2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Complaints

CAR: 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E-350 4-DOOR V6 SEDAN WITH SPORTS PACKAGE, 28,000 MILES. INCIDENT: VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING FROM 25 MPH ON RAMP TO ENTER FREEWAY. BEFORE REACHING FREEWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH, CAR BEGAN TO MAKE LOUD NOISES FROM THE FRONT AND VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. ACCELERATING MADE IT WORSE. AT 35-40 MPH, DRIVER DECIDED TO EASE BACK TO 25-30, TURN ON HAZARD LIGHTS, AND TAKE NEXT EXIT. CAR WAS TOWED TO MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICING. DIAGNOSIS FROM DEALERSHIP: "CAR HAS A BAD CYLINDER HEAD THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. CYLINDER HEAD #3 IS THE BAD ONE. THIS IS ALSO CAUSING THE MISFIRING OF CYLINDER #1 AND #2." SERVICE REQUEST: "R/S CYLINDER HEAD COMPLETE COOLANT GASKETS EST HOLE JOB PARTS". OVER $11,000 PARTS AND LABOR. COMMENTS: CAR HAD VERY RECENTLY BEEN SERVICED AS PER RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE BY SAME DEALERSHIP. EVEN THOUGH I AM SECOND OWNER AND BOUGHT CAR FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, MBUSA CONFIRMED THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED AS PER SCHEDULE FROM THE BEGINNING, AND THERE WAS NO HISTORY OF MECHANICAL FAILURE. THIRD-PARTY MECHANICS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A 2013 MB E-CLASS WITH ONLY 28,000 MILES SUFFERING FROM THIS KIND OF ENGINE PROBLEM UNLESS IT MISSED SERVICING ALONG THE WAY.

WHILE PARALLEL PARKING IN FRONT OF A SMALL RESTAURANT IN A LARGE NORTH TEXAS CITY THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS AT A HIGH SPEED BACKWARDS, CLIMBING OVER A SIDEWALK CURB AN THEN CLIMBED OVER A NEARLY 3 FOOT HIGH RETAINING WALL. THE REAR END OF THE CAR RESTED ON TOP OF THE RETAINING WALL. IF THE RETAINING WALL BETWEEN THE SIDE WALK AND THE RESTAURANT HAD NOT STOPPED THE VEHICLE IT WOULD HAVE LIKELY CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED AND GONE THROUGH THE RESTAURANT. MAY HAVE BEEN THE CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM OR RELATED ACCELERATION SYSTEM.

I FIRST HAD A TIRE BLOW-UP IN A MINOR POTHOLE. GOT IT REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, RECENTLY I HIT ANOTHER MINOR POTHOLE IN NEW JERSEY, AND THIS TIME, THE RIM OF THE WHEEL CRACKED! THIS TIME I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR SEAT, AND COULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I DO NOT THINK THE SO CALLED "HIGH PERFORMANCE" WHEELS ARE MEANT FOR THE US ROADS. THE MATERIAL SEEMS SUB-STANDARD. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO MERCEDES, BUT THE REP DID NOT SEEM TO CARE OR SHOW ANY CONCERN. I HAVE KEPT THE DAMAGED RIM WITH ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE. SENDING PICTURES ALSO. THANKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND REAR ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE BACK AND NECK, BUT MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,700.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING INTO THE GARAGE AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE UNINTENDEDLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE DOOR. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND FOOT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR BRUISES TO ARM, CHEST, AND NECK. ALSO, SUFFERED SEVERE PAIN TO CHEST WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,043. ...UPDATED 04/19/16 *BF *TR

THE ELECTRIC STEERING COLUMN ADJUSTMENT TO MOVE STEERING WHEEL UP AND/OR DOWN BECOMES INOPERABLE. HOWEVER THE IN & OUT ADJUSTMENT STILL WORKS. THIS MAKES PROPER STEERING WHEEL AND AIR BAG LOCATION IMPOSSIBLE. IT WAS NOTICED WHILE DRIVING THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT IN THE PROPER/COMFORTABLE POSITION. I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND THIS APPARENTLY IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM. A PLASTIC PART CALLED THE COUPLING COLLAR, PART #A203 462 06 78 BREAKS AND RENDERS THE UP AND DOWN ADJUSTMENT IMPOSSIBLE. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS COVERS MULTIPLE MODELS AND MODEL YEARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, ALL THE ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS FAILED IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 900.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE AND THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH INDICATED THAT THERE WAS 20 LBS OF PRESSURE INTERMITTENTLY DROPPING TO 0. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON ONE OTHER OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MERCEDES BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE RIMS WOULD COME OUT OF SHAPE AND DEFORM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RIMS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

TIRE BLEW OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. *TR