1998 Mercedes Benz ML320

FAILURE OF FRONT DRIVER'S SEATBELT ASSEMBLY; A GUNSHOT TYPE NOISE AND SMOKE OCCURRED COMING OUT OF THE SEATBELT RETRACTOR AREA; SEATBELT RETRACTOR BROKE CAUSING THE SEATBELT TO KEEP RETRACTING TIGHTENING ON PERSON AND THE RELEASE ON THE SEATBELT WOULD NOT RELEASE CAUSING INJURY; THE EVENT OCCURRED WITHIN ONE MINUTE OF TURNING ON CAR IN PARKED POSITION AND AS SOON AS SEATBELT WAS PUT IN THE BUCKLE. *TR

I PUT MY SEAT BELT (S/B) ON AND STARTED THE IGNITION. A LOUD BANG, I WAS JERKED BACK INTO MY SEAT BY THE S/B AND WAS TRAPPED. WHITE SMOKE ESCAPED WHERE THE S/B COMES OUT OF THE FRAME. THE SRS LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, UNBUCKLED THE S/B, WHICH DIDN'T RETRACT BACK INTO THE FEED, GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WAITED FOR THE SMOKE TO DISSIPATE. I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, PUT MY S/B ON, WHICH WAS STUCK AND WOULD NOT ADJUST. I CALLED MB DEALERSHIP TO REPORT INCID AND MAKE APT FOR CAR TO BE CHKD. 8-30-07 I BROUGHT CAR INTO MB OF RENO, NV. MB SAID NEED TO ORDER PARTS, BRING BACK ONCE PARTS IN. THE OTHER SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER CUST RECENTLY, BUT NEVER HEARD OF ANOTHER OCCURRENCE. I ASKED MY SERVICE ADVISOR, JOSEPH CASTLEBERRY, TO INVEST PROBLEM, LET ME KNOW. HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME. I PICKED UP THE CAR AFTER REPAIRS, JOE DIDN'T KNOW WHY MALFUNCTION OCCURRED, BUT COST WAS $1079.82. I TOLD HIM THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I WANTED THIS INVESTIGATED. HE SAID IT WAS A FLUKE INCIDENT, AND I STRESSED, I WANTED ANSWERS. MB OF RENO INV COPY READS AS ?INSPECT FOR COMPLAINT, FOUND THE DRIVERS ETR HAS GONE OFF WITHOUT CAUSE. PREPARE AND PERFORM DTC QUICK TEST, FOUND ONLY CODE FOR DRIVERS ETR, CHECK MB HIST OF COMPLAINT, AS PER HIST REC THEY REPLACED BOTH THE SRS CONTROL MODULES AND THE ETR, RECOMMEND THAT BOTH THE SRS CONTROL UNIT AND THE ETR BE REPLACED AS PER TAC HISTORY OF COMPLAINT, R&R LEFT SIDE B PILLAR PANELING, REPLACED DRIVERS S/B, R&R SENSOR CONSOLE, REPLACED SRS CONTROL UNIT, CHECK ELECTRICAL WIRES FOR SHORTS, WIRING IS OK AND INTACT, PERFORMED VERSION CODING OF SRS CONTROL UNIT, CLEARED ALL CODES AND RETEST, RETEST OK?. ON 9-17-07 BEN FROM MB OF NA SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE THE CAR WAS REPAIRED. COPY OF THE INVOICE AVAIL UPON REQ. VEH: 98 MER ML320 MIL:97508 *TR

VEHICLE WAS AT A GAS STATION AND DRIVER GOT INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND DRIVER 'S SIDE SEAT BELT EXPLODED. THE SEAT BELT WAS STUCK IN A UPRIGHT POSITION AND WOULD NOT MOVE. ALSO, SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THEN, CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT. *AK

AFTER BUCKLING THE SEAT BELT, THE SHOULDER HARNESS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE EXPLODED. THE HARNESS YANJED ME BACK AGAINST THE SEAT BURNING MY SHOULDER AND THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE CAR IS A 1998 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING?*AK

KEY LOCK PROBLEMS, WOULD NOT START DUE TO KEY PROBLEMS, WOULD NOT START BECAUSE OF FUEL PUMP FAILURES, WOULD NOT START DUE TO GAS TANK PROBLEMS, DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLIES MOVE UP AND DOWN BY THEMSELVES, LATCH ON HATCH DOOR RATTLED, REAR SEAT BELTS RATTLE, OIL OUT LIGHT CAME ON AT RANDOM TIMES, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ON, LAST THE FLY-BY WIRE GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OF THE VEHICLE WITH $14,000 DAMAGE. *AK