2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 Complaints

"TAKATA RECALL" ACCORDING TO TAKATA, IN THE EVENT OF AN INFLATORRUPTURE, METAL FRAGMENTS COULD PASS THROUGH THE AIR BAG CUSHION MATERIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS. MERCEDES BENZ DID NOT REPLACED MY AIR BAGS. SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE! I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED!

I HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUES LIKE OTHER MERCEDES BENZ OWNERS. MY CAR SUDDENLY NOT STARTING AND THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT UNLOCK. I CALLED AAA, THEY SENT OUT A BATTERY TRUCK. THE GUY TRIED TO JUMP IT AND IT DID NOTHING. THEN THEY TOWED IT TO THE MB DEALER. THEY CALLED ME THIS MORNING AFTER THEY TESTED IT AND SAID THE ELECTRIC STEERING LOCK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $1212. I AM REALLY FRUSTRATED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. WHILE VEERING LEFT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT TIGHTENED. THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED AND ASSISTED IN REMOVING THE PASSENGER FROM THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. ONE INJURY WAS SUSTAINED, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V363000 (AIR BAGS), 15V711000 (AIR BAGS), AND 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TAKATA INFLATORS: THEY SENT ME A LETTER BACK IN MAY 2016 AND IN AUGUST 2016 STATING THAT BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS ARE DEFECTING. THERE STILL HAS BEEN NO RESOLUTION REGARDING THIS AND ACCORDING TO TAKATA, IF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY OR IF THEY DO NOT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I AM DRIVING MY MERCEDES AROUND AND SCARED TO DEATH THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT PLOY AND COULD KILL MY FAMILY OR I. SRS CONTROL UNIT: MAY CORRODE AND CAUSE CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTION. THIS IS STILL NOT RESOLVED ON MY VEHICLE AND THE LETTER WAS SENT OUT IN MARCH 2016. *TR

THIS CAR IS PURCHASED USED IN MARCH OF 2016 HAS NOT GIVEN ME ANY PROBLEMS STARTING UNTIL NOVEMBER 26. THE CAR WOULD NOT START OR EVEN "CLICK" AT ALL THIS DAY. HAS TO BE TOWED TO MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND POSSIBLY THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM. THESE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. THESE ARE ALSO KNOWN ISSUES WITH THIS SPECIFIC MODEL. MANY OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ'S OWNERS HAVE HAD TO FIX THE SAME ISSUE AND MERCEDES HAS YET TO DO A RECALL OR ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE KNOWN PROBLEM. I NOW HAVE A CAR THAT CANNOT BE USED. IT IS UNDRIVEABLE. IT WILL NOT START.

THE CAR WILL NOT START, FROM STATIONARY. IT WAS PARKED THERE 10 MINUTES AGO. TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT HAS A BAD ESL (ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK). THE REPAIR BILL OVER $1300.00. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED AND SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD COVER THIS COST.

WENT TO GET IN MY CAR TO GO HOME. ONCE I PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURN IT, NOTHING HAPPENS. THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINS LOCKED, AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. I CAN HEAR THE STEERING LOCK CLICK, BUT NOT UNLOCK THE STEERING WHEEL AS SOON AS I PUT MY KEY IN THE IGNITION.

ON 21 OCT 16 I WENT OUT OF TOWN AND SHOPPING AT A LOCAL MALL WHILE THERE. I CAME OUT OF THE MALL AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I COULD READ THE TIME, SEE THE MILEAGE, AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GAUGE; HOWEVER, THE CAR REFUSED TO START. AAA CAME AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. AFTER 3 HOURS OF SITTING IN A PARKING LOT IN ATLANTA A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL SO I HAD TO WAIT ANOTHER 2 HOURS FOR ANOTHER TYPE OF TRUCK. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS STEERING LOCK ISSUE. I ASKED THAT THE CAR BE TOWED TO A LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP AND HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETED AGAIN. MERCEDES BENZ OF MARIETTA "CLAIMED" TO HAVE DONE A DIAGNOSTIC BUT FOUND NOTHING. I ASKED FOR A COPY OF THE DIAGNOSTIC MERCEDES BENZ OF MARIETTA HAD RUN AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST. SEE ATTACHED EMAIL. TO-DATE, MERCEDES BENZ HAS BEEN NONRESPONSIVE TO THE STEERING LOCK ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR/MODEL CAR; DESPITE KNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON REPEATEDLY. MARTY, AT MY LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP STATES THEY HAVE TO REPLACE A STEERING LOCK AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH WITH REPAIR COST RANGING FROM $1200-$1700 PER CAR. THIS WILL BE MY FIRST AND LAST MERCEDES AND BECAUSE OF THEIR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS TO THIS ISSUE I COULD NOT EVEN REFER FRIENDS/FAMILY TO THEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING WAS LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THE STEERING LOCK ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000.

I PARKED THE CAR, AND TURNED IT OFF COMPLETELY. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR, THEY KEY FOB WOULD ONLY TURN THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ON, BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED, AND I CANNOT CHANGE THE GEAR FROM "P". A MESSAGE WOULD APPEAR "REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION" WHENEVER THE DOOR IS OPEN. I HAVE SEARCHED AND IT APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE MODELS, WHERE THE EIS OR ESL FAILS FOR NO REASON. THE QOUTES FOR THIS REPAIR RANGE FROM $1000 TO $3000. I HAD TO TOW THE CAR TO MY APARTMENT, AND NOW I HAVE TO TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN SOLVE THIS ISSUE AND REPROGRAM IT AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW PARTS.