2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER REFUELING THE FUEL TANK, THE ODOR OF STRONG FUEL WOULD EMIT IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILTER SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

I CONTACTEDTHE DEALERSHIP REGARDING MY FUEL PUMP ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOT ONE OF THE COVERED VIN'S WITH THE FUEL PUMP ISSUES. IT HAS STRONG SMELL OF GAS WHEN FILLING UP AND DOES NOT RUN SMOOTH . IT HAS NOT STARTED ONCE WHEN TURNED ON. I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC OF THE WARRANTY ON THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP/FILTER. WHY WASN'T MY VIN INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY? WERE THEIR CHANGES MADE TO THE PARTS? HOW WAS MY CAR EXCLUDED FROM THE WARRANTY PROCESS?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E350. AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK AND THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 05/03/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 05/04/16. *JB

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.

I WAS DRIVING MY MERCEDES E350 ON I-95 NORTH BOUND SOMEWHERE NEAR PHILADELPHIA. MY FAMILY INCLUDING MY WIFE AND MY TWO SONS WERE ALSO ON THE CAR. SOMEHOW, ALL OF SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER CONTROL, WHICH IS, THE VEHICLE QUICKLY SLOWED DOWN AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT I KEPT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE (I BELIEVE THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN FOR SOME REASON). I HAD TO USE HAZARD SIGNALS TO WARN THE VEHICLES OF THE DRIVERS BEHIND ME. MEANWHILE, MY SON ADVISED ME TO PRESS THE SOS BUTTON OF MY VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY SOME DRIVERS NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING AND SOME OF THEM HELP ME SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL AND HELPED PUSH MY VEHICLE TO THE ROAD SIDE. WE ALSO GOT HELP FROM POLICE OFFICERS TO ESCORT MY FAMILY MEMBERS TO THE NEARBY TRAIN STATION AND MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF RAY CATENA, EDISON, NJ, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE ADVISER ASKED ME TO PAY $135 FOR THEM TO EXAMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT MERCEDES E350 IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CAR WITH GOOD AND SAFE QUALITY, SO WHY DID IT HAPPEN TO MY VEHICLE. I ALWAYS HAVE MY CAR MAINTAINED BY MERCEDES SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON A SCHEDULED BASIS. I (AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS) COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED THAT DAY. I ALSO WORRY THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED, THE SAME OR SIMILAR SITUATION COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. SO PLEASE ADVISE WHAT I SHOULD DO WITH THIS EVENT. THANK YOU. *TR