2013 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350

IN MAY 2017, WHILE DRIVING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ACCELERATION WAS EXTREMELY REDUCED IN A VERY DANGEROUS WAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS AN OIL LEAK THAT HAS BEEN LEAKING ON THE WIRING HARNESS, WHICH CAUSED WIRING/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR ENTIRE VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY FAIL. ESTIMATED REPAIR IS $13,500. THE VEHICLE HAS 34K MILES, AND THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN LATE FEBRUARY 2017. HAD ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT DEALER IN FEBRUARY, NO OIL LEAK DETECTED. DEALER SERVICE TECH WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AND HAS SEEN TEN OR SO OF THEM. UNPROTECTED WIRING HARNESS SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION, REPORTED SMALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS TO MB DEALER, BUT DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE/DETERMINE CAUSE. ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE COMPLETED AT MB DEALER PER MB SCHEDULE. CONTACTED MBUSA TO REQUEST A GOODWILL REPAIR CREDIT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE REPAIR, THE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE, HISTORY WITH MB, ETC. AND SINCE THIS DEFECT LIKELY PREDATED WARRANTY EXPIRATION. MBUSA CUSTOMER CARE CENTER WAS INDIFFERENT. PARTS ALONE ARE $8,000. MBUSA OFFERED TO CONTRIBUTE ONLY 10%.

WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE BRAKED UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MALFUNCTION IN THE FRONT COLLISION WARNING RADAR. THIS RESULTED IN A MULTIPLE NEAR MISS COLLISIONS COMING FROM THE REAR, FOR MANY VEHICLES ON I5 NEAR WOODBURN OR DURING HIGH TRAFFIC TIMES. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BRAKED CAUSING ME TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD. OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDES TWO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THERE WAS A VEHICLE 6-8 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD TRAVELING AT THE SAME RATE OF SPEED WITH NO BRAKING, BOTH SIDES WERE CLEAR OF TRAFFIC, NO DAMAGE DONE SEEKING DEALER ASSISTANCE TO DECIPHER EXACT CAUSE. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE ALL SAFETY FEATURES AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OFF FROM COMPUTER. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING STRAIGHT WITH NO BRAKING NEEDED NOR WANTED.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE MY ML 350 MERCEDES BENZ WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I WAS TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN A CAR PASSING ME LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE AND STRUCK ME. THE IMPACT WAS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR ON THE REAR WHEEL. THE IMPACT PUSHED MY SUV TO THE RIGHT. UPON IMPACT, THE REAR WHEEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BROKE, SNAPPED IN HALF AND THE FLEW AWAY CAUSING MY ML350 TO ROLL FIVE OR SIX TIMES BEFORE COMING TO REST JUST INCHES FROM ON COMING TRAFFIC TRAVELING EAST BOUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MEDIAN. THE OFFICER INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT SAID HIS MAJOR CONCERN WAS THAT UPON IMPACT THE REAR WHEEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SNAPPED CAUSING THE CAR TO ROLL FIVE OR SIX TIMES. I CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ AND REQUESTED THEY INVESTIGATE THE CRASH. I SENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACCIDENT TO MERCEDES TO REVIEW IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT LOCATION OF THE VEHICLE AND SEVERAL IMAGES OF THE ML350. I RECEIVED A RESPONSE BY PHONE FROM MERCEDES BENZ IN WHICH THE MERCEDES REPRESENTATIVE AGREED WITH THE OFFICER THAT THE WHEEL BREAKING UPON IMPACT WAS THE REASON THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. I REQUESTED THE INFORMATION IN WRITING; HOWEVER, I WAS INFORMED THAT MERCEDES BENZ DOES NOT SHARE FINDINGS FROM SUCH INVESTIGATIONS THEY CONSIDER TO BE INTERNAL INFORMATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BUT THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT THERE WAS NO LOSS OF LIFE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ ML350. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AND THE GEAR SHIFTER IN THE REVERSE POSITION, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS ON ITS OWN. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

GOING NORTH ON I-95 IN MASS AT 65 MPH IN A DRIVING RAIN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THE RPM AND SPEEDOMETER BOTH WENT TO 0, AND THE NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. ALL OTHER SYSTEMS (INCLUDING BRAKE, LIGHTS, RADIO, WIPERS, ETC) APPEARED TO WORK FINE. WAS ABLE TO GET TO SHOULDER, PUT CAR IN PARK, AND RESTART CAR. EVERYTHING WAS FINE AFTERWARDS, BUT OBVIOUSLY A DANGEROUS CONDITION IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. WILL TAKE TO DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION. *TR