2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Complaints

WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF POWERING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HEATER I SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING AND IMMEDIATELY POWERED OFF THE SEAT HEATER. SINCE I WAS ALREADY ON THE ROAD I CONTINUED DRIVING AND DID NOT INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I POWERED THE SEAT HEATER AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BURNING SMELL REOCURRED, HOWEVER, THIS TIME THE LEFT SIDE LUMBAR SUPPORT BECAME VERY HOT. I POWERD OFF THE SEAT HEATER IMMEDIATELY AFTER AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND NOTICE A BURN HOLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE LEFT LUMBAR SUPPORT AREA OF THE SEAT.

PROBLEM WITH 2015-2016 NAVIGATION DVD UPDATE I PURCHASED THE (2015-2016) LATEST NAVIGATION DVD UPDATE FOR MY 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 SEDAN FROM THE MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERSHIP AT DENVER, COLORADO. SINCE JANUARY 23RD 2016, WHEN I MADE THE PURCHASE, THE NAVIGATION DVD HAS BEEN WORKING FINE - EXCEPT FOR YESTERDAY, WHEN I WANTED TO GO TO AN OFFICE BUILDING IN HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLORADO. I FOUND OUT, TO MY SURPRISE, THAT MY CAR'S NAVIGATION INTERFACE (FED FROM THE NAVIGATION DVD) NO LONGER RECOGNIZES THE CITY OF HIGHLANDS RANCH, IN COLORADO. MEANWHILE MY OLDER DVD, WHICH IS THE 2010 VERSION, RECOGNIZES HIGHLANDS RANCH, WITHOUT PROBLEM. AFTER MY MEETING AT HIGHLANDS RANCH, I WENT TO THE NEARBY MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERSHIP; AND THE SERVICE ASSOCIATE HELPED ME TREMENDOUSLY - BUT ALL TO NO AVAIL. IT WAS LATER, AFTER LOTS OF TINKERING, THAT I FOUND OUT THAT ALL THE STREETS IN HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO ARE NOW PUT UNDER THE NEARBY CITY OF LITTLETON, COLORADO - ON THE LATEST NAVIGATION DVD. I HAVE CALLED THE CUSTOMER CARE AT MERCEDES-BENZ OF USA; AND THEY DIRECTED ME TO HERE.COM, SO I COULD FILE A COMPLAINT. I HAVE FILED THE COMPLAINT. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT BASED ON THE MAP THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON HERE.COM, STREETS IN HIGHLANDS RANCH, COLORADO ARE UNDER LITTLETON, COLORADO. SO, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT IS LIMITED TO MY DVD OR MY CAR'S NAVIGATION FIRMWARE OR SOFTWARE. ON HERE.COM, THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS. I HAVE ALSO CALLED THE MERCEDES-BENZ OF DENVER (THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE IMPUGNED DVD); AND THEY TOLD ME NAVIGATION DVDS CANNOT BE RETURNED.

2008 MERCEDES E350 WITH 18 INCH LOW PROFILE ALLOY WHEELS. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TWO RIMS WHICH WERE CRACKED CAUSING DEFLATION. LOW PROFILE 18 INCH ALLOY WHEELS. NO HARD DRIVING OR CURB INCIDENTS, JUST CRACKED. THE TIRE PLACE I TOOK IT TO SAYS THEY SEE A LOT OF THESE SPECIFIC RIM CRACKS ON MERCEDES OF THIS PERIOD.

2006 MERCEDES BENZ E350W. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS NOT WORKING AND THIRD BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED AS WELL. CONSUMER WAS NOTIFIED BY DEALER THAT THIS HAPPENS TO VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRUNK OPENING AND CLOSING THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ELECTRIC CABLE FROM THE ENGINE TO THE TRUNK COULD FAIL FOR UNKNOWN REASONS.

WHEN I FILL THE VEHICLE UP WITH GAS THERE IS A STRONG SMELL AS IF IT IS LEAKING EVEN THOUGH NO GAS IS LEAKING OUT TO THE NAKED EYE. RECENTLY THE SMELL IS NOW INVADING THE CABIN SPACE OF THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WARMER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND THE CONTACT'S CLOTHES WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE SEAT WARMERS. A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED TOXIC LUNG INJURIES DUE TO SMOKE INHALATION, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ODOR OF FUEL CONSTANTLY IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS REFUELED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. WHILE PARKED, A STRONG FUEL ODOR EMITTED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO FUEL LEAKAGE VISIBLE ON THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL SENDER CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

WHEN FILLING UP THE GAS TANK TO FULL, A DISTINCT GASOLINE SMELL IS PRESENT. WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN AND THE GASOLINE INDICATOR IS LESS THAN FULL, THE DISTINCT SMELL GOES AWAY.

IN THE PAST 10 MONTHS THE CAR IN QUESTION HAS EXPEREINCED ONE BROKEN SUSPENSION COIL SPRING, AND A SEPERATE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURE. I CONTACTED MERCEDES ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THESE CORE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED AMOUNTED TO THEM BEING SORRY THAT "THINGS FAIL". I SUSPECT THERE IS A LARGE POPULATION OF POORLY DESIGNED/MANUFACTURED SUSPENSION SPRINGS IN MERCEDES' VEHICLES ON U.S. ROADS RIGHT NOW AND I FELT SOME RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT MY EXPERIENCES. UPDATED 9/28/2015 *LN *CN