2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V918000 (VISIBILITY) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHEN FILLING UP GAS TANK TO FULL, STRONG GAS ODOR IS SMELLED AROUND THE CAR. NOT SURE IF IT IS LEAKING FROM WITHIN THE CAR OR OUTSIDE. ODOR WAS SMELLED WHEN STATIONARY, I DO NOT LEAVE WINDOWS DOWN WHILE DRIVING.

DUE TO LEAKING REAR AIR SUSPENSION, REAR OF VEHICLE DROPS SO THAT BODY OF CAR RESTSD ON REAR TIRES. VEHICLE IN MOTION

THE INSIDE CABIN OF MY 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E-350 CONSISTENTLY SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE. MY GARAGE ALWAYS SMELLS LIKE GASOLINE IS EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 WAGON. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A MINOR BURN, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF ALEXANDRIA (200 S PICKETT ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304, (703) 341-2100) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRE TO THE SEAT WARMER ELEMENT FRACTURED AND CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THE SEAT WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE SEAT WOULD BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,160.

GASOLINE ODOR WHEN FILL UP GAS TANK, AND IT STAY SMELL GAS ODOR BADLY UNTIL GAS TANK DROP TO 3/4. THIS IS COMMON ISSUE AS STATED IN REFERENCE TSB NO. P-47-10-63. I CALLED MB AT AT 800-367-6372 BUT THEY REFUSE TO FIX MY CAR UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. EACH TIME THE CONTACT FUELED THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED AN ODER OF FUEL AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF OXNARD (LOCATED AT 1511 AUTO CENTER DR, OXNARD, CA 93036) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD A LEAK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEED ON A SMOOTH ROAD WHEN THE DRIVER'S-SIDE FRONT SPRING BROKE WITH A LOUD BANG AND THAT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED, FULLY COMPRESSING THE SHOCK ABSORBER. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN SLOWLY: THE BROKEN END COULD HAVE CUT THE TIRE, BLOWING IT OUT. AT HIGH SPEED, IT COULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR BECAUSE OF UNEQUAL CAMBER. ON A SHARP TURN, THE FENDER LIP WOULD HAVE DROPPED ONTO THE TIRE, SEVERELY DAMAGING THE FENDER OR BLOWING OUT THE TIRE. MERCEDES WAS PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED TO RECALL THE SAME MODEL FOR REAR AIR SUSPENSION FAILURE BECAUSE WHEN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROPS, NHTSA SAYS, "...THE DRIVER MAY HAVE REDUCED VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING RISK OF A CRASH." I SAY THAT FRONT SUSPENSION FAILURE IS MORE DANGEROUS. AFTER TOWING TO THE MERCEDES DEALER, THE SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED THE BROKEN SPRING A "MAINTENANCE ITEM." HE CLAIMED THIS FAILURE AT 92,000 MILES IN A 10-YEAR-OLD CAR IS NOT SURPRISING. THE FULL PRICE TO REPLACE THE SPRING AND DAMAGED SHOCK ABSORBER AND ALIGN THE CAR WAS $1,345 AND THE DEALER DEDUCTED A $300 DISCOUNT AFTER I COMPLAINED. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A PART THAT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I READ THAT THIS MODEL IS PRONE TO THIS FAILURE. I'VE DRIVEN 500,000 MILES DURING THE PAST 50 YEARS, MOSTLY IN CARS PURCHASED USED, WITH ONE REACHING 250,000 MILES, AND I PREVIOUSLY HADN'T HEARD OF BROKEN COIL SPRINGS. I STATED THAT MERCEDES SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DANGEROUS FAILURE; THAT WE PURCHASED THE CAR AS A CERTIFIED USED CAR FROM A MERCEDES DEALER WHEN IT WAS ONLY FOUR-YEARS-OLD AT 50,000 MILES AND IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND SERVICED PER MERCEDES AT MERCEDES DEALERS SINCE PURCHASE. I BELIEVE THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED, PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, FOR A TENDENCY OF THE FRONT COIL SPRINGS TO BREAK.

VERY STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WHILE CAR IS PARKED IN GARAGE. DEALER SAYS RECALL DOES NOT COVER MY PARTICULAR MODEL.

VEHICLE HAS STRONG EXTERNAL GAS ODER EMANATING FROM THE DRIVER'S REAR PASSENGER SIDE AND IS MORE PREVELANT AFTER FILL UP AND PARKING IT. IT IS A CONCERN TO MY SAFETY THAT GASOLINE MAY BE LEAKING AND A ELECTRICAL SPARK OR IMPACT CAN RESULT IN A FIRE/EXPLOSION.