2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 Complaints

I PURCHASED MY CAR BRAND NEW, IT WAS NEVER PREVIOUSLY OWNED AND DIRECTLY FROM A MERCEDES BENZ DEALER. I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SPEED AND GEAR SHIFTING BACK IN MAY 2012. WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY NORMAL SPEED (55MPH) THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO SLOW DOWN NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WOULD SLOW TO A COMPLETE STOP. I WOULD HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO PULL OVER OFF THE FREEWAY, TURN THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF, LET IT SIT AND THEN START IT AGAIN AND THE CAR WOULD RUN NORMAL. WHEN I GET OFF THE FREEWAY OR NOW EVEN WHEN I AM DRIVING ON A BACK ROAD GOING 35 MPH THE CAR WOULD SHAKE AS I CAME TO A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT (AS IF I WAS DRIVING A STICK SHIFT AND DIDN'T PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL OR PRESS THE CLUTCH) AND THEN IT WOULD SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. NOW I AM HAVING A THIRD ISSUE IN ADDITION TO THESE ISSUES WHERE THE CAR WILL SHIFT GEARS ON IT'S OWN AND I'M DRIVING IN AUTOMATIC MODE NOT AS A 5 SPEED. THIS IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS FOR ME TO HAVE TRANSMISSION ISSUE ON A MERCEDES BENZ THAT I PURCHASED NEW. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER WHO CLAIMS THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION DUE TO ONE SMALL PIECE WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. I HAVE CHECKED ONLINE AND HAVE SEEN THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER BENZ OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH NO RESOLUTION FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION AND A RECALL. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD THAT A CAR WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE ON A FREEWAY AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I HAVE ALMOST COLLIDED WITH OTHER CARS DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE DECLINE IN SPEED. I HAVE TO ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO PULL OVER TO SHUT OFF THE CAR. I PURCHASED THIS CAR BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY THAT IT SHOULD PROVIDE. PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH ME REGARDING THIS ISSUE I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT REQUESTS ARE BEING IGNORED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND NO ONE IS LOOKING INTO THIS MATTER. *TR

STRONG SMELL OF GAS FROM LEFT REAR SIDE OF VEHICLE INDICATES FUEL SENDING UNIT IS LEAKING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND REV HIGH IN RPM. I HAVE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY SINCE I AM LOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR. I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE TOW SERVICE BUT I RECOVER AFTER I RESTARTED THE ENGINE. AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE DEALER HAS DETERMINED TO A SENSOR ON THE TRANSMISSION BUT SAID SINCE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED, I HAVE TO PAY $1300 TO GET THE SENSOR REPLACED. THIS IS TERRIBLE SINCE MY CAR HAS ONLY 45000 MILES ON IT. IN ADDITION, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE BASED ON THE FORUM DISCUSSION AND MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A TERRIBLE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN TRUST THEM. *TR

I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND THE RPM'S RAN WAY UP AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I TRIED PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL THEN DRIVE AND NOTHING. I PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MIN. THEN BACK ON. THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON AND I HAD ALL THE NECESSARY SERVICE DONE ON THE CAR AT THAT TIME. THE CAR HAS DONE THIS INCREASINGLY FOR THE LAST YEAR AND IT IS NOW BECOMING A HAZARD. THE CAR HAS STARTED JUMPING WHEN PUT IN DRIVE AND IT IS ALARMING. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND I FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DEFECT IN THIS MODEL. I HAVE CHILDREN AND THIS IS MY ONLY CAR. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN IT ANYMORE AND MY CHILDREN DON'T EITHER. *TR

IT OCCURRED ON THE FREEWAY IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE RPM RAN HIGH. THE TRANSMISSION GEAR INDICATOR WENT BLANK. I HAD TO PULL OVER, TURN THE CAR OFF, LET IT SIT, THEN WHEN I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, IT WAS NORMAL AGAIN. I HAD ONLY 38,400 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE! ONLINE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE 2006 2007 C230'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP SAID IT IS PERHAPS THE TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSOR WHICH IS PART OF THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR PLATE ASSEMBLY. WHEN TALKING TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT MY VEHICLES CAMSHAFT SENSOR FAILURE REPAIR AND POSSIBLE BALANCE SHAFT ISSUES, 7 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE SERVICE REP ADMITTED THAT THEY HAVE MANY REPAIRS WITH TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROBLEMS AND ENCOURAGED ME TO BUY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY! HERE IS A QUOTE FROM AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP: "THESE UNITS ARE FAILING SO OFTEN THAT THE DEALER HAS RESTRICTED SELLING THEM EVEN IN THEIR OWN SHOP. TO ORDER A PART, THE DEALER MUST SUBMIT A REQUEST WITH COMPUTER SCANS AND CONTROL UNIT LOG REPORTS OF THE SUSPECTED FAILED VEHICLE'S ELECTRONICS. THE FACTORY THEN SENDS THE PARTS THEY DEEM NECESSARY FOR THE REPAIR (CONDUCTOR PLATE ASSEMBLY, OR COMPLETE VALVE BODY)." THERE IS CLEARLY A DEFECT GOING ON AND I TOO WOULD LIKE A RECALL INVESTIGATION THROUGH THE NHTSA. THE REPAIR ON THIS IS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION, RPMS ELEVATED DRAMATICALLY. FROM A STOPPED POSITION THE CAR DID NOT REGAIN NORMAL PROPULSION AND BARELY MOVED. AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN BACK ON, PROPULSION RETURNED TO NORMAL. *TR

AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK, A VERY STRONG ODOR OF RAW GASOLINE COMING FROM REAR OF CAR. THE STRONGEST SMELL COMING FROM DRIVERS SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL, NO VISIBLE LEAKS DETECTED. THE SMELL IS GETTING WORSE AFTER EACH FILL-UP. REPLACED THE GAS CAP, NO CHANGE IN CONDITION. CONTACTED THE DEALER FROM WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND INQUIRED ABOUT SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FIXES BECAUSE ANOTHER OF MY FAMILY HAS THE SAME MODEL WITH SIMILAR MILES AND HAS THE VERY SAME PROBLEM, THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF ANY ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL. BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, WILL NEED TO FIND A REPAIR FACILITY TO SOLVE AND CORRECT THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENS. ALSO FOUND IN RESEARCH THAT THIS SAME ISSUE HAS BEEN FOUND IN OTHER MERCEDES MODELS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR. *TR

LEAKING FUEL PUMP SEALS (LOCATED OVER THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WHEEL). CAUSED EXTREME FUEL ODOR AND DANGER OF FIRE IN CLOSED GARAGE. M/B WOULD NOT WARRANTY/$1,000+ REPAIR COSTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES C230. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE ENGAGED FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL INDEPENDENTLY AND DECELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION INTERNAL SPEED SENSOR OR THE SHAFT BALANCER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,321 BUT UPDATED 9/10/12 *CN

I HAVE A C230 SPORTS SEDAN WITH 45,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN STICKING IN GEAR, BUT IF I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY IT WOULD RESET AND USUALLY BE OK FOR A WHILE. NOW IT IS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR, AND NOTHING I HAVE TRIED HAS DONE ANY GOOD. IT WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. IT HAS AN AUTOMATIC MANUAL TRANSMISSION BUT THE MANUAL FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK AND EVEN TRYING TO SHIFT MANUALLY DOES NO GOOD. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND YET MB HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL. THIS IS PRETTY CLEARLY A FACTORY DEFECT AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR