, AND STARTED SHAKING AS THE RPM LIMITER KICKED IN. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, NOT THE ACCELERATOR. REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND VISUALLY CONFIRMED CORRECT FOOT PLACEMENT BEFORE REAPPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. DURING REMOVAL OF FOOT FROM BRAKE PEDAL TO VISUALLY CONFIRM, CAR CONTINUED TO REDLINE. TURNED ENGINE OFF VIA KEY WITHIN 5-10 SECONDS OF OCCURRENCE. VERIFIED THAT FLOOR MAT WAS NOT BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND THE ACCELERATOR. ENGINE RESTARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MENTIONED THE OCCURRENCE TO LOCAL MB DEALERSHIP BUT NO CODES WERE FOUND WHEN CAR WAS TAKEN IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE A FEW MONTHS LATER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS ACTUATED SLIGHTLY VIA THE ALL WEATHER MB FLOORMATS THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN INSTALLED IN CAR MIGRATING FORWARD AND GETTING WEDGED BETWEEN THE FLOOR OF THE CAR AND THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR. THE INCLUDED ALLIGATOR CLIPS HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED WITH THE FLOOR MATS. HOWEVER, WITH THE ENGINE ON AND CAR IN PARK, MANUALLY WEDGING THE FLOOR MAT BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND THE PEDAL DID NOT DUPLICATE THE ENGINE REDLINING. REGARDLESS, THE CLIPS WERE PROMPTLY INSTALLED AFTER THIS OCCURRENCE AND THE FLOOR MAT HAS NOT MIGRATED FORWARD UNDER THE GAS PEDAL SINCE. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE UNINTENDED REDLINING ON STARTING THE ENGINE WAS DUE TO THE PRESSURE OF THE FLOOR MAT BETWEEN THE FLOOR AND THE ACCELERATOR OR SOME OTHER ISSUE. EITHER WAY, THE UNINTENDED REDLINING HAS NOT RECURRED SINCE. NOTE: THE WEB INTERFACE INSISTS ON OFFERING "HEADLIGHT LENS" AS THE ONLY OPTION UNDER EQUIPMENT. THE ABOVE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HEADLIGHT LENS. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR WINDOWS FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE WINDOW REGULATOR FRACTURED. THE WINDOW REGULATORS WERE REPLACED. THE BLOWER MOTOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 01/16/07. *JB THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE REASON WHY THE WINDOWS FAIL AS THEY DO, IS BECAUSE THEY AREN'T USED FREQUENTLY. THE CLOCK WAS LOSING TIME, THE STOP LIGHT SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND ULTIMATELY REPLACED. THE HORN WAS REPLACED, TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE AIR MASS SENOR WAS REPLACED, THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE CONSUMER HAD TROUBLE SHIFTING THE GEAR INTO REVERSE, THE A/C WAS BLOWING HOT AIR, THE THROTTLE VALVE WAS REPLACED, THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE HAD A LOUD VALVE TRAIN NOISE. UPDATED 03/02/07. *JB

VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO LOWEST GEAR WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A DANGEROUS CONDITION, SLOWING THE VEHICLE SUBSTANTIALLY IN TRAFFIC. VEHICLE REFUSED TO SHIFT INTO HIGHER GEAR OR REVERSE. TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO REPLACED SHIFTER MECHANISM DUE TO ELECTRONIC FAILURE, CAUSED BY SPILLS. OBSERVATION OF THE PART SHOWED NO RESIDUE FROM ANY LIQUID. DEALERSHIP SAID IT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THE CUP HOLDER WAS RIGHT ABOVE THE CIRCUIT BOARD IN THE CONSOLE AND IT WAS NOT SEALED. STATED THE REPLACEMENT PART INSTALLED WAS IMPROVED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN IT RAINED WATER GOT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY APPLIED A SEALANT TO THE SIDE PANEL OF THE PASSENGER'S DOOR. THIS R DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WHILE BEING INSPECTED BY THE REPAIR SHOP A LEAK IN THE TRANSFER CASE WAS DISCOVERED. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK