2002 Mercedes Benz C Class

THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO COMPLAINT #10579528. SPOKE TO ROBIN, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE REAR SIGNAL ACTUATOR MODULE AS THE BASIS FOR THE FUEL DELIVERY FAILING WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. THE EXPLANATION THEY OFFERED IS THAT THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IN FUEL DELIVERY TO THE ENGINE, WHILE DRIVING, IS THE FUEL PUMP, MERCEDES PART# 203 470 3794. HOWEVER, THEY FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE A FAULTY FUEL PUMP IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK, FUEL DELIVERY UNIT, FUEL SENDING UNIT AND WIRING HARNESS ...THE ENTIRE FUEL STORAGE TANK AND FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM! NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HEARD OF A SITUATION WHERE AN ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A FAILED IN-TANK FUEL PUMP. THIS POINTS TO YET ANOTHER DESIGN FLAW FOR WHICH MERCEDES BENZ, THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER,HOLD ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE. WHAT POSSIBLE ENGINEERING REASON CAN THEY OFFER OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE FUEL AND ELECTRICAL FUEL DELIVERY COMPONENTS SYSTEM WERE SERIOUSLY FLAWED FROM THE BEGINNING OF PRODUCTION? *JS

I CALLED MBUSA 2 WEEKS AGO REGARDING MY 2002 C320 WAGON WHICH WAS SMELLING OF PURE GASOLINE WHICH THE ODOR WAS SO STRONG IT WAS COMING INTO THE HOUSE FROM THE GARAGE GIVING US HEADACHES. I CHECKED ONLINE WITH MBUSA CLUB MEMBERS AND FOUND OUT THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND TO CALL IT IN. I CALLED MBUSA AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR BULLETINS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE AND WE WERE OUT OF WARRANTY TO CONTACT THE DEALER. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO SEEMED VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AND JUST FOR PARTS IT WAS OVER $800 AND THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY WARRANTY, RECALL ISSUES. THIS IS OUR FAMILY CAR WE USE THIS WAGON TO TRAVEL DAILY WITH THE KIDS OR OTHER LITTLE FAMILY MEMBERS SO WE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. WE CALLED OUR INDEPENDENT MERCEDES BENZ CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HE KNEW WHAT IS WAS JUST FROM OUR CONVERSATION. HE HAD US BRING IT IN RIGHT AWAY AND HE LIFTED UP THE REAR SEAT WHERE OUR CHILDREN SIT AND SHOWED MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF A POOL OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE FUEL PUMP SITTING RIGHT UNDER THE SEAT!! I WAS DISGUSTED TO KNOW THAT MBUSA DISMISSED THIS SO QUICKLY AND COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY PUT OUR CHILDREN AT RISK. PLEASE NOTE THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAS VISITED THE MB DEALER MORE TIMES THAN ANY CAR SHOULD EVER NEED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM EVEN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALER TOLD US THEY SEE ALOT OF THESE NEEDING REPLACED AND ALTHOUGH MB HAS UPDATED THE FAULTY PART THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED OWNERS OF TH

DRIVERS POWER SEAT CONTROL MODULE DRAINS BATTERY WHEN AUTO IS PARKED. *TR

THIS IS A C230 KOMPRESSOR COUPE. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MADE A LOUD NOISE AND THEN LOCKED UP AFTER BEING DRIVEN SLOWLY TO A SHOP. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE EARLY 2002 C CLASS CARS BUT AS USUAL, THERE IS NO RECALL. I CONTACTED MBUSA AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THIS CAR HAS ALSO RECENTLY SHOWN EVIDENCE OF RUSTING. I CONTACTED MBUSA ABOUT THAT AND LEARNED THAT THE MB CORROSION PROTECTION IN THE U.S. IS MERELY FOUR YEARS. I ALSO FOUND THAT MOST OF THE OTHER GERMAN LUXURY AUTOMAKERS HAVE USED GALVINIZED STEEL FOR DECADES, UNLIKE THE MANUFACTURING PRACTICES OF MB. OVERALL, BETWEEN BUILT-IN MECHANICAL FAILURES AND THE RUST, AND THE FACT THAT MBUSA DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES, I WILL CERTAINLY STEER CLEAR OF MERCEDES IN THE FUTURE. *TR

