2016 Mercedes-Benz Metris complaints

FIRST OFF, I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK AND SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME DRIVING IN A LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA AS WELL AS ON THE INTERSTATE WITH THE VEHICLE IN THIS FIRST WEEK (1200 MILES IN TOTAL). I HAVE ADJUSTED THE SIDE MIRRORS AS WIDE AS THEY ARE CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING AND STILL, AN ENORMOUS BLIND SPOT REMAINS FOR THE DRIVER THAT IS BOTH DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND DRIVERS AROUND ME. ON TWO OCCASIONS THIS WEEK, ONE (TODAY) THAT WAS THE WORST YET, I WAS CHANGING LANES AND AFTER CHECKING THE SIDE MIRRORS AND SEEING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, I CAME EXTREMELY CLOSE TO HITTING A SEDAN THAT WAS DRIVING IN MY BLIND SPOT. FORTUNATELY, THE OTHER DRIVER WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND ABLE TO SWERVE AWAY FROM MY VEHICLE TO AVOID BEING HIT. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS THE CARGO VERSION WITH A BULKHEAD INSTALLED WHICH RENDERS THE REARVIEW MIRROR USELESS AND NO ABILITY TO LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULD OUT A REAR WINDOW TO CHECK FOR VEHICLES. I HAVE JUST ORDERED EXTRA CLIP ON MIRRORS FROM AMAZON TO MAKE THE VEHICLE AT LEAST OPERATIONAL BUT IN MY OPINION BEING FORCED TO ALTER SOMETHING SUCH AS SIDE MIRRORS TO MAKE THE VEHICLE REASONABLY SAFE TO OPERATE IS UNACCEPTABLE FROM ANY MANUFACTURER, LET ALONE MERCEDES-BENZ WHO CLAIMS SUCH A HIGH STANDARD OF SAFETY ON THEIR VEHICLES. AFTER DOING A LITTLE MORE INVESTIGATION, THIS IS CLEARLY A KNOWN ISSUE EXPERIENCED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO OPERATE THIS VEHICLE (I.E. HTTP://WWW.METRISFORUM.COM/FORUM/385-APPEARANCE-BODY/1610-MIRRORS.HTML). ANY QUICK INTERNET SEA

EVER SINCE WE GOT THIS VEHICLE WE COMPLAINED THAT THE MIRROR IS TOO SMALL, WHICH MAKES IT EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE TURNS. I TRIED TO SEARCH ONLINE, AND RIGHT AWAY FOUND A METRIS FORUM WITH MANY MANY POSTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. THE POSTERS WERE WRITING ABOUT CONTACTING MERCEDES, AND THE DEALERS DIDNT EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT, OR THE ONES WHO DID SAID THAT THE 2017 MODELS WERE INDEED IMPROVED. I AM NOW TRYING TO GET A REPLACEMENT FOR MY VAN, AND THE DEALERS ARE NOT HELPFUL AT ALL

SIDE MIRRORS ARE TOO TALL AND TOO SHORT! WE ALMOST GOT INTO ACCIDENT FOR SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE BUT YESTERDAY (7/17/17) WAS REALLY CLOSE! I WAS CHANGING TO RIGHT LANE WHEN ANOTHER CAR IS SO CLOSE I HAVE TO SLAM MY BRAKES BECAUSE MY PASSENGER MIRROR IS SO BAD ABOUT VISIBILITY. PLEASE HELP BEFORE WE GET HURT OR WORSE. THANK YOU!

I HAVE A 2016 METRIS PASSENGER VAN WITH 14000 MILES THAT THE MECHANICAL/ANALOG SPEEDOMETER SHOWS INCORRECT SPEED SOMETIMES. IT ONLY HAPPENS AFTER THE VAN HAS BEEN TRAVELING WITH SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH + I NOTICE THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWING ABOUT A 20 MPH SLOWER SPEED, THEN OVER A FEW MIN. THE SPEED SLOWLY KEEPS DROPPING UNTIL 0 MPH. THE TOTAL TIME TO 0 MPH IS ABOUT 15 MIN. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE SPEEDOMETER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY. ONLY THE MECHANICAL SPEEDOMETER IS AFFECTED, THE DIGITAL DISPLAYS CORRECT SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 10 TIMES THAT I KNOW OF.

