2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Complaints

SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUE WITH FUEL LEAKING FROM GAS TANKS AND TWO FUEL PUMPS IN 2008 MERCEDES E350. THERE IS TERRIBLE SMELL IN THE CAR THAT STARTED AROUND AUGUST 8, 2014 AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE. YOU CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF THIS SMELL. WE FIND OUT FROM MERCEDES DEALER THAT THIS IS FROM CORRODED SEALS AROUND GAS TANK AND THE TWO FUEL PUMPS THAT PUMP FUEL FROM THE GAS TANK. GASOLINE HAS LEAKED OUT AND HAS SATURATED INSULATION MATERIALS INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR. APPARENTLY GAS TANK IS LOCATED INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT UNDER THE REAR SEAT. THEY ARE WANTING TO CHARGE US $2,500 TO FIX AND REPAIR THE DAMAGE - WHICH IS DUE TO THEIR FAULTY SEALS AROUND THE GAS TANK AND FUEL PUMPS - REPLACE THE FUEL PUMPS, CLEAN UP ALL THE SPILLED FUEL, REPLACE THE INSULATION MATERIAL AND WHAT EVER ELSE HAS BEEN DAMAGED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. I SEE STORY ON INTERNET WHERE THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED 533 TIMES AS OF MARCH 19, 2013. HERE IS LINK TO ARTICLE HTTP://WWW.USATODAY.COM/STORY/MONEY/CARS/DRIVEON/2013/03/19/MERCEDES-BENZ-E-CLASS-NHTSA-FUEL-LEAKS-ODOR/1999263/ HOW MANY TIMES DOES THIS HAVE TO BE REPORTED TO CONSTITUTE MERCEDES DOING A RECALL AND ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AT THEIR COST INSTEAD OF MINE? WHAT IF SOMEONE SMOKES IN THE CAR? WILL THIS EXPLODE? YOU CANNOT STAND THE SMELL AS IT MAKES YOU SICK TO SET IN THE CAR. TO ME THAT IS BOTH A SAFETY ISSUE AND A HEALTH ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY MERCEDES. THEY ARE SAYING THAT THE CAR IS OLD - BUT 6 YEARS FOR A MERCEDES I WOULD NOT CONSIDER OLD. IT SHOULD LAST 15+ IN MY OPINION. I DRIVE THIS CAR LONG DISTANCES, MANY TIMES OVER 10+ HOURS IN A DAY. I CANNOT BE IN THE CAR WITH THIS SMELL, IT WILL MAKE ME SICK AFTER LESS THAN 1 HOUR. I DROVE IT FOR 20 MINUTES A FEW DAYS AGO AND IF FELT SICK THE REST OF THE DAY.... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. AFTER THE CONTACT FILLED UP THE FUEL TANK, FUEL FUMES WERE PRESENT IN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE THE GARAGE, FUEL LEAKED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ONTO THE GARAGE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,874.

LATELY, EACH TIME I FILL THE GAS TANK, STRONG SMELL OF GAS FILLS THE GARAGE TILL I USE UP SOME OF THE GAS IN THE TANK, DRIVING THE CAR. THE SMELL SEEMS TO COME FROM DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL AREA. I NOTICED NHTSA STARTED AN INVESTIGATION ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT HAS NOT BEEN CONCLUDED YET AND HOW ALL THESE COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR NATURE, HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. MBNZ SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN. AS SOME NOTED, THEIR CARS WERE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, SO MBNZ KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND SEEMS TO CHOOSE TO IGNORE. THIS IS WHERE NHTSA IS SUPPOSED TO COME IN AND PROTECT THE CONSUMERS OF THESE SO CALLED LUXURY ( EXPENSIVE) CARS. *TR

FRONT TIRES WORE OUT ON THE INSIDE PREMATURELY. DEALER ( KEYES MERC.) WAS UNABLE TO ALIGN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SUSPENSION HAD DROPPED, DUE TO GRAVITY, AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PLACE SHIMS TO PROP UP THE FRONT END. MERC CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH A REASONABLE ENGINEERING EXPLANATION AND UNWILLING TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION. THE SHIMS WERE PLACED AND THE CAR STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT.MY MAIN CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IN THE EVENT OF A SUSPENSION FAILURE. *TR

FOR APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF, WHEN FILLING MY GAS TANK, A STRONG GAS SMELL OCCURS IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR AND IN THE HOUSE GARAGE FOR A FEW DAYS. TO TRY AND AVOID THIS PROBLEM I AVOID FILLING MY CAR COMPLETELY AS THE SMELL DISSIPATES AS GAS IS CONSUMED. ON JULY 19, 2014, I FILLED MY TANK TO THE CLICK AND PROCEEDED HOME, PARKING IN THE GARAGE. MY BEDROOM IS ABOVE THE GARAGE. WHILE SLEEPING FOR A FEW HOURS, I AWOKE WITH A HORRIBLE HEADACHE AND THE STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN MY ROOM. I WENT TO THE GARAGE AND THE SMELL OF GAS WAS OVERWHELMING. I STATED MY CAR AND MOVED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE TO THE DRIVEWAY FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS. *TR

THE GAS GAUGE RANDOMLY SHOWS INCORRECT FUEL LEVEL REMAINING. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MUCH GAS AND DISTANCE/MILES REMAIN BEFORE A REFILL IS NEEDED. AFTER A FULL REFILL THE GAUGE SEEMS TO ACCURATELY SHOW A FULL TANK. RANDOMLY, WHEN STARTING THE CAR, THE GAUGE SOMETIMES SHOWS INCORRECT FUEL LEVELS AT EMPTY OR MUCH LESS THAN ACTUAL. THIS SOMETIMES CORRECTED VIA RESTARTING CAR. SOMETIMES RESTARTING DOES NOT CORRECT THE GAUGE. *TR

AFTER FILLING UP GAS TANK, STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE DETECTED IN THE REAL WHEEL WELL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AFTER DRIVING FOR 50 OR SO MILES, ODOR IS GONE. TOOK CAR TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE FUEL SENDING UNIT NEEDED REPLACED AND THE REPAIRS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER CPO WARRANTY. *TR

AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS FROM GAS STATION, WE SEE GAS LEAK/GAS DRIPPING UNDER THE CAR (UNDERNEATH THE REAR SEAT). WE CAN SEE GAS DRIPPING AND THE SMELL OF THE GAS INSIDE THE CAR AS WELL AS OUTSIDE THE CAR. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE INTERNET, THERE HAS BEEN LOT OF INCIDENTS REPORTED BY PLENTY OF CUSTOMERS AND I DON'T KNOW WHY MERCEDES IS TAKING A LOOK AT IT. IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS FIRE ISSUES SINCE GAS IS EXPOSED TO AIR. I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. THE CONTACT MERC DEALERSHIP WHERE WE GOT THIS VEHICLE IS 17510 NORTH FWY, HOUSTON, TX (281) 305-8970. THANKS *TR

AT THE BEGINNING IT WAS A SLIGHT SMELL OF GAS UPON FILLING UP. THOUGHT ON OCCASION IT MIGHT HAVE TOPPED OFF TO FULL. SMELL OF GAS DISSIPATED AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS. SMELL HAS NOW GROWN TO THE OBNOXIOUS STAGE AND DOES NOT DISSIPATE UNTIL TANK SHOWS ROUGHLY 3/4 FULL. NOTED THAT MANY OTHER MB OWNERS HAVE REGISTERED THE SAME COMPLAINT. PLEASE ADD MY NAME TO THE LIST. BASED ON OTHERS EXPERIENCE REQUESTING THE DEALER TO DEAL WITH IT WOULD HAVE LITTLE OR NO EFFECT. COLLECTIVELY PERHAPS YOU CAN START SOME ACTION AGAINST THEM TO TAKE ACTION AND FIX THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM. A REPAIR COST IS SUGGESTED TO BE OVER $1,000.00 AND FRANKLY THE CAR CAN NOT BE SOLD WITH THIS EXISTING PROBLEM, THE LIABILITY WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC! *TR

GAS TANK FUEL SENDING UNIT FAILURE CAUSING INACCURATE READINGS. ONE INCIDENT MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN THE FAST LANE AND GAS GAUGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK OF FUEL REMAINING AND CAR STALLED BECAUSE OF NO FUEL CAUSING A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION DUE TO NO AREA TO PULL OVER SAFELY. PLEASE REFERENCE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE12001. *TR