2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class Fuel System Problems

I FIRST THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD BEEN STEALING MY GAS UNTIL MY CAR STARTED TO SMELL LIKE GAS. IF I GIVE SOMEONE A RIDE IN MY CAR, THEY MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SMELL AS SOON AS I START TO DRIVE. MY COWORKERS HAVE NOTICED THE ODOR IN WHEN THEY PASS BY MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT AND THE SPOTS THAT IT LEAVES ON THE GROUND. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID MY FUEL PUMP IS LEAKING ON TO THE TOP OF MY FUEL TANK AT AN EXCESSIVE RATE AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. MY CAR ONLY HAS 84,000 MILES SO I DID SOME RESEARCH ON RECALLS. MERCEDES HAS EXTENDED WARRANTIES ON SEVERAL MODELS FROM 2006-2009 BUT MINE IS NOT ON THE LIST. MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE OTHER VEHICLES EFFECTED. WHAT CAN I DO NEXT?

ON DECEMBER 9, 2016 I TOOK MY 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE BACK SEAT AREA. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE FUEL SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR FUEL SENDING UNIT LEAKING. ALTHOUGH I WAS AWARE OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AGREEMENT BETWEEN MERCEDES-BENZ AND NHTSA COVERING LEAKING GAS TANK COMPONENTS ON MERCEDES-BENZ CARS, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE AGREEMENT DID NOT INCLUDE GAS TANK LEAKS ON MY CLK VEHICLE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE SAME GAS TANK LEAK WAS COVERED ON OTHER MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES. THUS, I HAD TO PAY FOR THE EXPENSIVE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. I AM REQUESTING THAT NHTSA AMEND YOUR PRIOR AGREEMENT WITH MERCEDES-BENZ TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL MODELS SUCH AS MY 2006 CLK 350 WHICH HAVE DEVELOPED SIMILAR LEAKS IN THEIR FUEL TANK COMPONENTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP GASKET WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000.

FUEL PUMP FAILED AT 35,000 MILES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPLACE. WANTED TO CHARGE $2000 TO REPLACE AFTER COMPLAINING REDUCED CHARGE TO $1400.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE STRONG FUMES OF FUEL EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE LEFT SENDING UNIT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,585.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A PERSISTENT ODOR OF FUEL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS FRACTURED AT THE SEALING POINT AND WAS LEAKING FUEL .THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

SIMILAR TO THE GAS FUMES LEAK EXPERIENCED ON THE E CLASS, OUR 2006 CLK CLASS SUDDENLY EMITTED GAS FUMES ORIGINATING FROM THE GAS TANK AFTER THE TANK WAS FILLED WITH GAS. *TR

WE SMELLED THE ODOR OF GASOLINE IN OUR GARAGE, SO TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO MERCEDES OF HENDERSON. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS CRACKED AROUND THE TOP MOUNTING BOLT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, WE NOTED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE MERCEDES E AND CLK CLASS VEHICLES. THE FACT THAT THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. WHEN RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, WE OBSERVED NUMEROUS MERCEDES OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. DOES OUR HOME HAVE TO BURN TO THE GROUND BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE TO HAVE MERCEDES CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

OUR 2006 MERCEDES CLK 500 STARTED TO SMELL LIKE GAS RIGHT AFTER FILLING IT UP AND WOULD CONTINUE TO SMELL UNTIL ABOUT 3/4 OF A TANK. AFTER REMOVING THE REAR SEAT AND SERVICE COVER I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS STANDING GASOLINE ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO FUEL VISIBLE ON THE GROUND. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

THE FUEL TANK ON THIS VEHICLE IS CRACKED AND IS BEING REPLACED. UPDATED 4/24/2015 *JS

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM AN AUTHORIZED MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP AND WAS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. AUTOMOBILE WAS GARAGE KEPT AND PRIMARILY DRIVEN TO WORK WITH HIGHWAY MILES. ONLY PREMIUM NON-ETHANOL MIXED FUEL WAS USED FROM SHELL. SUDDENLY, ONE DAY, STRONG GASOLINE ODOR PERMEATES GARAGE. MOST NOTICEABLE WITH FULL TANK. THE CAUSE WAS A FUEL TANK SENDER UNIT. A PLASTIC DIAPHRAGM WITHIN THE UNIT DEVELOPED A STRESS CRACK RIGHT AT THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN TWO FACES. IT IS CLEAR THAT PROPER BONDING BETWEEN THE TWO WAS NOT IDEAL DURING MOLDING. FUEL WOULD EGRESS OUT THIS CRACK LOCATED UNDER THE BACK SEAT AND ON-TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. $1000 WAS RECENTLY SPENT ON THE REPLACEMENT OF SENDER UNIT. SOME FUEL ODOR STILL PERSISTS WITHIN VEHICLE. THIS WAS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SURPRISING CONSIDERING THE LOW MILES AND YEARS ON THE VEHICLE. REGARDLESS OF RAMIFICATIONS, GASOLINE OF SUFFICIENT QUANTITY IN PLACES UNINTENDED, SHOWS POOR WORKMANSHIP. THANK YOU. UPDATED 02/14/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED IT APPEARED THE PLASTIC VESSEL ITSELF WAS MADE BY A TIER SUPPLIER IN GERMANY. THE LEAK STARED FROM THE SEAM. *TR

EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE, THERE IS A STRONG GAS SCENT. IT IS UNBEARABLE WITH THE FAN INSIDE THE CAR ON. I MUST DRIVE WITH ALL THE WINDOWS OPEN TO BREATHE PROPERLY. *TR

FUEL LEAKAGE/PUDDLING OUT OF TOP OF LEFT FUEL SENDING UNIT, MOST NOTABLE AFTER FILLING TANK. NOTICED AT LEFT REAR TIRE WELL OF CAR ON OUTSIDE ONLY. INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THE GASKET ON THE SENDING UNIT WAS FAULTY (FUEL STAINING NOTED ON TOP OF SENDING UNIT)SO REPLACED GASKET WITH INITIAL IMPROVEMENT OF PROBLEM. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS PROBLEM APPEARED TO RECUR BUT NOW CLEARLY WORSENING. FUEL SMELL HAD UNTIL RECENTLY ONLY BEEN NOTICEABLE AFTER PARKING IN GARAGE AFTER FILLING TANK, MOST RECENTLY NOTICEABLE IN OPEN PARKING LOT AFTER FILLING TANK. IMPROVES WHEN TANK LESS THAN 3/4 FULL. RECENTLY REMOVED INSPECTION COVER UNDER LEFT REAR SEAT ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER FILLING TANK. FUEL APPEARS TO LEAK OUT FROM UNDER THE ELECTRIC CONNECTION ON TOP OF THE 2" DIAMETER PLASTIC DISK, OR AT THE EDGE OF THE DISK, ON THE TOP OF THE SENDING UNIT. A 1-2 ML PUDDLE OF FUEL DEVELOPS WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF FILLING THE TANK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED GASOLINE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND ONLY WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLK350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN REFUELING, GASOLINE FUMES FILLED THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOTH THE DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A DEFECTIVE RING AROUND THE FUEL PUMP AND TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. ...UPDATED 10-24-13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED GAS WAS VISIBLE ON THE TOP OF THE TANK WHERE THE ELECTRIC WIRES CONNECT TO THE GAS PUMP. GAS FLOWS OVER THE EXHAUST PIPE AND ONTO THE GROUND. UPDATED 11/1/2013 *JS