2008 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 Complaints

I WENT TO START UP MY CAR, BUT WHEN I INSERTED THE KEY AND TURNED IT, THE CAR DID NOT START. TYPICALLY WHEN I INSERT THE KEY, THERE IS A FAST AND STRONG SOUND THAT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE THE CAR IS LOCKING IN THE KEY. THIS TIME, THE SOUND WAS INCREDIBLY SLOW AND WEAK, A SOUND THAT CAUSED ME TO IMMEDIATELY KNOW IT WAS BROKEN. POWER WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE CAR JUST FINE THOUGH, BUT I WAS STILL STRANDED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH (EIS) AND ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK (ESL) HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

I HAVE A 2008 C350 WITH 81,300 MILES. I DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM SCHOOL THURSDAY PARKED IT IN MY PARKING GARAGE WENT OUT THIS MORNING AND IT WOULDN'T START. THE KEY LOCKS AND UNLOCKS THE DOORS THE LIGHTS COME ON AND THE DASH LIGHTS UP. YOU CAN INSERT AND TURN THE KEY BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED AND THE DRIVE IS LOCKED IN PARK. I TRIED JUMPING AND IT DID NOTHING I DIDN'T THINK THE BATTERY WAS BAD BUT WENT AND HAD IT CHECKED ANYWAYS. THE BATTERY BEING CHANGED. I CHECK THE FUSES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STARTER AND THEY SEEM TO BE OK. I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT AND NOT EXCITED ABOUT HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND TURNING INTO KING SOOPERS SHOPPING MART WHEN MY CAR JUST DIED. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AND COASTED INTO A PARKING SPOT. I THEN CHECKED MY STEREO AND INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS TO SEE IF IT WAS THE BATTERY. IT WASN'T, THEY ALL WORKED FINE. BUT TURNING THE IGNITION TO START THE CAR DID NOTHING. IT SEEMED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED. AFTER PLAYING WITH THE STEERING WHEEL FOR A FEW MINUTES IT UNLOCKED ITSELF AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN. I CONTINUED TO THE GROCERY STORE BUT BEFORE I GOT THERE IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. I DRIFTED INTO A PARKING SPOT AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT WAS DEAD FOR GOOD. I HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO A MERCEDES REPAIR SHOP (SALIMS SILVER STAR). MY MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH AND A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MERCEDES. AFTER $1700 ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 50,000 IT IS FINALLY FIXED. MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER DRIVING A CAR KNOWN TO HAVE IGNITION SWITCH ISSUES. THIS IS CRIMINAL AND I'M LUCKY THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE IN A PARKING LOT AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 65. PLEASE RECALL THIS ISSUE AS MERCEDES IS MAKING A FORTUNE OFF OF IT'S CUSTOMERS CHARGING $1700 FOR AN ISSUE THEY CAUSED !!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

ENTER THE CAR AND PUT THE KEY IN. ALL I CAN HEAR WAS LITTLE TICKING SOUND CAME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER PUTTING THE FOB KEY IN. THE BATTER HAS BEEN CHECKED AND IS OK. SHIFTER WON'T MOVE, THE STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T COME OUT OF ITS LOCK AND THE CAR WON'T START. CONSOLE AND RADIO TURNS ON AND CAR LOCKS/UNLOCKS.THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THESE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME YEAR CAR IN THE SAME CLASS BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. MERCEDES BENZ NEEDS TO COVER THESE PARTS AND REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE USE OR ABUSE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

