2000 Mercedes Benz S500

PLEASE RE-OPEN INVESTIGATION #PE05-062. MY 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500'S INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF IN MAY 2013. THEN, JANUARY 2014, THE CLUSTER WENT DARK FOREVER. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY; THE CAR IS 14 YEARS OLD, IN PERFECT SHAPE, ALWAYS GARAGED, W/ ONLY 45,000 MILES, AND THE CLUSTER COMPLETELY FAILED! QUITE SHOCKING THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT DATA CENTER WOULD FAIL AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON THIS PRICEY $90K CAR. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CONTROLS THE INTERIOR DOOR AND FLOOR LIGHTS, STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS, LOCKS, TRUNK; THERE IS TOO MUCH TO LIST THAT NOW DOESN'T WORK. NOTE: THE TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN UNLESS YOU USE THE STICK KEY AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD. BEWARE: IF YOU'RE IN A DARK PARKING LOT AT NIGHT AND WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR TRUNK, FORGET IT, AS YOU HAVE NO LIGHTS AND IT TAKES SO LONG TO OPEN THE TRUNK THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY GET MUGGED IN THE MEANTIME, PLUS, THERE'S PROBABLY A MUGGER IN YOUR CAR TOO AS YOU CAN'T LOCK THE CAR AND THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK; ONLY THE TRUNK LOCKS, PERMANENTLY. ALSO, SINCE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS COMPLETELY DARK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING, ENGINE LIGHT TROUBLE, OVERHEATING, BRAKE PROBLEMS, MAINTENANCE ISSUES, ETC. MY VIN NUMBER IS EXCLUDED FROM BEING CORRECTED BY MBUSA. MY CAR WAS IN THE EARLY DATES OF MANUFACTURE FOR THE 2000 S500. THIS IS VERY EXCLUSIONARY GIVEN MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR PLUS THE PART IS THE SAME AS THOSE S500'S INCLUDED IN THE RECALL; WHY? I AM IMPLORING NHTSA WIDEN THE RECALL RANGE TO BE FAIR TO ALL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WHERE SOME ARE BEING RECALLED AND SOME ARE NOT. THIS MERCEDES BENZ USA "VIN DISCRIMINATION" IS UNFAIR & UNETHICAL, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AND IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE RE-OPEN INVESTIGATION #PE05-062 AND WIDEN THE RECALL IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

MY 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500'S INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF IN MAY 2013. THEN, JANUARY 2014, THE CLUSTER WENT DARK FOREVER. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY; THE CAR IS 14 YEARS OLD, IN PERFECT SHAPE, ALWAYS GARAGED, W/ ONLY 45,000 MILES, AND THE CLUSTER COMPLETELY FAILED! QUITE SHOCKING THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT DATA CENTER WOULD FAIL AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON THIS PRICEY $90K CAR. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CONTROLS THE INTERIOR DOOR AND FLOOR LIGHTS, STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS, LOCKS, TRUNK; THERE IS TOO MUCH TO LIST THAT NOW DOESN'T WORK. NOTE: THE TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN UNLESS YOU USE THE STICK KEY AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD. BEWARE: IF YOU'RE IN A DARK PARKING LOT AT NIGHT AND WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR TRUNK, FORGET IT, AS YOU HAVE NO LIGHTS AND IT TAKES SO LONG TO OPEN THE TRUNK THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY GET MUGGED IN THE MEANTIME, PLUS, THERE'S PROBABLY A MUGGER IN YOUR CAR TOO AS YOU CAN'T LOCK THE CAR AND THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK; ONLY THE TRUNK LOCKS, PERMANENTLY. ALSO, SINCE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS COMPLETELY DARK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING, ENGINE LIGHT TROUBLE, OVERHEATING, BRAKE PROBLEMS, MAINTENANCE ISSUES, ETC. MY VIN NUMBER IS EXCLUDED FROM BEING CORRECTED BY MBUSA. MY CAR WAS IN THE EARLY DATES OF MANUFACTURE FOR THE 2000 S500. THIS IS VERY EXCLUSIONARY GIVEN MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR PLUS THE PART IS THE SAME AS THOSE S500'S INCLUDED IN THE RECALL; WHY? I AM IMPLORING NHTSA WIDEN THE RECALL RANGE TO BE FAIR TO ALL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WHERE SOME ARE BEING RECALLED AND SOME ARE NOT. THIS MERCEDES BENZ USA "VIN DISCRIMINATION" IS UNFAIR & UNETHICAL, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AND IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE RE-OPEN INVESTIGATION #PE05-062 AND WIDEN THE RECALL IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

MY 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500'S INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF IN MAY 2013 AT AROUND 44K. THEN, JANUARY 2014, THE CLUSTER WENT DARK FOREVER. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY; THE CAR IS 14 YEARS OLD, IN PERFECT SHAPE, 44K (NOW 45K) MILES, AND THE CLUSTER COMPLETELY FAILED! THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED SO THIS WAS QUITE SHOCKING THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT DATA CENTER WOULD FAIL AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON MY BEAUTIFUL $90K CAR. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CONTROLS THE INTERIOR DOOR AND FLOOR LIGHTS, STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS, LOCKS, TRUNK; THERE IS TOO MUCH TO LIST THAT NOW DOESN'T WORK. NOTE: THE TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN UNLESS YOU USE THE STICK KEY AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD. BEWARE: IF YOU'RE IN A DARK PARKING LOT AT NIGHT AND WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR TRUNK, FORGET IT, AS YOU HAVE NO LIGHTS AND IT TAKES SO LONG TO OPEN THE TRUNK THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY GET MUGGED IN THE MEANTIME, PLUS, THERE'S PROBABLY A MUGGER IN YOUR CAR TOO AS YOU CAN'T LOCK THE CAR AND THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK; ONLY THE TRUNK LOCKS, PERMANENTLY. ALSO, SINCE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS COMPLETELY DARK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING, ENGINE LIGHT TROUBLE, OVERHEATING, ETC. MY VIN NUMBER SEEMS TO BE EXCLUDED FROM BEING CORRECTED BY MBUSA. THIS IS VERY EXCLUSIONARY GIVEN MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR PLUS THE PART IS THE SAME AS THOSE S500'S INCLUDED IN THE RECALL; WHY? I AM REQUESTING NHTSA WIDEN THE RECALL RANGE TO BE FAIR TO ALL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WHERE SOME ARE BEING RECALLED AND SOME ARE NOT. THIS MERCEDES BENZ USA "VIN DISCRIMINATION" IS UNFAIR & UNETHICAL, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AND IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE RECONSIDER AND WIDEN THE RECALL IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