MERCEDES BENZ C240 ECU FAILURE. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE SOMETIMES RANDOM AT BEST AND SOMETIMES SHUTS OFF. THE CARS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALSO SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK, THE POWER STEERING LEAKS INTERMITTENTLY THE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE ON LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE . THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED SO WAS THE COIL PACK AND OTHER ITEMS BY MERCEDES BUT THEY ALWAYS TRIED TO JUSTIFY THAT PROBLEM WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR WHICH IS NOT TRUE. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2002 C240 MERCEDES IN 2006. THE CAR HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS UNTIL HERE RECENTLY. THE CAR BEGAN TO NOT START AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED THREE TIMES TO THE MECHANICS (DON ALLEN SERVICE CENTER ON ALLENTOWN ROAD, FORT WASHINGTON, MD). WAS TOLD I NEEDED A FUEL PUMP. I PAID $1,500 TO HAVE A NEW FUEL PUMP INSTALLED. PROBLEM NOT SOLVED. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR. IT HESITATES FOR ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE IT TURNS OVER. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANICS AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO FUEL FILTER CHANGED AGAIN. PROBLEM NOT SOLVED. NOW THE CAR MAKES THIS LOUD WHINING NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. NOW I HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANICS TO HAVE HIM TO REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER AGAIN. THIS IS WHAT I'M BEING TOLD IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE FUEL FILTER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IN ONE WEEK THAT THE FUEL FILTER HAD TO BE CHANGED. I WAS TOLD THAT ONCE THE FUEL PUMP GOES BAD, THE CAR WILL NEVER RUN THE SAME AGAIN. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE TRUE CONSIDERING THE PROBLEMS I'VE ENCOUNTERED AFTER HAVING THE FUEL PUMP INSTALLED ON MY CAR. HAVING A MERCEDES HAS BEEN A HEADACHE WITH THE COST OF JUST MAINTAINING THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WHICH IS COSTLY. I PLAN ON GOING BACK TO A LEXUS AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE! THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH MERCEDES. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED TO FIX THE FAULTY FUEL SYSTEM/PUMP/FILTER. I PLAN ON REPORTING THIS COMPLAINT TO MY STATES ATTORNEY OFF

POWER SEAT CONTROLLER BECOMES DEFECTIVE AND FAILS TO SHUT DOWN WHEN CAR IS OFF AND LOCKED, AND THUS DRAINS THE BATTERY. *TR

DEFECTIVE SEAT CONTROLLER MODULES ( DRIVER AND PASSENGER ) CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DRAIN COMPLETELY WITHIN 24 HOURS. THIS LEAVES ME STRANDED AND UNABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. A SEARCH ONLINE REVEALS MULTIPLE OTHER WITH THE SAME ISSUES...INDICATING AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS WELL KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER WITH NO RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM FROM THE MANUFACTURER OTHER THAN PAYING $1000 FOR A KNOWN DEFECTIVE ISSUE/PART. *TR

SEAT CONTROL MODULE ON PASSENGER SIDE DRAINS THE BATTERY. *TR

SEAT CONTROLLER MODULES, THEY CONSTANTLY DRAIN THE BATTERY WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. THIS IS A VERY VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MERCEDES C CLASS. THE CONTROLLER DRAINS THE CAR BATTERY TO THE POINT WERE THE CAR CANNOT START, AND CONTINUES TO DO THIS IF THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN EVERYDAY. OBVIOUSLY HAVING A CAR BATTERY GET SUCKED BELOW 3V IS NOT HEALTHY FOR THE BATTERY, AND IN THE END EVERYONE WITH THIS PROBLEM HAS TO REPLACE THEIR BATTERY MANY MANY TIMES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C CLASS. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH OR HIGHER, THE ESP INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND REPAIRED ONCE BEFORE FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT ORDER THE PARTS AND MAKE THE REPAIR AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 09/23/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED IN BRAKING MODE.

