2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ E500. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME VERY LOOSE AND FAILED TO TURN. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE LOCAL DEALER (A BETTER WAY WHOLESALE, 423 WEBER AVE NAUGATUCK, CT) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE BOTH NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

AFTER FILLING GAS TANK, WHILED STOPPED, THERE IS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE EVIDENT. THE SMALL SEEMS TO ORIGINATE NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. SOMETIME IT'S DETECTABLE INSIDE THE CAR, BUT MOSTLY IT'S READILY APPARENT OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR 10-30 MILES, THE SMELL GOES AWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT WANTED TO USE THE EMAIL THAT HE SENT TO THE HOTLINE FOR HIS COMPLAINT. "THE DOCUMENTED ISSUE OCCURRED WHEN MY CAR TURNED 8 OR 9 YEARS OLD (2006 MERCEDES BENZ E500 IN MINT CONDITION WITH 82,000 MILES) WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHTS INTERMITTEDLY COMES ON. NOW, IT IS ON NEARLY EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE THAT OF A WEIGHT SENSOR, AND SAID WHENEVER THE LIGHT IS ON, ALL AIRBAGS ARE TURNED OFF AND WILL NOT DEPLOY. NOW IT IS NEARING 10 YEARS OLD AND AM STILL TRYING TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR IT UNDER THE 10 YEAR WARRANTY ($850 TO $1000) AS YOUR AGENCY HAS DEFINED, "'MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REMEDY VEHICLES FOR FREE THAT ARE MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD ON THE DATE THE DEFECT OR NONCOMPLIANCE IS DETERMINED. UNDER THE LAW, THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE IS CALCULATED FROM THE DATE OF SALE TO THE FIRST PURCHASER'" THE ONLY RECALL THAT I AM AWARE FOR THIS CAR IS FOR THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS IN THE STEERING COLUMN, AND NOT FOR THE WEIGHT SENSOR THEY HAVE DIAGNOSED. IT IS NOT MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A CAR MUST HAVE TO FACE A RECALL TO OBLIGE THE MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR A DEFECTIVE AIR BAG COMPONENT." THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ E500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON, THE CLUSTER FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THE CLUSTER SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THE RECALL AS A REGISTERED OWNER AND THE RECALL EXPIRED AND THEY WILL NOT COVER IT.

ON JANUARY 29, 2016, I WAS GOING TOWARDS THE EXIT OF MY DEVELOPMENT BUT BEFORE I GOT TO A MAIN ROAD (I WAS TRAVELING SLOWLY ABOUT 20 MPH AND DRIVING STRAIGHT) I WAS USING BRAKES AND RED MESSAGE POPPED UP ON THE DASH BOARD STATING REDUCED BRAKE POWER AND TO DEPRESS BAKE PEDAL WHICH I DID BUT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CAR KEPT MOVING SO I LET THE CAR MOVE INTO THE CURB WHERE THERE WAS SNOW. I TURNED CAR OFF AND TURNED BACK ON AND THE WARNING MESSAGE WAS NO LONGER DISPLAYED AND CAR FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. I CALLED MB DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND I DID RESEARCH BEFORE CALLING AND LEARNED THE SUBCOMMITTEE PUMP IS THE PROBLEM AND THERE IS A TEN YEAR UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY ON THE MATTER. EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS A 2006, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT THE END OF 2015 BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED IN 2005 (I BOUGHT IT USED IN 2008). SINCE IT WAS ALMOST 1 MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE 3000-4000 TO REPLACE SAC SYSTEM. THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED MOST DEFINITELY AS I WAS IN A PANIC WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. I WAS JUST FORTUNATE THAT IT DID NOT OCCUR IN TRAFFIC. PLEASE MAKE MB CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AS IT OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND PEOPLE COULD BE INJURED IF NOT WORSE.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR OFF THE FRWY AND WAS TURNING ON THE RAMP WHEN MY BRAKES STOPPED WORKING

THE SUSPENSION , NAMELY THE AIRMATIC STRUTS FAIL ON THE E500 . MERCEDES HAS KNOW ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. I HAD AN S500 THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECK INTO, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL BOTTOM OUT , TIRES ON THE FRAME. THE AROMATIC STRUTS FAIL AND MAKE CAR UN DRIVABLE. VERY COSTLY REPAIR.

2006 MERCEDES BENZ E500 - I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GAS. OUTSIDE OF THE CAR YOU COULD SMELL GAS COMING FROM THE REAR END UNDER THE WHEEL WELL. INSIDE OF THE CAR IT WAS COMING FROM THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT AREA. I CALLED MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATE OFFICE WHICH THEN DIRECTED MY CALL TO CUSTOMER CARE. THEY SAID THEY WOULD REFER ME TO A AUTHORIZED MB DEALER, AND THEIR WERE NO RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AT THE PRESENT TIME. THE DEALER THEY REFERRED ME TO WAS WALTER'S MERCEDES BENZ IN RIVERSIDE CA. I TOOK IT IN AND, I RECEIVED A CALL THE NEXT MORNING STATING IT WAS MY FUEL FILTER & SENSOR. THEY ALSO FOUND A SMALL OIL LEAK. FYI I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY OIL LEAKAGE FROM MY CAR. THEN WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY RECALLS AND IT WOULD COST ME $790 FOR THE FUEL FILTER REPLACEMENT AND $1300 FOR THE OIL SEAL REPLACEMENT. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND A VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN #2008-020001. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THE 8,000 VEHICLES EFFECTED BY THIS RECALL, EVEN THOUGH ITS EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I PROCEEDED TO LOOK ONLINE WHERE I FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS MENTION A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE FUEL TANK. I CALLED MB CUSTOMER CARE AND ASKED THEM FOR A COPY OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THEY EMAILED ONE. IN THIS LETTER IT STATES AS ONE OF THE PARTS COVERED IS THE FUEL FILTER/SENDER. I MENTIONED THAT TO WALTER'S MERCEDES BENZ AND THEY SAID THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER MY REPAIR. IT'S VERY EVIDENT THAT MERCEDES BENZ AS WELL AS THE DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT HONORING THESE SO CALLED VOLUNTARY AND EXTENDED WARRANTIES. I REFUSED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AND NOW MY CAR SITS IN MY GARAGE. AFTER BRINGING IT BACK FROM THE DEALER THERE IS NOW OIL LEAKAGE! I NEVER HAD ANY OIL LEAKING UNTIL I TOOK IT TO WALTER'S MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP. *TR

REAR SUSPENSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AIRBAGS LEAKING ENGINE MOTOR MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED.