2003 Mercedes Benz E320 complaints

PURCHASED 2003 MERCEDES E-320 ON 1/10/04 FROM LEITH MERCEDES IN RALEIGH, NC, TWO HOURS FROM MY HOME. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE TELE-AID DID NOT WORK - MODULE REPLACED - OLD PART NOT AVAILABLE; ADJUSTING MOTOR FOR OUTSIDE MIRROR DID NOT WORK - MOTOR REPLACED - OLD PART NOT AVAILABLE. IN MAY, 2004, DASH MESSAGE SAID CONTACT DEALER. CONTACTED DEALER WHO SENT FLATBED FOR CAR. HAD CAR FOR 3 WEEKS. NO EXPLANATION OF FAILURE. FINALLY ARRANGED A RENTAL CAR FOR ME. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER FOR A/C FAILURE (DROVE 1,400 MILES WITH NO A/C!) LEAKY TRUNK (PART OF THAT TRIP WAS IN THE RAIN, AND MY LUGGAGE AND OTHER ITEMS IN THE TRUNK GOT WET) "GROANING NOISE" IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHISTLING SUNROOF( WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE OF WHISTLING - OLD PART NOT AVAILABLE) WHISTLING FAN;AMBIENT LIGHTING AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AT WILL; REAR OVERHEAD LIGHT DOES NOT WORK; CLOCK LOSES TIME. THIS TIME, UNDER DURESS, THEY ARRANGED A LOANER VEHICLE FOR ME. HAVE HAD ONE CALL FROM DEALER SINCE CAR WAS BROUGHT IN ON 9/12/04 TO CLARIFY AN ITEM ON MY LIST. THEY "DID NOT KNOW" WHEN MY CAR WOULD BE READY. TODAY IS 9/22 AND I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. WHEN I ASKED DEALER ABOUT BRAKE RECALL, THEY SAID THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF USA TODAY. I HAVE ASKED FOR A FREE EXTENDED WARRANTY AS THE CAR HAD 5,000 MILES ON IT WHEN PURCHASED - (IT NOW HAS 18,000+ - SO MY WARRANTY IS FOR 1 YEAR OR 50,000). THEY WILL "GET BACK TO ME" ON IT. SO FAR, I HAVE NOT HEAR

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

I PURCHASED A MERCEDES-BENZ E320 IN JUNE 2003 AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE AN ISSUE INVOLVING UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION AND SPEED "SURGES" SINCE SEPTEMBER 2003. THE CONDITION SEEMS TO BE MORE PREVALENT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS APPROACHING LOW SPEEDS OR IN A DOWNHILL PLANE THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE DURING FIVE (5) SERVICE APPOINTMENTS AND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THEY ARE AWARE OF THE UNCONTROLLED POWER, OR ACCELERATION, FLUCTUATIONS. THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE USING M-B ADVICE; WITHOUT SUCCESS. M-B REPRESENTATIVES HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CONDITION EXISTS AS WELL; BUT, THAT IT IS NOT A "WARRANTABLE DEFECT." THIS "SURGING" HAS FURTHER DEVELOPED INTO "BUCKING" ON SEVERAL OCCCASIONS CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS CONDITION APPEARS TO BE SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE NHTSA REGARDING THE E320 WHERE THE TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK UP IS DESCRIBED. I DO BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE INABILITY TO CONTROL THE POWER / SPEED FLUCTUATIONS OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKES CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE NOISE OCCURRED AT LEAST 23 TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, TRANSMISSION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO JERK WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE THREE TIMES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND COULD NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE LAST TIME VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER, TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THE NEED TO BUY A SPECIAL KIT FOR VEHICLE ALIGNMENT. *AK MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO CORRECT PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY. *LA

THE VEHICLE'S GEAR SHIFT BECAME VERY HOT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE SUN FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER BURNED HIS HANDS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