THE REARVIEW CAMERA FROZE WHILE I WAS BACKING UP. BY "FROZE" I MEANT THE PICTURE BECAME STATIC WHILE THE VAN WAS MOVING BACK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT WILL MISLEAD THE DRIVER ON WHAT'S OR WHAT'S NOT ON THE PATH OF MOVING DIRECTION. THE ISSUE PERSIST WHEN I MOVED THE CAR BACK AND FORTH. IT WENT AWAY AFTER PARKING THE VAN IN GARAGE FOR A FEW HOURS. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN AND MAY CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENCE.

RUPTURED FUEL LINE CAUSING FUEL SMELL IN CABIN. SMELL WAS MOST APPARENT AFTER VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING AND AT SLOW SPEEDS.

PASSENGER SIDE MIRRORS ARE FLAT (NOT CONVEX) AND LEAVE A HUGE BLIND SPOT. ITS A SAFETY ISSUE I TRIED TO CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ DEALER TO SEE IF THEY GOT AN REPLACEMENT BUT HAD NO LUCK.

THE CRUISE CONTROL LACKS A SEPARATE ON/OFF SWITCH. WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL STEM IS PULL BACKWARD, THE SYSTEM IS TURNED ON/ENGAGED, WHICH IS NON STANDARD FOR SWITCHES. WHEN INITIALLY TURNED ON, IT ACTIVATES AT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS TURNED OFF, THEN BACK ON (WITHOUT HAVING TURNED OFF THE ENGINE) THE VEHICLE WILL EITHER ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE ABRUPTLY TO THE PREVIOUSLY SET SPEED. THE CRUISE CONTROL STEM IS ALSO LOCATED NEAR THE HEADLIGHT DIMMER SWITCH ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN, WHICH ARE BOTH SIMILAR IN SIZE AND FEEL. AT NIGHT I EXITED AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN MT AND HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 75 MPH. I TURNED OFF/DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL AS I EXITED THE FREEWAY. ON A LIGHTED STREET WITH A 30 MPH SPEED LIMIT, I REALIZED MY HEADLIGHTS WERE ON BRIGHT SO I USED MY LEFT HAND TO DIM THE HEADLIGHTS, WHICH DIM BY PULLING THE APPROPRIATE STEM REARWARD. I MISTAKENLY PULLED THE CRUISE CONTROL STEM REARWARD, WHICH IMMEDIATELY TURN ON/ENGAGED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE THE VAN TO 75 MPH. I QUICKLY TURNED THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF, THEN DIMMED THE HEADLIGHTS. THE INCIDENT WAS DANGER AND DISTRACTING. RAPID DECELERATION OCCURS, WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS, WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS SET AT 40 MPH, TURNED OFF, THEN TURNED ON/ENGAGED AT 70 MPH.

