1997 MERCEDES-BENZ E CLASS Complaints

LEFT FRONT SPRING MOUNT FAILED WHILE CAR BEING DRIVEN APPROX. 45 MPH FAILURE DUE TO POOR WELD. DEALER REIMBURSED ONLY 50% OF COST. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 14 OF THESE SAME FAILURES ON YOUR SITE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.*AK

REMOVED LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND FOUND UPPER SUSPENSION SPRING PERCH BREAKING AWAY FROM BODY, COULD SEE POSSIBLE LOSS OF STEERING. NO INCIDENT YET BUT AN ACCIDENT AVOIDED. DEALER HAS THIS PARTICULAR PART IN STOCK AND ASKED IF IT HAD COME APART "YET" BECAUSE THEY HAD SEEN IT BEFORE.*AK

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLIES 4 TIMES. TWICE ON THE PASSENGER REAR & TWICE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WINDOW. KEY PIECES LIKE PULLEYS AND THE ACTUAL PARTS THAT SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE GLASS, IN THESE ASSEMBLIES ARE MADE WITH CHEAP PLASTIC COMPONENTS THAT BREAK UNDER NORMAL USE. ALSO THE MOTORS DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF OR STOP WHEN THE WINDOW IS ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN, AND CAN CAUSE STRESS THAT IS SUFFICIENT TO BREAK THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS AND DAMAGE THE DEVICE. THE REGULATORS ARE SOLD AS ONE WITH THE MOTOR AND CAN COST $165.00- $300.00.. CONSUMER INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT REGULATORS IS DIFFICULT DUE TO RIVETS HOLDING UNITS IN PLACE.. THUS CAUSING LABOR CHARGES OF 100.00+ FOR REPAIRS. *JB

THE SEAT TRACK FOR THE CAR CONTINUES TO BE DEFECTIVE. CAR SEAT "ROCKS" EXCESSIVELY - CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION IN HEAVY/EMERGENCY BRAKING. THE FRONT SEAT TRACK WAS REPLACED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR (1996-2003). MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ASKED TO REPLACE OR REPAIR THE SEAT TRACKS TO ALLOW DRIVERS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS.

I AM A MERCEDES BENZ TECHNICIAN OF 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND HAVE BECOME AWARE OF AN OUTRAGEOUSLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION. ON CERTAIN MODELS OF MERCEDES BENZ "210" BODIES THE SUPPORT THAT HOLDS THE UPPER PORTION OF THE COIL SPRING IN PLACE IS RUSTING OFF OF THE FRAME. IF IT BREAKS ALL OF THE WAY THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION WILL COLLAPSE. IT IS ONLY HAPPENING TO THE RIGHT FROM AND NOT THE LEFT BELIEF IS AN IMPROPER WELD OR DEFECTIVE METAL IN THE MOUNT ITSELF. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT EFFECTS 96-98 CARS SO FAR. THE DEALERS ARE NOT COVERING THIS UNDER WARRANTY. YOU CAN CONFIRM HOW MANY CARS ARE BEING AFFECTED BY SIMPLY ASKING MERCEDES HOW MANY OF THE RIGHT SIDE SUPPORTS THEY HAVE SOLD IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS AS OPPOSED TO THE LEFT SIDE. MY GUESS IS THAT IT WILL BE BETTER THAN A 100 TO 1 RATIO ONLY TIME A PART LIKE THIS SHOULD EVER NEED REPLACEMENT IS ACCIDENT DAMAGE. THEY ARE TELLING CUSTOMERS THAT THEY MUST HAVE HIT A POTHOLE AND SO YOU WILL MOST LIKELY NOT GET MANY CONSUMER COMPLAINTS DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO TRIGGER AN INVESTIGATION BUT I HOPE THAT MY YEARS OF EXCLUSIVE MB EXPERIENCE WILL CARRY AT LEAST SOME WEIGHT TO CONSIDER THE COMPLAINT AS WORTH A PHONE CALL TO MERCEDES ABOUT THE NUMBER OF MOUNTS THEY HAVE SOLD.I AM HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU BUT NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM REPERCUSSIONS FROM MERCEDES FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. IF YOU NEED AN ACTUAL CAR LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SUPPLY YOU WITH THAT INFO RMATION. *AK

FAX FM TOM AND HELEN SILVER (NJ) RE THE DEFECTIVE FRONT COIL SPRINGS ON THEIR 1997 E 420 MERECEDES BENZ. *MR WHILE THE VEHICLE SAT IDLING, THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING DETACHED (PROBABLE PARTIAL DETACHMENT) FROM ITS WELDED POSITION AND CAUSED THE RIGHT FRONT ABILITY TO SUPPORT THAT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING WAS ABOUT TO GIVE AWAY. (E 420) *SCC *JB

DASHBOARD CRACKS ON MY 1997 MERCEDES E420 SEDAN. CRACKS HAVE BEEN APPARENT FOR 18 MONTHS; DEALER AND REGIONAL SERVICE REP DECLINE TO REPLACE/REPAIR. SIMILAR CRACKS HAVE BEEN WIDELY REPORTED IN MERCEDES E-CLASS SEDANS IN MODEL YEARS 96-00. CRACKS ARE AROUND PASSENGER AIRBAG DOOR. WONDER IF THIS COMPROMISES THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IN ANY WAY? *NLM

FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SPRING FLEW OFF CAR WHILE DRIVING AND TOOK A LARGE CHUNK OF THE TIRE WITH IT. *NLM

SEVERE RUST DAMAGE TO FRONT PASSENGER SUSPENSION COMPONENT AND FRONT FRAME RAIL. RUST HOLE BIG ENOUGH TO PUT A HUMAN FIST INTO. APPROXIMATELY $3000 IN RUST REPAIRS, ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 67,000 MILES ON IT. *JB

MY CAR IS PRESENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR THE THIRD TIME WITH A MAJOR FUEL LEAK. EACH TIME HAS BEEN FOR A DIFFERENT LEAK. THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE BY A MERCEDES HOWEVER REPLACEMENT PART HAVE BEEN PURCHASE FROM MERCEDES AND MY REPAIRER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT DIESEL LEAKS ARE NOT UNCOMMON IN THESE MODELS. THIS IS MY THIRD MERCEDES DIESEL AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. CERTAINLY THIS SEEMS TO BE TO BE A FIRE HAZARD. DT