MERCEDES E320-ANOTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE SRS-RESTRAINT LIGHT-GATEWAY. MERCEDES CLAIMS REAR AIRBAG PROBLEM, CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T BUY IT FROM SERVICING DEALER, NO LOANER! MB VEHICLE MOTOR INQUIRY INDICATED CAR WAS NAV PRE-WIRED. PLANNED INSTALLATION WHEN AVAILABLE, NO PREPAY, NOW I'M STUCK WITHOUT NAV, REASON I BOUGHT MB *LA

HEADLIGHT STANDARDS FOR PASSENGER CARS. TRANSFERRED TO RULEMAKING. *MR *CB

PROBLEMS WITH C-240 HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT.*MR THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE HEAD LIGHTS AIMED PROPERLY FOR THE LOW BEAM, THERE IS NO FURTHER ADJUSTMENT AVAILABLE FOR THE HIGH BEAM. *CB

WHEN THE CAR WAS TWO MONTHS OLD, 1500 MILES, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TELLING ME THAT MY BRAKES MAY NOT BE WORKING AND THAT I SHOULD STOP DRIVING IMMEDIATELY. IN FACT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND I HAD A HARD TIME STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO KNAUZ MERCEDES IN LAKE BLUFF. THEY STILL HAVE NOT TOLD ME WHAT WENT WRONG BUT SAY THAT THEY HAVE GOTTEN NEW PARTS AND THE BRAKES SHOULD BE FINE.

PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT ON VEHICLE. NAR 07/28/2003*MR *CB

NEW MERCEDES E320 WAS PURCHASED ON MAY 31, 2003 FROM BOBBY RAHAL MOTORCAR COMPANY IN WEXFORD, PA. THE CAR HAS HAD TWO SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITHIN 25 DAYS OF ITS PURCHASE, BOTH BEING SERIOUS AND COULD BE LIFE THREATNING:*AK 1. THE SEAT EASY FUNCTION MALFUNCTIONED. IT PUSHED THE SEAT RIGHT TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND ALMOST CAUSED CHOKING DUE TO PRESSING OF THE CHEST AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL(JUNE 13, 2003) 2. LOST THE PUMP FOR THE FLUID PRESSURE TO THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AT 35 MILES/HOUR ON A HILLY CURVING ROAD. STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD AND STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT - ALMOST RIGID TO TURN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH OPPOSING INCOMING TRAFFIC ( JUNE 25, 2003) DEALER REPAIRED IT BUT REFUSES TO GIVE ANY ASSURANCE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. WHEN HE WAS SUGGESTED TO REPLACE THE CAR FOR SAFETY ISSUES THAT HAD OCCURRED IN 25 DAYS, HE HAD REFUSED.

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND THE VEHICLES AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *NLM

I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ARM FOR THE CRUSIE CONTROL IS TOO CLOSE TO THE TURN SIGNAL ARM. SEVERAL TIMES A DAY I FIND THAT MY HAND (ALBEIT A SMALL HAND) ACCIDENTALLY HITS THE CRUISE CONTROL LEVER INSTEAD OF THE TURN SIGNAL - ESPECIALLY WHEN SIGNALLING LEFT. THIS ACTIVATES THE CRUISE CONTROL AT A TIME WHEN YOU ARE USUALLY GETTING READY TO SLOW DOWN FOR A TURN. I UNDERSTAND THAT BRAKING WILL TURN OFF THE CRUISE AUTOMATICALLY, BUT IT IS STILL AN INCOVENIENCE AND COULD POTENTIALLY BE DANGEROUS. I CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ AND THEY SAID THAT THE CARS ARE ALL PUT THROUGH MANY, MANY TESTS AND THIS PROBLEM DIDN'T SURFACE. A SOLUTION WOULD BE TOO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF THE CRUISE HANDLE OR ANGLE IT MORE TOWARD THE DASH. POSSIBLY THIS WOULD ALLOW FEWER MISTAKES.