MY 2000 S500 IS RUSTING UNCONTROLLABLY AROUND THE BOTTOM OF ALL DOORS AND TRUNK LID AND FENDERS. I THOUGHT BUYING A $90,000 VEHICLE WOULD EVADE THESE ISSUES. I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HAVE GOTTEN THE RUN AROUND. THEY SUGGEST SPENDING 5K+ ON A NEW PAINT-JOB! THEY ONLY TELL ME THAT THEY SERVICED THE RECALL ON THE RUBBER STRIPPING ON THE BOTTOM OF ALL DOORS. THIS IS EMBARRASSING AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MB IS DOING BUSINESS IN THIS FASHION. I'VE READ SEVERAL THREADS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. CANADA FIXES THESE RUST PROBLEMS FOR FREE WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED. MBUSA ON THE OTHER HAND WILL NOT RESPONSIBLY FIX THE ERROR. THIS IS TOTALLY ABSURD AND FOR A COMPANY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL ABOUT QUALITY IT SHOWS THEIR TRUE COLORS. *TR

MY 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500'S INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT OUT ON A FAMILY TRIP ON 3/10/13. I CHANGED THE 5A FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE TRUNK AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, JUST TO HAVE IT BLOW OUT AGAIN. THE TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN, THE PARKTRONICS WILL NOT FUNCTION, AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS COMPLETELY OUT. I HAVE READ ON THE BENZWORLD.ORG SITE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO MBUSA THOUGH ONLY A SELECT NUMBER OF VIN'S ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. OF COURSE, MY VIN LOOKS TO NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL. WE WOULD LIKE OUR VEHICLE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME PART FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR THAT OTHER CARS ARE BEING REPAIRED FOR FREE, BUT MY CAR IS EXCLUDED BECAUSE ITS VIN RANGE IS STATISTICALLY NOT IN THE SAME NARROW VIN RANGE CORRESPONDING TO THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT? THIS SEEMS VERY EXCLUSIONARY GIVEN MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR AND THE PART IS THE SAME AND THERE IS NO BASIS TO EXCLUDE IT. I AM REQUESTING NHTSA TO WIDEN THE RECALL RANGE TO BE FAIR TO ALL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WHERE SOME ARE BEING RECALLED AND SOME NOT. IF THE FAILED CLUSTERS WERE FROM DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS THAT WOULD BE ONE THING, BUT TO EXCLUDE CARS DUE TO VIN RANGE CORRESPONDING TO THE ORIGINAL 7 CARS AS PART OF THE COMPLAINT IS VERY LOP SIDED. I REQUEST YOU TO PLEASE WIDEN THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL MALFUNCTIONED AND FAILED TO DISPLAY CURRENT SPEED ALONG WITH OTHER STATUSES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000. *TR

SITUATION FIRST STARTED OVER THE SUMMER TIME WHEN I WAS DRIVING FROM BELLINGHAM TO SEATTLE FOR WORK AND I GOT INTO THE CAR, BUT THE A/C DIDN'T EVEN WORK. I HAD TO HAVE THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN. I TRIED EVERYTHING FROM ECONOMY MODE, AUTOMATIC, REGULAR AIR, ETC. ONCE I HIT 10 MILES AWAY FROM MY DESTINATION, ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THE AIR CAME BACK ON. IT WORKED THE REST OF THE DAY AND THE NEXT DAY. THEN 2 DAYS LATER AND IT STOPPED WORKING AGAIN, BUT CAME BACK ON A FEW DAYS LATER OR LATER THAT DAY. THIS SAME PROBLEM KEPT GOING ON UNTIL ABOUT LATE OCTOBER 2012. IN LATE OCTOBER, THE WHOLE SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY (DEFROSTER, A/C, AND HEATER). NO AIR CAME OUT WHATSOEVER AND WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. I HAD MY DAD DO SOME WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SOME WATER CAME DRAINED OUT AND LET IT DRY FOR A WHILE, THEN IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN, BUT THEN A WEEK AFTER THAT, IT STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. WE TRIED FIXING IT AND STILL NOTHING IS WORKING. THEN ON FEBRUARY 8TH, 2013, I CAME BACK FROM TOKYO AND GOT INTO MY CAR AT THE AIRPORT, AND THE NOTHING HAD CHANGED. LATER THAT NIGHT, I GOT INTO MY CAR, AND NOTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WAS WORKING. NO LIGHTS, NO SPEEDOMETER, NO TEMPERATURE, NO TIME, NO RPM INDICATOR. NOTHING. PROBLEM STILL IS HAPPENING. THEN THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE TRUNK WOULD NOT OPEN AT ALL AUTOMATICALLY. NO KEYLESS WAY AND NO DOOR LATCH. I HAD TO USE MY PHYSICAL METAL KEY TO GET IT OPEN, BUT THEN I DID THAT AND ALL THE WINDOWS AND SUNROOF OPENED UP TOO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500 (N/A). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.