2002 Mercedes Benz S430

ALL LIGHTING ON INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN FLICKERING ON AND OFF ,PANEL REMAINED TOTALLY DARK, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING WORKED ON STEERING WHEEL. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH AND IT WAS DARK. COULD NOT SEE ANY LIGHTING ON GAUGES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WAS TOLD ABOUT RECALL ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER .AFTER CHECKING FOUND OUT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED BECAUSE MY VEHICLE HAD ALL INDICATIONS REFERRED TO IN PARTICULAR RECALL OF INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL THE BACK LIGHTS FINALLY FAILED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS COMPLETELY DARK AND THE CONTACT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SPEEDS DRIVEN, FUEL LEVELS, ETC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL CLUSTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILURE.

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT DARK WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. YOU CANNOT READ THE VEHICLE'S GAUGES, SPEEDOMETER, AND WARNING INDICATORS, ETC. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO READ THE GAUGES AND INDICATORS, SUCH AS SPEEDOMETER AND INCREASED THE RISK OF A CRASH AND MAJOR SAFETY IMPACT TO OCCUPANTS AND TO THE PUBLIC. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES BENZ AND I WAS TOLD THAT, THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. WOULD LIKE TO SEE DOT MAKE THIS ISSUE A 100% SAFETY RECALL ON VEHICLES REGARDLESS OF WARRANT PERIOD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S-CLASS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW FAST THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING OR DETERMINE ANY OF THE OTHER READINGS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

THE GEAR SHIFTER HAD LOCKED INITIALLY OUT OF THE BLUE, I COULDN'T GET THE CAR OUT OF DRIVE. I TURNED IT OFF TO STOP IT AND THEN IT WOULDN'T GO INTO PARK. AFTER THE MERCEDES TECH CAME OUT IT WOULDN'T START AT ALL. THE TECH SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY A SAFETY FEATURE WHICH HAD KICKED IN. THEN THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE WENT DOWN. I AM TOLD THE AIRMATIC SUSPENSION WENT OUT. WHY? THE CAR SAID STOP AIRMATIC TO LOW. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WHICH MAY HAVE LEAD UP TO THESE ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY I CAN NOT AFFORD THE $2,000 TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE WITH THE AIRMATIC. IS THERE ANY KIND OF RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE OR WARRANTY WITH MERCEDES THAT IS RESPONSIBLE. THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IS THE RADIO GOING OUT FOR 2-3 MONTHS AND THEN COMING BACK ON OUT OF THE BLUE. THE DOOR OPEN SIGNAL NOT GOING OFF IN THE ALERTS. THE TRUNK SWITCH NOT WORKING TO OPEN THE TRUNK, IT CAN ONLY BE OPENED MANUALLY. LASTLY THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUALLY GOING OUT AFTER REPLACING THE BULB FOR 1 MONTH. RUST AND DETERIORATION ON THE ROOF BY THE SUNROOF. *TR