WE PURCHASED A NEW SET OF MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 2 TIRES AT COSTCO IN POWAY, CA ON 10/8/07 FOR MY WIFE'S MERCEDES. AFTER JUST LESS THAN SIX MONTHS AND UNDER 6,800 MILES, WE NOTICED HER LEFT TIRE WAS LOW. SUSPECTING SHE HAD PICKED UP A NAIL OR SUCH, WE FULLY INFLATED THE TIRE AND DROVE THE THREE MILES TO COSTCO. THE REPRESENTATIVE THERE, PATRICK, CALLED ME TO SAY IT WAS A NAIL BUT IT HAD DAMAGED THE SIDEWALL AND THE TIRE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE TIRE CENTER, PATRICK'S SUPERVISOR, WILLIAM KENNISON, INSISTED THAT SIX MONTHS AND 6800 MILES WERE PERFECTLY NORMAL LIFE EXPECTANCY NUMBERS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE TIRES. HE INFORMED ME THERE WAS OVER 75% OF THE TREAD ON THE FRONT TIRES (DIFFERENT SIZE THAN THE REARS 225/45R17 VS. 245/40R17) BUT ONLY 38% ON THE LEFT REAR AND 0% ON THE RIGHT REAR. I NEVER SAW THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. HIS MANAGER, HERB, WAS OFF DUTY BUT WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL ME ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS MY DISSATISFACTION. HE NEVER CALLED. I PAID $379 AND CHANGE AND LEFT WITH A NEW PAIR OF REAR TIRES. MY WIFE WILL BE 56 NEXT WEEK. SHE IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER AND PRIMARILY DRIVES THIS CAR TO WORK AND OUR DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL. IT HAS BEEN ON THREE ROAD TRIPS TO UCLA FROM SAN DIEGO SINCE WE BOUGHT NEW TIRES IN OCTOBER. THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL OR AGGRESSIVE IN MY WIFE'S DRIVING STYLE AND THE FACTORY TIRES LASTED 40,075 MILES. CLEARLY, THESE TIRES CAME FROM A BAD BATCH AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. HAD WE NOT HAD A LOW TIRE THE CONSEQUENCES MIGHT HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. I

I HAVE A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C240 SEDAN WITH 78,000 MILES ON IT. UPON LEAVING WORK TWO WEEKS AGO DRIVING DOWN THE PARKING LOT IN SECOND GEAR THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE THE WORST ENGINE NOISE I EVER HEARD. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY TELL ME THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. IF I WAS TRAVELING DOWN AN INTERSTATE AND THIS BROKE AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THIS IN NOT THE FIRST PROBLEM I HAD WITH THE CAR I HAVE A SERVICE FILE FULL OF PROBLEMS AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY ON THINGS LIKE FRONT COIL SPRINGS WHICH ALSO COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THEY BREAK AND I LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR IN THE MORNING, NO PROBLEM. EARLY AFTERNOON, SHE LEFT TO PICK UP OUR CHILD, WHILE LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE VEHICLE STARTING SENDING WARNING SIGNS CAME ON THE DASH THAT HAD NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. THEN THICK SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. MY WIFE HAD TO OPEN HER WINDOW. SHE THEN TURNED AROUND TO GO BACK HOME PRIOR TO LEAVING THE COMMUNITY. ON THE WAY BACK THE CAR SLAMMED ON BRAKES BY ITSELF AND CUT ITSELF OFF AND SAID THE VEHICLE HAD 7 FAULTS. RAN UP TO A NEIGHBORS HOME, UPON RETURNING THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND BECAME A TOTAL LOSS. POLICE AND FIRE MARSHAL CAME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD TO TRACK DOWN MERECEDES BENZ AND BASICALLY HAVE HAD NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT WHATSOEVER. WE LOCATED THE VEHICLE FOR MERCEDES AS THEY TOOK THEIR SWEET TIME. THEY DID GET AN INSPECTOR THERE TO VIEW THE VEHICLE BUT HAVE YET TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM THEM REGARDING THIS MATTER. WE HAVE CONTACTED AN ATTORNEY TO PROTECT US AND WANT MERCEDES TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS INCIDENT. SOMETHING WAS VERY WRONG AND WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT NO ONE WAS HURT. *TR

THE INSIDE FRONT DOOR HANDLE OF C-CLASS (YEAR2002 OR SIMILAR) IS NO GOOD, IF YOU PARK THE CAR ON THE DOWN SLOPE STREET, AND CLOSE THE FRONT DOOR FROM WIDE OPEN POSITION, THE DOOR HANDLE WILL GIVE AWAY AND BROKEN APART AT THE TOP END WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE DOOR PANEL ONLY WITH A SMALL PLASTIC STUD. I SENT THE COMPLAINT LETTERS TO MERCEDES BENZ USA AS WELL AS MERCEDES BENZ OF SAN FRANCISCO, THEY NEVER RESPONSE. I BELIEVE THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR HANDLE TO PERFORM PROPERLY BECAUSE OF FAULTY DESIGN AND THE MANUFACTURE HAS TO BEAR RESPONSIBLE BY RECALLING THIS TYPE OF DOOR HANDLE. *TR

