2009 MERCEDES-BENZ E350 Complaints

ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 1 THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF MY 2009 E350W MERCEDES BENZ BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE HEAT AND FLAMES FROM THE FIRE BURNED MY SHIRT. MY LEFT SIDE WAS ALSO BURNED. SINCE I WAS TRAVELING AT 35 MPH, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY, LEAP FROM THE CAR AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. IT WAS ONLY BY GOD'S GRACE THAT I AVOIDED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH LIFE THREATENING INJURIES AND POSSIBLY FATALITIES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE BEVERLY HILLS MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CENTER TO ALERT THEM OF THE PROBLEM. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SERVICE CENTER FRIDAY MORNING. A LOANER CAR WAS NOT AVAILABLE SO I RENTED A CAR FROM HERTZ. TODAY CARLOS MUEDANO, SERVICE ADVISOR, SAID I WOULD BE BILLED $1,500 FOR REPAIRS. THIS CAR HAS 37,770 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, ROUGHLY 6,000 MILES PER YEAR OR 500 MILES PER MONTH. IT IS BASICALLY A NEW CAR. IN DECEMBER 2014 BEVERLY HILLS MERCEDES CHARGED $1,000 FOR REPAIRS TO THE TRUNK WIRING SYSTEM. POSSIBLY THESE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND REPAIRS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATING UNIT WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE? THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT FIRES LINKED TO THE SEAT HEATING ELEMENTS IN MERCEDES BENZ CARS. IN FACT THERE IS CURRENTLY A CLASS ACTION SUIT OVER THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. I AM TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED IN MERCEDES BENZ. I PURCHASED THE MERCEDES BENZ PRODUCT EXPECTING HIGHEST QUALITY AND BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE. YOU HAVE FAILED ON BOTH COUNTS. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NOTICE FROM MERCEDES BENZ ON A RECALL TO CHECK AND REPAIR DEFECTIVE SEAT HEATERS.

AS DRIVING NOTICED STRONG SMELL OF SMOKE. THEN NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM LEFT SIDE DRIVERS SEAT. AS I PULLED OVER HOLE BURNED IN SEAT AND SPARKS AND FLAMES POURED OUT FROM BURNING HOLE IN SEAT.

THERE IS A VERY STRONG GAS SMELL WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED, ESPECIALLY IN A GARAGE. THERE IS AN EXISTING NHTSA CAMPAIGN (EA13003) THAT DISCUSSES THIS ISSUE WITH THE 2009 MERCEDES E350 BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICES FROM MERCEDES.

THERE'S A VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE AFTER REFUELING. MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I DON'T TOP OFF MY TANK. JUST STARTED HAPPENING THIS MONTH.

I WAS DRIVING MY MERCEDES E350 ON I-95 NORTH BOUND SOMEWHERE NEAR PHILADELPHIA. MY FAMILY INCLUDING MY WIFE AND MY TWO SONS WERE ALSO ON THE CAR. SOMEHOW, ALL OF SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER CONTROL, WHICH IS, THE VEHICLE QUICKLY SLOWED DOWN AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT I KEPT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE (I BELIEVE THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN FOR SOME REASON). I HAD TO USE HAZARD SIGNALS TO WARN THE VEHICLES OF THE DRIVERS BEHIND ME. MEANWHILE, MY SON ADVISED ME TO PRESS THE SOS BUTTON OF MY VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY SOME DRIVERS NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING AND SOME OF THEM HELP ME SWITCH THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL AND HELPED PUSH MY VEHICLE TO THE ROAD SIDE. WE ALSO GOT HELP FROM POLICE OFFICERS TO ESCORT MY FAMILY MEMBERS TO THE NEARBY TRAIN STATION AND MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF RAY CATENA, EDISON, NJ, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE ADVISER ASKED ME TO PAY $135 FOR THEM TO EXAMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS THAT MERCEDES E350 IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CAR WITH GOOD AND SAFE QUALITY, SO WHY DID IT HAPPEN TO MY VEHICLE. I ALWAYS HAVE MY CAR MAINTAINED BY MERCEDES SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON A SCHEDULED BASIS. I (AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS) COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED THAT DAY. I ALSO WORRY THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED, THE SAME OR SIMILAR SITUATION COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. SO PLEASE ADVISE WHAT I SHOULD DO WITH THIS EVENT. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E350. AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS REFUELED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

AFTER FILL UP GAS TANK , STRONG FUME VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN PARK IN GARAGE ENTIRE HOUSE SMELL LIKE GAS . WHEN DRIVE ALSO SMELL STRONG GASOLINE LIKE ITS LEAKING . VERY SCARY *TR

STRONG FUEL SMELL AFTER FUELING THE CAR. VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I REPORTED THIS TO THE REGIONAL MERCEDES BENZ REPRESENTATIVE AND THEY DENIED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE REPORTED OR RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. DUE TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE, I DO NOT ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ E350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, HE SMELLED FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD A LEAK AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.