2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED ON A SMOOTH ROAD WHEN THE DRIVER'S-SIDE FRONT SPRING BROKE WITH A LOUD BANG AND THAT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED, FULLY COMPRESSING THE SHOCK ABSORBER. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN SLOWLY: THE BROKEN END COULD HAVE CUT THE TIRE, BLOWING IT OUT. AT HIGH SPEED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR BECAUSE OF UNEQUAL CAMBER. ON A SHARP TURN, THE FENDER LIP WOULD HAVE DROPPED ONTO THE TIRE, SEVERELY DAMAGING THE FENDER OR BLOWING OUT THE TIRE. MERCEDES WAS PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED TO RECALL THE SAME MODEL FOR REAR AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE BECAUSE WHEN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROPS, NHTSA SAYS, "...THE DRIVER MAY HAVE REDUCED VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING RISK OF A CRASH." I SAY THAT FRONT SUSPENSION FAILURE IS MORE DANGEROUS. AFTER TOWING TO THE MERCEDES DEALER, THE SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED THE BROKEN SPRING A "MAINTENANCE ITEM." HE CLAIMED THIS FAILURE AT 92,000 MILES IN A 10-YEAR-OLD CAR IS NOT SURPRISING. THE FULL PRICE TO REPLACE THE SPRING AND DAMAGED SHOCK ABSORBER AND ALIGN THE CAR WAS $1,345 AND THE DEALER DEDUCTED A $300 DISCOUNT AFTER I COMPLAINED. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A PART THAT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I READ THAT THIS MODEL IS PRONE TO THIS FAILURE. I'VE DRIVEN 500,000 MILES DURING THE PAST 50 YEARS, MOSTLY IN CARS PURCHASED USED, WITH ONE REACHING 250,000 MILES, AND I PREVIOUSLY HADN'T HEARD OF BROKEN COIL SPRINGS. I STATED THAT MERCEDES SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DANGEROUS FAILURE; THAT WE PURCHASED THE CAR AS A CERTIFIED USED CAR FROM A MERCEDES DEALER WHEN IT WAS ONLY FOUR-YEARS-OLD AT 50,000 MILES AND IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND SERVICED PER MERCEDES AT MERCEDES DEALERS SINCE PURCHASE. I BELIEVE THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED, PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, FOR A TENDENCY OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS TO BREAK.

CALLED MERCEDES CORPORATE RE THIS PROBLEM AND THEY DEINED THERE IS A RECAL. NOT TRUE MERCEDES-BENZ USA IS RECALLING 2007-2009 E350 4MATIC WAGONS WARNS THE U.S. NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. ABOUT 3,600 OF THE E350 WAGONS HAVE A LOAD LEVELING REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT MAY FAIL, REDUCING A DRIVER'S CONTROL AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH, SAYS NHTSA. IN AUGUST, THE COMPANY IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN NOTIFYING OWNERS OF 2007-2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 CARS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. THEY WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO BRING IN THEIR E350S TO LOCAL DEALERSHIPS WHERE MECHANICS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE LEVEL CONTROL CONNECTING ROD FOR FREE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONSUMERS CAN CALL MERCEDES-BENZ TOLL-FREE CUSTOMER SUPPORT AT: 800-367-6372. SOURCE: RECALL: 2007=2009 MERCEDES BENZ E350 - REAR SUSPENSION; CAMPAIGN #:12V264000 [NHTSA]