2006 Mercedes Benz ML350

RECENTLY I WAS DRIVING AND MY CHECK ENGINE CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORTED THE BALANCE SHAFT AND INTAKE REPAIR WAS NEEDED. THE ISSUE IS THAT THERE WAS A LAWSUIT AGAINST MBUSA FOR FAULTY BALANCE SHAFTS. AT NO POINT IN TIME WAS I INFORMED OF THE CLAIM ON MY VEHICLE. I NEED ASSISTANCE IN HAVING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED BEFORE THE TIME EXPIRES. MB USA HAS DEFECTIVE PARTS AND THEY ARE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE REPAIR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE ABS AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE SPEED DECREASED AND FAILED TO INCREASE OVER 30 MPH. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V303000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

I HAD A 2006 ML350. IT SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE AS IT WAS PARKED FOR TWO HOURS AFTER I HAD DRIVEN IT. THE FIREMEN STATE IN THE REPORT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND STARTED FROM A SHORT IN THE REAR TAILLIGHT HARNESS.I BROUGHT THIS TO MERCEDES BENZ USA'S ATTENTION AND THEY WERE CARELESS ABOUT THE SAFETY DANGERS THAT THIS CAUSED/POSED. THEY SAID IT WASNT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AFTER THE 2 MONTH LONG INVESTIGATION WAS STAMPED INCONCLUSIVE.THEY WERE OF MORE CONCERN ABOUT THIS BEING LEAKED OR EXPOSED AND TRIED TO SWEEP MY CASE UNDER THE RUG. THEY ONLY GAVE ME ONE CASE MANAGER AND LIMITED ME ONLY TO SPEAK WITH HER AFTER BEGGING TO SPEAK WITH ANOTHER MANAGER. AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN THIS CORPORATE COVER UP I HAD NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN. SUSAN M( MY WEST COAST REGIONAL CASE MANAGER) HOW MANY OTHER VEHICLE CASES DID THEY SWEEP UNDER THE RUG LIKE MINE? I DO NOT EXPECT THIS KIND OF COVER-UP FROM MERCEDES AND WOULD EXPECT THEM TO STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES. HTTP://WWW.MERCEDESDEFECTS.COM/2008/04/WIRE-HARNESS-DEFECT.HTML PLEASE GET THIS TO THE NEXT STEP BEFORE PEOPLE LOOSE THEIR LIFE! I COULD HAVE DIED THIS NIGHT! THIS IS THEIR FACTORY RECALL MERCEDES BENZ USA SAID THEY DIDNT HAVE FOR MY VEHICLE AFTER THE FIRE. POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE FROM WATER DAMAGED LIFT GATE CONTROL MODULE FOR MODELS: MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 BLUETEC, MERCEDES-BENZ ML350, MERCEDES-BENZ ML550, MERCEDES-BENZ ML63 AMG ELECTRICAL & LIGHTS, MAY 1, 2009 REPAIRPAL EXPERT OVERVIEW: DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL AROUND THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY, WATER MAY ENTER THE REAR COMPARTMENT CONTAINING THE SPARE TIRE. THE WATER COULD DAMAGE THE LIFT GATE CONTROL MODULE, CAUSING IT TO FAIL. THE FAILED MODULE COULD OVERHEAT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE. DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE TAIL LIGHT SEALS AND RELOCATE THE LIFT GATE CONTROL MODULE. THIS RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL OF 2009. THE MERCEDES RECALL NUMBER IS 2009030003.

NIGHT BEFORE INCIDENT THE AUTOMATIC REAR LIFT GATE OPENED WHEN FRONT DRIVER DOOR WOULD BE OPENED OR CLOSED. WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF, TAIL HAZARD LIGHT WERE ACTIVATED ALONG WITH WARNING ALARM FOR TAILGATE MALFUNCTION OR OPEN. DURING THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHOW SAME ISSUES. WHEN VEHICLE WAS LATER ENTERED, ISSUE WITH TAILGATE OPENING SEEMED TO HAVE STOPPED, AFTER DRIVING AN APPROXIMATE 5-7 MILES, ODDER OF SMOKE EMERGED, TAILGATE WARNING ALARM SOUNDED ALONG WITH NORMAL TRAFFIC HORN, IN ADDITION CABIN LIGHTS TURNED ON AND WARN MESSAGES APPEARED ON DASH FOR FLAT TIRE,BLOWN BULBS, ETC, DRIVER PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TURNED OFF VEHICLE TO INVESTIGATE. SOON AFTER TURNING OFF VEHICLE SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL CABIN, DRIVER IMMEDIATELY EXITED VEHICLE, FLAMES OVER TOOK VEHICLE WITHIN MINUTES. REMAINS SHOW UPPER HALF OF CABIN (SEATS AND UP) TOOK PRIMARY BURN, FLOORING WAS NOT BURNED. ENGINE BAY ONLY HAS MINOR FIRE DAMAGE FROM LARGE FLAMES AND HEAT GOING OUT OF FRONT WINDSHIELD. *TR

OWNER HAD ARRIVED HOME AT 7:00 P.M. FROM WORK AND WAS INSIDE HIS RESIDENCE. AT 10:00 P.M. POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL CAME TO HIS DOOR TO INFORM HIM THAT HIS CAR WAS ON FIRE. ONE RESIDENT SAID THAT, AS HE WAS WALKING IN THE PARKING LOT, HE NOTICED THERE WAS FIRE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TAIL LIGHT (AROUND 10:00 PM) AND WHEN HE LOOKED INSIDE, THERE WAS FIRE IN THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY BEHIND THE REAR TAIL LIGHT. HE RAN FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND ALSO YELLED FOR HELP AND FOR SOMEONE TO CALL 911 FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. BOTH FIRE AND POLICE ARRIVED. CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 3 HOURS AND WAS PARKED, WAS DRIVEN ONLY 7 MILES THREE HOURS EARLIER WITH NO STOPS. CAR HAS BEEN CONSIDERED TOTALED BY INSURANCE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE INCURRED AND HAD BEEN OWNED FOR ONLY ONE YEAR, SERVICED REGULARLY BY MERCEDES BENZ, AND ALL RECALLS HAD BEEN UP-TO-DATE! THE SERVICING MERCEDES DEALERSHIP PROMPTLY INFORMED MERCEDES BENZ USA WHO ALSO PROMPTLY CONTACTED THE OWNER TO FILL OUT THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK AND SUBMIT PICTURES FOR REVIEW. THIS PAPERWORK/PICTURES WERE ALSO PROMPTLY SUBMITTED. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS FIRE AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC, THIS REPORT IS ALSO BEING SENT TO YOUR AGENCY FOR FOLLOW-UP. (NOTE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TAIL LIGHTS IN THE ML350 FOR POSSIBLE FIRE FOR 2007 AND YEARS ABOVE, BUT NOT THE YEAR OF THIS VEHICLE, 2006. A SIMILAR PROBLEM IS REPORTED IN THE C-CLASS AUTOMOBILES AND MAY BE MORE WIDESPREAD THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT). *TR