MERCEDES CLAIMES THAT THE METRIS IS ABLE TO TOW 5000LBS. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW WITH THE TOW PACKAGE FACTORY INSTALLED. MERCEDES NEVER DISCLOSED THE FACT THAT IT'S WIRING HARNESS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE DOES NOT OPERATE ELECTRIC TRAILER BRAKES AND THAT NO FACTORY OR THIRD PARTY OPTION IS AVAILABLE. WE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO OUR INABILITY TO STOP QUICKLY ENOUGH. THATS HOW WE FOUND OUT THAT THE FACTORY INSTALLED TRAILER WIRING HARNESS DOES NOT OPERATE ELECTRIC BRAKES. MERCEDES SHOULD HAVE WARNED US ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE FACTORY TRAILER WIRING HARNESS INCLUDES A 7 WIRE CONNECTOR, BUT IS ONLY WIRED FOR 6. IT CONTROLS BRAKE LIGHTS,TURN SIGNALS, RUNNING LIGHTS BUT NOT ELECTRIC BRAKES. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH MERCEDES CORPORATE AND STATED HOW THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. CUSTOMERS MAY WRONGLY ASSUME THAT THEIR ELECTRIC TRAILER BRAKES ARE BEING ACTIVATED WHEN APPLYING THE VEHICLES BRAKES. WITHOUT TRAILER BRAKES, MOST TOW PAYLOADS ARE LIMITED TO 2500LBS. 5000LBS IS WAY BEYOND THE SAFE LIMIT. MERCEDES STATED THAT THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE METRIS TO ACTIVATE ELECTRIC BRAKES. I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES NEEDS TO WARN CUSTOMERS OF THIS SPECIFIC DESIGN FLAW. MOST LIGHT DUTY TRAILERS AND CAMPERS IN THE USA USE ELECTRIC BRAKES. OUR ALMOST ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE I35 SOUTH OF WACO TX. WE WERE AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE TRAFFIC CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. LUCKILY WE HAD A LARGE ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN US AND THE CARS STOPPING AHEAD. WE HAD A CAR AT THE LAST MOMENT SWERVE INTO OUR LANE AND STOP. NOW

THE SIDE MIRRORS FOR THE CAR ARE HORRIBLE. THEY HAVE A HORRIBLE BLIND SPOT WHICH I FEEL IS REALLY DANGEROUS. WHEN DRIVING YOU BARELY HAVE ANY VISIBILITY OF VEHICLES ON YOUR SIDE. FEELS LIKE ITS A SET UP FOR AN ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN.

THE SIDE MOUNTED REAR VIEW MIRRORS ARE INADEQUATE, LEAVING LARGE BLIND SPOTS. THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR NEEDS TO BE CONVEX. MY WIFE, WHO IS USED TO DRIVING A CHEVROLET VAN WITH A CONVEX, PASSENGER SIDE, REAR VIEW MIRROR, ALMOST HIT A CAR THAT WAS UNSEEN IN THE BLIND SPOT OF THE METRIS. SHE WAS DRIVING ON A MULTI LANE ROAD AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE LANES TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE NEAR COLLISION OCCURRED. *TR

SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE OTHER CARS FROM. THEY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND CREATE MASSIVE BLIND SPOTS. THE 2017 MIRRORS WERE CHANGED TO MINIMIZE THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE DEALERS WILL NOT RECALL 2016 MIRRORS.

THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAS A TERRIBLE BLIND SPOT.NO MATTER HOW DILIGENTLY YOU LOOK IN THE PASSENGER MIRROR AND OVER YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER THERE IS AN AREA THAT IS BLIND TO THE DRIVER. THIS IS DUE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR BEING TOO SMALL AND NOT CONVEX. IT IS NOT WRITTEN ON THE MIRROR " OBJECTS APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ACTUALLY ARE".THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW, I AM SURPRISED THAT THAT THIS MADE IT THROUGH ALL OF THE SAFETY REGULATIONS. LUCKILY, I HAVE NOT BEEN AN ACCIDENT YET DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE MOUNTED ADDITIONAL BLINDSPOT MIRRORS TO THE EXISTING MIRRORS BUT THEY ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A PROPERLY DESIGNED MIRROR. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN AUGUST AND HAVE RETURNED SEVERAL TIMES COMPLAINING ABOUT THE MIRROR BUT TO NO AVAIL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE MIRROR BUT THE FACTORY TINTING ON THE WINDOWS IS VERY DARK AND ONE MUST LOOK CAREFULLY TO SEE AN ONCOMING CAR. IN DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF ENTRIES ON THE METRIS FORUM SITE WITH NEW METRIC OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SIDE MIRROR VISIBILITY AND LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION. THE FIX IS A SIMPLE ONE AND I HOPE THAT MERCEDES WILL STEP UP AND ACTIVELY TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE.

