2003 Mercedes Benz S430

WHILE DRIVING GETTING READY TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY MY 2003 MERCEDES S430 INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT OUT. THE GAUGES GOT STUCK ON WHAT THEY WERE WHILE DRIVING. I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING ON THE PANEL. I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST SHOP AND THEY CHANGED THE FUSE, HOWEVER THE FUSE BLEW RIGHT BACK OUT EACH TIME THEY CHANGED IT. THE CAR WAS STILL DRIVABLE. I HAVEN'T HAD THIS CAR FOR 1 YEAR YET AND I AM LOST AT WHAT TO DO. THE SHOP SAID THE INSTRUMENT CHAISE WILL WORK BUT SOMETHING IS BLEWING THE FUSE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE ALUMINATOR IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANY HELP WITH THIS ISSUE IS HELPFUL.. PLEASE HELP AS THIS CAR HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE (INSTRUMENT PANEL, DOORS DON'T LOCK, PASSENDER SEAT MOVES AT WIERD TIMES, AND THE AIR STRUT BUSTED) INSTEAD OF A GOOD DREAM. I HAVE READ A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILURE IN THESE CARS. I WISH I WOULD OF SEEN THIS BEFORE I PURCHASED IT. MERCEDES NEEDS TO COVER THE COST IN FIXING THIS ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE KEY TO THE ON POSITION, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,563.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EMITTING SMOKE OUT OF THE TRUNK AND HE COULD SMELL BURNING PLASTIC. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE A PSE PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF, CAUSING IT TO OVER HEAT AND MELT THE WIRING HARNESS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD TO DISCONNECT THE PUMP FROM THE WIRING HARNESS IN ORDER TO STOP THE SMOKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRICAL RELAY PUMP MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,000.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE MAIN INCIDENT, MY 2003 MERCEDES S430 WOULD STALL FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I CALLED MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD LET THE CAR RESET, AND THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED TWO TIMES AND BOTH TIMES THERE WAS A TEMPORARY FIX AFTER THE CAR RESET. A DAY AFTER THE SECOND RESET, MY CAR COMPLETELY STALLED AND ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET INTO A FEW CRASHES. MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALLED THE TOW COMPANY, AND THEY TOOK OVER AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET THERE. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY, AND I FELT VERY SICK FROM THE HEAT. THE CAR WAS TOWED, AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE CRANK SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DID NOT TELL ME IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT JUST TO LET THE CAR RESET. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS THAT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD THAT THE SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THIS IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS DEFECT, THAT A SENSOR GOES BAD WITH NO WARNING, AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY MERCEDES FOR $433.16. I AM TRAUMATIZED BY THE INCIDENT, AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE A DANGEROUS CAR THAT CAN SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING WHILE DRIVING FOR SOMETHING AS SMALL AS A BAD SENSOR. FURTHER, I WAS MISLED BY MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THAT THE PART NEEDED TO RESET, RATHER THAN BE REPLACED. *TR