ABOUT 3 MOTHS AGO MY CAR WAS UNABLE TO START, MERCEDES BENZ (MB) TECHNICIAN CAME AND DIAGNOSE IT THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRONIC IGNITION SWITCH(EIS) - THAT IT WAS NOT RECOGNIZING MY KEY. THE TECH. WIGGLE AROUND THE KEY AND WAS ABLE TO CRANK AND START MY CAR. IT NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL LAST WEEK (AUGUST 16,2014), THE CAR WON'T START AGAIN. I CALLED MB AND THEY SEND ME A TECHNICIAN AT MY HOUSE, HIS DIAGNOSIS WAS THE EIS ISSUE AGAIN AND THIS TIME HE WAS NOT ABLE TO START MY CAR. HE SUGGESTED THAT IT SHOULD BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THIS MORNING (AUG. 18, 2014), I TRIED TO START MY CAR AND WIGGLE THE KEY ON THE IGNITION AND I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY WHEN I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, I WAS NOT ABLE TO START IT AGAIN. A FRIEND OF MY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE EIS OF MERCEDES BENZ C 350 IN 2008. THE MB CAMPAIGN NO. IS 2008020003, MARCH 2008. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WILL COVER THE COST FOR REPLACING THE EIS. THEIR RESPONSE WAS, THEY WILL NOT BECAUSE MY CAR VIN WAS NOT ONE OF THE CARS THAT IS BEING RECALLED ABOUT THIS EIS PROBLEM. WHY IS MB IS NOT COVERING THE COST, THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE ON THE RECALL REGARDING THE EIS MALFUNCTION THAT WAS SENT IN MARCH 2008. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ C350. THE REAR PASSENGER TAILLIGHT MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING ME TO BE PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE. MERCEDES BENZ HAS SINCE RECALLED THE FAULTY TAIL LIGHTS AND IS SCHEDULED TO RELEASE REPLACEMENT PARTS TO MB DEALERS NEXT MONTH. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE. SOMETIMES THE RADIO STATION CHANGES WHEN I ADJUST THE CABIN AIR TEMPERATURE (AIR CONDITIONER). THE DASHBOARD CONTROL PANEL CONSTANTLY DISPLAYS WARNING MESSAGES ABOUT FAILING HEADLIGHTS AND SIDE MARKERS. ASIDE FROM THE RECALLED PASSENGER TAILLIGHT WHICH IS VISIBLY DIMMER THAN THE DRIVER SIDE TAILLIGHT, THE OTHER LIGHTS APPEARED TO BE WORKING FINE. YESTERDAY THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR AND THE COOLANT INDICATOR ON THE DASH CAME ON - THE ANTIFREEZE AND FUEL TANKS ARE BOTH FULL. I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE LIGHTS, ONLY TO DISCOVER THE PLASTIC HOUSING IS COMPLETELY SINGED AND MELTED IN THE HEADLIGHTS AND SIDE MARKERS, JUST LIKE IT IS IN THE DEFECTIVE RECALLED TAILLIGHT. THE CAR IS ONE OVER-PRICED FIRE TRAP - AT THIS POINT I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT. WHAT IS EVEN MORE DISTURBING TO ME, IS THAT MERCEDES BENZ IS WELL AWARE OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE C CLASS. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ONLINE - POSTED TO BLOGS AND NHTSA WEBSITE. MERCEDES IS TRYING TO PIECE-MEAL OUT A REMEDY. MEANWHILE, THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE! WHEN WILL NHTSA RECALL THE ENTIRE MERCEDES C CLASS LINE DUE TO DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL ISSUES? *TR

THE REAR PASSENGER TAIL LAMPS ARE DIMMING TO ABOUT HALF THE NORMAL STRENGTH. THE BULBS ARE ALL FINE, BUT I AM GETTING NOTICES ON THE DASH THAT THE LIGHTS NEED TO GET CHECKED. I CHECKED THE REAR LIGHT HARNESS AND IT APPEARS THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAS MELTED SO THAT IT CAN'T BE REMOVED FROM THE COMPONENT THAT ACTUALLY HOLDS THE BULBS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT BE A FIRE HAZARD. THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ALSO SEEMS TO BE AFFECTING THE HORN. THERE ARE TWO HORNS ON THIS CAR. ONE IS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND ONE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE PASSENGER SIDE HORN IS NOT FUNCTIONING. IT APPEARS LIKE THERE IS WEAK TO NO ELECTRICAL POWER ON THAT SIDE OF THE CAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TOO AS I CAN'T WARN OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD IF NEEDED. *TR

MY RADIO PLAYS BUT SMELL LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING WHEN I TURN IT ON (WIRES) RADIO STILLS PLAYS BUT SCREEN GOES IN AND OUT WAS TOLD I NEED NEW RADIO BUT WAS NEVER TOLD THAT RADIO MAY CATCH ON FIRE . *JS