TAKATA RECALL VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH VISION FROM THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS CANT SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THEM. I HAVE THE VAN A WEEK NEARLY GOT IN 5 ACCIDENTS TRYING TO GET INTO MY RIGHT LANE I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM IN ANY OTHER CAR OR VAN THIS PROBLEM NEEDS FIX BEFORE SOMEBODY GET HURT AND ALL MY OTHER VANS WERE BIGGER THEN THIS VAN

MERCEDES METRIS VAN FUEL SMELL WHILE VEHICLE WAS AT IDLE WARMING UP FOR WINTER DRIVING. GAS WAS SEEPING FROM "POROUS GAS LINE" WAS WHAT I WAS TOLD FROM DEALERSHIP AND THAT THIS ONLY HAPPENED TO TWO OTHER VEHICLES IN AMERICA. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR COMPANY BOUGHT MULTIPLE VEHICLES AND WE HAVE THREE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. MERCEDES DOES NOT HAVE PARTS READILY AVAILABLE IN THE STATES AND THE FUEL LINE HAS TO BE MANUFACTURED IN GERMANY. PLAN ON BEING WITHOUT YOUR VEHICLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THERE ARE MULTIPLE FORUMS ON THE WEB ILLUSTRATING THIS PROBLEM. IF YOU SMELL GAS OUTSIDE YOUR METRIS I SUGGEST TAKING IT IN RIGHT AWAY. *TR

GASOLINE SMELL NOTICED IN AND AROUND VEHICLE AFTER 5 MINUTES WHILE IDLING COLD. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES GASOLINE SMELL INCREASED INSIDE VEHICLE TO THE EXTENT THAT VEHICLE HAD TO BE STOPPED, WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN AND FUMES DISSIPATED. REPEATED TWICE WHILE RETURNING TO ORIGINAL START POINT. NOTICED GASOLINE SMELL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS PRIOR BUT VERY FAINT. SEEMS TO BE COLD TEMPERATURE RELATED. DAY OF SEVERE INCIDENT WAS EXTREME COLD. ISSUE IS SEVERE ENOUGH I'M APPREHENSIVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE SIDE MIRRORS ARE NOT ONLY VERY LOW AND SMALL BUT THEY ARE FLAT. THIS CREATES A HUGE BLIND SPOT PARTICULARLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE EVEN WITH LANE ASSIST TECHNOLOGY. I DO NOT WANT TO ALMOST HIT A CAR BEFORE BEING NOTIFIED. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT ON A HIGHWAY WITH 4 KIDS IN MY CARE. THIS EXACT SAME VAN HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN EUROPE WITH CONVEX MIRRORS. IN FACT, MB IS MAKING THESE CONVEX MIRRORS STANDARD IN THE 2017 VERSION, BUT SEEMS TO WAITING UNTIL HUMAN CASUALTY BEFORE RECALLING THE 2016 MIRRORS FOR SAFE DRIVING.

MIRRORS ARE VERY NARROW/POOR, CANT SEE IN A CARGO VAN, I ALMOST KILLED SOMEONE OR KILL MYSELF

BOTH SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ARE FLAT, NOT CURVED OR CONVEX. ITS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. BECAUSE OF THAT, THIS CAR HAS HUGE DEAD ZONE NEXT TO THE CAR. AS I HAVE A CARGO VAN WITH NO REAR WINDOWS, NO WINDOWS ON THE SIDES EITHER ITS REALLY SUPER UNSAFE.

THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR IS FLAT ONLY GIVING A 5.6DEG VIEWING ANGLE. IT IS IMPOSABLE TO SEE. ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR THREE WEEK, HAVE ALMOST CAUSED SERVAL ISUESS MB NOT WILLING TO HELP.

THE SIDE MIRRORS ARE FLAT INSTEAD OF CONVEX AND THIS, COMBINED WITH VERY HIGH HEADRESTS, GIVES ONE EXTREMELY POOR REAR VISION. I CAN NOT RECALL DRIVING ANY VEHICLE MADE AFTER THE 1970'S THAT HAS FLAT MIRRORS LIKE THIS. CHANGING LANES, EVEN WITH BLIND SPOT WARNING, IS JUST GUESSWORK AND VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE NOT FELT SO UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSURE OF WHAT IS NEXT TO ME SINCE I DROVE CARS WITHOUT ANY RIGHT SIDE MIRRORS YEARS AND YEARS AGO. THE SAME VAN IN EUROPE DOES HAVE CONVEX MIRRORS THAT ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THOSE USED IN US. CONTACTING MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS HAS PROVEN USELESS. THIS IS AN ISSUE IN ALL SITUATIONS BUT WORSE IN URBAN DRIVING OR HEAVY TRAFFIC WHERE KNOWING WHAT IS AROUND ONE'S VEHICLE IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THIS IS A TERRIBLE AND DANGEROUS OVERSIGHT.

