2001 Mercedes Benz SLK320

DRIVING ABOUT 30 MILES WITH THE HARD TOP DOWN (CONVERTIBLE) ON MY WAY HOME THEN START SMELLING SOMETHING LIKE PLASTIC BURNING THEN NOTICE SOMEONE FROM BEHIND ME WAVING/HONKING HER HORN, I PULL MY CAR ASIDE AND A LOT OF SMOKE COMING INSIDE THE ENGINE HOOD, GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW FLAME COMING OUT UNDERNEATH FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE.MY CAR IS TOTALLY ENGULF IN FLAMES.

WHILE DRIVING IT, THE CAR WILL ACT LIKE I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THE BAS/ESP LIGHT WILL COME ON. I AM NOT HITTING THE BRAKES WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I AM JUST DRIVING ALONG. *JS INITIALLY, THESE EVENTS HAPPENED AT LOW SPEEDS, MORE RECENTLY IT HAPPENED AT 50MPH IN THE RAIN. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CONNECTION TO SPEED, ACCELERATION, TURNING, OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN RANDOM FAULTS. DEALER READ AN ESP CODE C1120-004, 016 ESP YAW SENSOR PLAUSIBILITY OCCURRED 1 TIME AND ERASED CODE. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION IN A SHORT TEST DRIVE. NEVERTHELESS, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT FREEWAY SPEED ON THE WAY HOME, AND AGAIN THE FOLLOWING DAY AT SLOW SPEED.

REAR BREAK LIGHTS WERE REPALCED IN 2006 RECALL (05V05000). SAME PROBLEM IN JAN OF 2015. NO CHANCE OF DEALER STANDING BEHIND THE RECALL AGAIN. NOW I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET THE COST TO FIX THE LIGHTS THAT WERE RECALLED PRIOR. OVER $600. WHEN THEY JUST REPLACED THE RECALL WITH THE SAME FAULTY LIGHTS. TURNS OUT THEIR C-CLASS IS NOW HAVING THE SAME RECALL PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ SLK320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED 7 YEARS AGO UNDER RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V505000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 12/23/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT BE ASSISTING WITH REPAIRS BECAUSE THEY ASSISTED ONCE BEFORE, ON JULY 31, 2004. THE OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. UPDATED 9/28/2015 *JS

THERE IS A DEADLY ISSUE WITH THE 2001 SLK320 AND SIMILAR MODELS/YEARS, IN REGARDS TO THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR AND THE YAW SENSOR. WHEN THESE SENSORS GO FAULTY, THEY ENGAGE THE BRAKES ON THE CAR WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR TRIGGERS THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT FORWARD, AND THE YAW SENSOR TRIGGERS THE BRAKES WHEN MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS THE CAR IS STOPPED WHILE IT IS IN MOTION, REGARDLESS OF SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME OVER A HANDFUL OF TIMES FROM DECEMBER 2013 WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, UP UNTIL YESTERDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014. THIS IS ALSO A KNOWN ISSUE ACROSS MERCEDES CAR FORUMS, SO IT IS EXTREMELY UNSETTLING THAT THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. IN REGARDS TO MY EXPERIENCE: WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE IS SPORADICALLY ENGAGED DUE TO THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT VARIOUS SPEED LIMITS, AND IT IS VERY SCARY AS THERE IS NO WARNING. WHEN THE BRAKE ENGAGES, THE CAR SKIDS TO THE RIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE BRAKE LOCKING. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME I WAS ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN AND ALMOST SKIDDED INTO OTHER CARS. YESTERDAY, THE BRAKES ENGAGING ALMOST CAUSED ME TO DRIVE UP A CURB AND INTO A FENCE. THIS HAS EVEN OCCURRED WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING UP TO 60MPH, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER DRIVERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME SAFETY ISSUE. THE LATERAL SPEED SENSOR COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPLACE, WHILE THE YAW SENSOR COSTS ALMOST $1,000 TO REPLACE. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET TO PAY FOR A POORLY PRODUCED PRODUCT, BUT WITH THE ISSUE BEING POTENTIALLY FATAL, OWNERS HAVE HAD NO CHOICE. I ADAMANTLY BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AND RECALL THESE SENSORS. LIVES ARE LITERALLY AT STAKE. *TR

2001 SLK 320 HAD BEEN RECALLED IN 2006 FOR BRAKE LIGHTS MELTING INTERNALLY. CAMPAIGN# 2006080005. MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL. I JUST STARTED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED AND REPLACED. APPARENTLY THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT A REAL SOLUTION. MERCEDES MUST HAVE JUST REPLACED THE BAD PART KNOWING IT WOULD BE A FEW YEARS BEFORE IT FAILED AGAIN. WELL, HERE WE ARE AGAIN AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO FIX IT AND WANT ME TO PAY ALMOST $600 TO FIX. *TR

CAR DRIVEN NORMALLY ON COLD, CLEAR NIGHT. ROAD CONDITION WAS FAIR (DRY FROM CENTERLINE TO TRAVEL LANE MIDPOINT W/ HARD-PACKED SNOW FROM THERE TO SHOULDER). EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION, SQUEALING NOISE & SLIGHT PULL TO RIGHT. STOPPED TO INVESTIGATE POSSIBILITY OF BLOWN TIRE. FOUND NOTHING WRONG AFTER VISUAL INSPECTION, SO RESUMED DRIVING. APPROX. 15S LATER, SQUEALING, VIBRATION & SENSATION OF PULLING TO RIGHT RETURNED, THEN CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUTS & SLOWED FROM 40 TO 25MPH. CAR THEN SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY W/ LOUD SCREECHING NOISE, SNAPPED TO RIGHT & LOST CONTROL. ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER STEER WERE INEFFECTIVE AS CAR SLID ON HARD-PACKED SNOW FOR APPROX. 100' & STRUCK SNOWBANK AT 20MPH. FORTUNATELY SNOW WAS VERY LIGHT, DRY AND FLUFFY & DECELERATION WAS REASONABLY GENTLE. NO MAJOR DAMAGE OCCURRED & AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AFTER EXTRICATING, CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. AN OBSERVER STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAR NOTED FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WOULD ROLL FOR A FEW FEET, THEN LOCK UP. SHUT ENGINE OFF & RESTARTED (ATTEMPTING TO RESET SYSTEMS). AT THIS POINT BOTH 'BAS ESP' AND 'ABS' WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED (THEY WERE NOT LIT PREVIOUSLY). CAR STILL COULD NOT BE DRIVEN - FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WOULD LOCK UP AFTER A FEW FEET OF TRAVEL & HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. LATER DETERMINED INCIDENT CAUSED BY YAW SENSOR FAILURE. FRONT RIGHT WHEEL HAD BEEN LOCKING & SLIDING ON HARD PACKED SNOW THEN SUDDENLY REGAINED TRACTION WHEN IT CROSSED A DRY PATCH OF PAVEMENT, CAUSING THE RAPID DIRECTIONAL CHANGE & LOSS OF CONTROL. VERY DANGEROUS. IF CAR HAD HIT A TREE, PARKED CAR, ETC. INSTEAD OF SOFT SNOWBANK THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS CRASH LIKELY W/ INJURY. UNACCEPTABLE & UNSAFE! PLEASE REOPEN INVESTIGATION! THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SYSTEM! SENSORS SHOULD CONTINUOUSLY SELF-CHECK & SHUT SYSTEM OFF COMPLETELY IF FAILED. THIS WILL KILL SOMEONE EVENTUALLY IF NOTHING IS DONE! *TR

FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST MERCEDES BENZ ( HOUSE OF IMPORT IN BUENA PARK , CA). THE VEHICLE THAT I HAVE IS 2001 SLK 320 MODEL. THE VEHICLE IS UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN , CAMPAIGN # 2006080005. THIS RECALL CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN INITIATED DUE TO THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE BRAKE LAMPS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE BASE OF THE SOCKET CAN BE SUBJECT TO THERMAL DEFORMATION OVER TIME. THIS CAN CAUSE A FAILURE OF EITHER BRAKE LIGHT. A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LAMP BULBS TO ILLUMINATE COULD LEAD TO A REAR END CRASH. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR THAT SERVICE IN 2007 AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE AFTER THE SERVICE. I TRIED TO STOP THERE FEW TIMES BUT THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $150 DOLLARS JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE ( EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW ITS THE BRAKE LIGHT ISSUE). I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT AND I JUST LEFT UPSET AND MAD. FINALLY I JUST WANTED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE,CONTACTED MERCEDES TODAY JULY 30,2013 AND ALSO WENT TO THE DEALER TO ADDRESS MY CONCERN AND THEY SAID " WE CAN ONLY COVER ONE YEAR AND IT EXPIRED". AGAIN, $150 WILL BE CHARGED JUST TO DIAGNOSTIC TO FIND OUT WHAT S WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I TOLD THEM THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE( THE BRAKE LIGHT IS OUT-RECALL ISSUE), AND THEY DID NOT DO IT PROPERLY AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW, THEY SAID IF I WANT TO FIX IT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE SERVICE WHICH I FIND IRONIC BECAUSE OF THE SAME ISSUE. THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN ABOUT MY CONCERN AND SAFETY ISSUE THAT I HAVE REGARDING ABOUT THIS MATTER. ONCE AGAIN, SAFETY IS MY PRIORITY AND I DO NOT WANT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I WISH THEY COULD HAVE DONE BETTER JOB TO ASSIST CONSUMERS. I WANT TO FIND A SOLUTION NOT JUST FOR ME BUT TO ALL THE OWNERS OUT THERE WHO FACES THE SAME ISSUE SO I NEED TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO CA ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. I HOPE I COULD BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. *TR