2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350

The contact owns a 2009 Mercedes-Benz E350. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact felt heat coming from the rear of the front driver seat and noticed smoke coming from the rear of the seat, causing the back of the driver’s seat to catch on fire. The contact was to pull over and noticed that the back of his shirt had caught on fire as well, the contact was not injured. The contact was able to stop the fire by pouring water on the seat. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it was not diagnosed, but the front driver seat was replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and they agreed to replace the front seat. The failure mileage was 38,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 WAGON. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A MINOR BURN, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF ALEXANDRIA (200 S PICKETT ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304, (703) 341-2100) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE TO THE SEAT WARMER ELEMENT FRACTURED AND CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE SEAT WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE SEAT WOULD BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,160.

ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 1 THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF MY 2009 E350W MERCEDES BENZ BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE HEAT AND FLAMES FROM THE FIRE BURNED MY SHIRT. MY LEFT SIDE WAS ALSO BURNED. SINCE I WAS TRAVELING AT 35 MPH, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY, LEAP FROM THE CAR AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. IT WAS ONLY BY GOD'S GRACE THAT I AVOIDED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH LIFE THREATENING INJURIES AND POSSIBLY FATALITIES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE BEVERLY HILLS MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CENTER TO ALERT THEM OF THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SERVICE CENTER FRIDAY MORNING. A LOANER CAR WAS NOT AVAILABLE SO I RENTED A CAR FROM HERTZ. TODAY CARLOS MUEDANO, SERVICE ADVISOR, SAID I WOULD BE BILLED $1,500 FOR REPAIRS. THIS CAR HAS 37,770 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, ROUGHLY 6,000 MILES PER YEAR OR 500 MILES PER MONTH. IT IS BASICALLY A NEW CAR. IN DECEMBER 2014 BEVERLY HILLS MERCEDES CHARGED $1,000 FOR REPAIRS TO THE TRUNK WIRING SYSTEM. POSSIBLY THESE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND REPAIRS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATING UNIT WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE? THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT FIRES LINKED TO THE SEAT HEATING ELEMENTS IN MERCEDES BENZ CARS. IN FACT THERE IS CURRENTLY A CLASS ACTION SUIT OVER THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. I AM TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED IN MERCEDES BENZ. I PURCHASED THE MERCEDES BENZ PRODUCT EXPECTING HIGHEST QUALITY AND BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE. YOU HAVE FAILED ON BOTH COUNTS. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICE FROM MERCEDES BENZ ON A RECALL TO CHECK AND REPAIR DEFECTIVE SEAT HEATERS.