SIDE VIEW MIRROR VISIBILITY IS EXTREMELY POOR CREATING ENORMOUS BLIND SPOTS IN A VEHICLE OF THIS SIZE AND INHERENT LIMITED VISIBILITY. HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS CHANGING LANES DUE TO INABILITY TO ADEQUATELY SEE PERIPHERAL AREAS. ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THESE ISSUES PILE UP, THE VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED AS IS. THE EXACT EUROPEAN COUNTERPART IS SUPPLIED WITH WIDE VIEW MIRRORS BUT TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS THE US VERSION GETS CRIPPLED VISIBILITY.

PASSENGER MIRROR CAUSES SIGNIFICANT BLIND SPOT AS IT IS NOT A CONVEX MIRROR. THIS CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO NOT SEEING A VEHICLE LOCATED ON RIGHT SIDE.

THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ARE EXTREMELY SMALL. THEY CREATE A TERRIBLE BLIND SPOT WHICH INHIBITS YOUR ABILITY TO CHANGE LANES. IN ADDITION THE MIRRORS APPEAR TO MAGNIFY OBJECTS WHICH DISTORTS YOUR JUDGEMENT OF VEHICLE PROXIMITY. BOTH OF THESE FACTORS HAVE CAUSED NEAR COLLISIONS MULTIPLE TIMES! THE MIRRORS ONLY ALLOW YOU TO SEE A PORTION OF THE LANE NEXT TO YOU. THIS IS MUCH WORSE WHEN LOOKING AT THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR COMPARED TO THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE WEBSITE: METRISFORUM.COM HAS ADEQUATE COMMENTARY FROM OTHER DRIVERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM.

THE SIDE MIRRORS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE DANGEROUS AND TWO SMALL, THEY ALMOST GOT ME INTO AN ACCIDENT WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET WITH MY WIFE AND FIVE (5) CHILDREN. THESE SIDE MIRRORS ARE NON-CONVEXED AND OFFER LITTLE VIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE VEHICLE, LEAVING THE DRIVER TO DEPEND ON THE BLIND SPOT ASSIST FEATURE TO CHANGE LANES OR REVERSE FOR THIS CRITICAL VISUAL INFORMATION.

THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR ON THIS VEHICLE OFFERS VERY LITTLE VISIBILITY AND CREATES A HUGE BLIND SPOT. THE MIRROR IS FLAT OFFERS A VERY NARROW FIELD OF VIEW. BECAUSE THIS IS A CARGO VAN WITH NO WINDOW ON THE SIDE DOOR A CONVEX MIRROR IS NECESSARY TO OFFER A ACCEPTABLE FIELD OF VIEW FOR SAFE LANE CHANGING. I FEEL THE LACK OF A CONVEX MIRROR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MAY LEAD TO SEVERAL SIDE SWIPE ACCIDENTS BY OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE LANESOME TO THE RIGHT ONLY TO FIND THAT THERE IS ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE MASSIVE BLIND SPOT. UPON RESEARCHING THE EUROPEAN VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE I DISCOVERED THAT THEY ARE EQUIPPED WITH A PROPER CONVEX MIRROR. FAILURE TO EQUIP THE AMERICAN VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE WITH THE SAME MIRROR SEAMS LIKE A LACK OF REGARD FOR SAFETY

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VISIBILITY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR WAS INADEQUATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE LOCAL DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND THAT THE ENGINEERS WERE WORKING ON IT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500...UPDATED 05/09/16 *BF *TR