ON FEBRUARY 6, 2007, I TOOK MY MB TO SOVEREIGN MOTOR CARS LTD IN BROOKLYN, BECAUSE OF THE SRS LIGHT. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED IN 2005 AND THE ABOVE COMPANY TOLD ME THAT IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. IN THE MIST OF REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR VIA DRILLING, THE CAP (BOTTOM PART THAT HOLDS THE BOLT) BROKE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS COMMON BECAUSE OF THE MIXTURE OF ALUMINUM ENGINE AND STEEL CASING. I WAS TOLD MORE THAN 2% OF MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLE THAT ENTER THIS SHOP THE CAP BREAKS AS A RESULT OF OXIDATION AS TOLD BY MR. YELTKIN, SHOP STEWART. SOVEREIGN WANTED ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF THIS INCIDENT MORE THAN $2000 FOR A FAULTY CAPPING. OR $800 TO HAVE IT WELDED TOGETHER BUT THEN WAS TOLD IT MAY BREAK AGAIN. BOTH BOLTS WERE DAMAGED BUT SOVEREIGN REPLACED THEM WITH TEMPORARY BOLTS TO SHOO ME ON MY WAY. *NM

MERCEDES-BENZ C240 OF 2002 YEAR. WATER LEAKAGE WAS DETECTED NEAR THE ENGINE AND THE FUSE BOX. THE FUSE BOX AND THE EXTERNAL LIGHT SWITCH WERE DAMAGED AND REQUIRED TO REPLACE. THE WATER WAS COMING FROM THE EXTERNAL SUCH AS RAIN.

I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE IN THE SHOP FOR WELL OVER 40+ DAYS REGARDING A VIBRATION THAT CAUSES ME TO BELIEVE IT COULD BE SAFETY RELATED. I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DEALER CAN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND HAS NO IDEA OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 MERCEDES C240. AT THE PRESENT TIME I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY VEHICLE GOING ON 6 WEEKS, THIS IS THE 6TH OR 7TH TIME IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER. *JB

I PURCHASED GOODYEAR AMERICAN EAGLE TIRES FROM WALMART IN BIG RAPIDS, MICHIGAN ON 11-18-04. THE TIRES WERE SIZE P20555R16BW AND INSTALLED ON MY 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C240 SEDAN. ON 10/2/05 I NOTICED A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT BECAME APPARENT THERE WAS A CRACK AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE ABOUT AN INCH AWAY FROM THE RIM ON THE INSIDE SIDEWALL. THE DEPTH OF THE CRACK WAS ALL THE WAY TO THE STEEL BELTS. AFTER INSPECTING THE REMAINING THREE TIRES I DISCOVERED THEY WERE ALL CRACKED IN THIS MANNER. TWO WERE AS BAD AS THE FIRST TIRE AND A FOURTH WAS BEGINNING TO CRACK. I TOOK THE TIRES TO WALMART IN GARNER, MA WHERE I NOW RESIDE. THE MANAGER WAS VERY HELPFUL AND REPLACED THE TIRES WITHOUT QUESTION. HOWEVER, AFTER CALLING THE COMPLAINT IN TO GOODYEAR, IT BECAME APPARENT THEY REALLY DON'T CARE. I'M CONCERNED THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WILL BE KILLED OR INJURED DUE TO THESE TIRES. IT'S APPARENT THERE IS A DEFECT BECAUSE MY TIRES EXPERIENCED 100% FAILURE RATE AND WERE PRODUCED IN TWO SEPARATE LOTS. THE DOT NUMBERS ARE DOT PJT2 4AHR 1604 (3 TIRES) AND DOT PJT2 4AHR 3704 (1 TIRE). GOODYEAR CLAIMS THERE IS NO PROBLEM AND THAT LESS THAN 1% OF TIRES ARE BAD. THIS IS NOT A STATISTIC WORTH BRAGGING ABOUT SINCE MILLIONS OF TIRES ARE PRODUCED. THE TIRES I PURCHASED CRACKED DUE TO DRY ROT AND THEY WERE LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD. GOODYEAR IS UNCONCERNED ABOUT HIGHWAY SAFETY. THEIR ATTITUDE AT THE COMPLAINT CENTER WAS PATHETIC. I'M C

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE ON ONE OCCASION, BUT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THE SECOND TIME. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK