2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Complaints

ON TWO OCCASIONS I HAD LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE ON FRONT WHEELS. EXAMINATION SHOWED THE ALLOY WHEELS TO BE CRACKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES IN APPROXIMATELY 90 DAYS. I HAVE NOT HIT ANY POT HOLES. SOME TYPICAL ROAD BUMPS MAYBE BUT NO DEEP HOLES. I'VE HAD MANY VEHICLES SINCE 1958 BUT NEVER HAD WHEELS CRACKING. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN QUITE A BIT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME LOW PROFILE TIRES USED ON THIS VEHICLE ARE ALSO HAVING CRACKED WHEELS AND LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE. BESIDES BEING VERY COSTLY, THIS INDEED CAN BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE CAN RESULT IN ACCIDENTS AND CAN SUBJECT VEHICLE OPERATORS TO DANGEROUS CONDITIONS WHEN CHANGING TIRES. I WROTE TO MERCEDES BUT THEY WILL NOT ADMIT TO THEIR WHEELS HAVING A PROBLEM. IT COULD BE POORLY DESIGNED WHEELS, THE USE OF LOW PROFILE TIRES OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH LEADING TO WHEEL FAILURES. *TR

SMALL POTHOLE HIT. RIM DESTROYED ALONG WITH TIRE. I HAVE PUT APPROXIMATELY 12 TIRES AND THREE RIMS ON THIS VEHICLE IN TWO YEARS. AFTER A SEARCH I NOW FIND OUT THAT RIM AND TIRE PROBLEMS ARE VERY COMMON ON THESE CARS. MY WIFE HAS DRIVEN FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A TIRE/RIM PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING AT ORDINARY SPEED ON EVEN INTERSTATE SURFACE (I-64) EAST BOUND THE REAR RIGHT TIRE OF MY MB E350W4 BLEWOUT. I WAS ABLE STABILIZE THE CAR AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY AS I WAS JUST THEN IN FRONT OF A AN EXIT. MY TIRES HAD BEEN RECENTLY INSPECTED DURING A REGULAR SERVICE OF MY CAR. THERE IS NO REASON OR EVENT WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE SUDDEN TIRE FAILURE. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CONTINENTAL TIRE CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT THE COMPANY HAS FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR PRODUCT MAY HAVE MANUFACTURING ISSUES. NOW I HAVE OBSERVED A BLEMISH DEVELOPING ON THE SIDEWALL OF ANOTHER TIRE. THE DEALER HAS SUGGESTED THAT "WE WATCHED IT" FOR A TIME AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. MY TIRES ARE CONTINENTAL, CONTIPROCONTACT, 245/40 R18 93V, MS RADIAL. REPLACING THE TIRE COST ME SOME $350 SAND COULD HAVE COST ME MY LIFE OR VERY SERIOUS INJURY HAD I BEEN TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEED OR IR THE FRONT TIRE HAD FAILED RATHER THAN THE REAR. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THESE TIRES POSE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR WILL INTERMITTENTLY SHIFT INTO LOW GEAR WHILE DIVING. THE CAR SUDDENLY LOOSES POWER WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION WON'T SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. I'M TOLD BY THE MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, $7000! THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT FAILED AND OVERHEATED. THE SEAT BURNED THE CONTACT THROUGH HIS SHIRT AND BELT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE AND HAD TO OPEN THE WINDOWS BECAUSE THE SMOKE HAD BECOME OVERPOWERING. HE THEN POWERED THE HEATED SEATS OFF BEFORE IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

THIS MB E-350( [XXX] )OF 2008 WITH 18" DIAMETER RIMS IS VERY POORLY DESIGNED WHICH IS CAUSING SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD AND MAY LEAD TO DEATHS AS THE ALUMINUM ALLOY RIM ITSELF DAMAGE THE TIRE THEREBY DEVELOPING SLOW LEAK /BUBBLES AND ULTIMATELY A CAUSE FOR SERIOUS ROAD ACCIDENT LEADING TO POSSIBLE DEATHS TIMELY ACTION IS REQUIRED TO BAN 18" DIAMETER RIMS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN IN A PARKING LOT LEADING TO A CRASH. THE CAR WENT INSIDE A BUILDING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES ALL THE TIME, BUT CAR DID NOT STOP. AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN. *TR

TURNED ON DRIVERS SEAT WARMER, SMELLED SMOKE AND OPENED WINDOWS THINKING THE ODOR WAS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. TURNED THE SEAT HEATER OFF AND LATER FOUND A QUARTER SIZE HOLE BURNED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. MY SHIRT AND PANTS ALSO HAD HOLES BURNED IN THEM. FORTUNATELY I TURNED THE HEATER OFF BEFORE I WAS BURNED OR A FIRE STARTED. MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER IS GOING TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO THE SEAT OF MY 2008 E-350. *TR

I OWN A 2008 MERCEDES E350 4MATIC. AFTER A TRIP, WITH THE CAR SITTING AT THE AIRPORT FOR A WEEK IN WARM WEATHER, I ENTERED THE CAR AND NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. I VENTED THE CAR AND DROVE HOME. THE ODOR REMAINED. SUBSEQUENTLY I HAD THE CAR PUT ON A LIFT AND THERE WAS A STAIN COMING DOWN AROUND THE SIDES OF THE GAS TANK. I ALSO REMOVED THE REAR SEAT AND NOTICED THAT THE SEAT FOAM WAS SATURATED WITH A GASOLINE SMELL DIRECTLY ABOVE THE ACCESS PANEL FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. I UNDERSTAND FROM LOCAL MECHANICS THAT THIS MAY BE A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE WITH MB E SERIES CARS. THIS LEADS TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL FIRE/EXPLOSION AS WELL AS EXCESSIVE EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS. MB USA STATED THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE AN ACTIVE RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MERCEDES BENZ E350. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE COMING FROM THE WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND THREE OF THE FOUR WHEELS WAS BENT AND CRACKED. THEY REPAIRED THE WHEELS PER THE WARRANTY. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IT CONTINUED TO MAKE NOISE BECAUSE THE BENT WHEELS CAUSED OTHER PROBLEMS TO OCCUR ON THE AXLE AND TIRES. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM TO CHANGE THE TIRES BUT HE FELLS IT IS THE DEALER RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE THE TIRES AND REPAIR THE AXLE WHICH WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.