2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Fuel System Problems

I inherited my dad's 2003 Mercedes Benz E320 when he passed away last year. He kept the car in pristine condition. About a month ago while driving it, I noticed a strong smell of gasoline in the cabin of the vehicle. The odor is strong just after filling the tank, and then it disappears at appox. 3 quarters of a tank. This issue has been physically challenging for me, making me dizzy and giving me migraines. I'm also very concerned about the safety issues relating to gasoline fumes inside the car... My understanding is that this is a common issue for the said Mercedes Benz model and year. It is a dangerous parts defect that is unacceptable.

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz AMG E55. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside of the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the rear seats, the contact observed gasoline pooling underneath the rear seats. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to TSB: 2008-020001. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor throughout the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a fuel leak coming from underneath the vehicle, above the fuel tank. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 202,800.

The contact owns a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E320. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The contact removed the rear seat where the fuel tank was located and discovered that fuel was leaking into the vehicle underneath the rear seat instead of going into the fuel tank. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

After fueling up, a smell of gas occurs. Slight gas puddle forms under the car after every fuel up. Drops gas gauge down and after that no more smell of fuel but still slight puddle of gas after leaving the car parked. Noticed it about a month ago and it seems to get worse. Doesn't seem safe knowing the car is leaking fuel.

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR LOST POWER. PULLED OVER FOR VISUAL INSPECTION, NOTICED THE FUEL WAS LEAKING RAPIDLY. IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE CAR. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP. DEALER VERIFIED THE TANK WAS LEAKING.

WHEN MY WINDOWS ARE DOWN AND IM DRIVING YOU CAN SMELL GASOLINE VERY STRONGLY IN THE CAR. EVEN WORSE IN THE BACK SEAT AREA. ESPECIALLY IF MY GAS TANK IS FILLED. IM CONSTANTLY GETTING A WARNING TO CHECK THE GAS CAP AND THE GAS LIGHT GOES OFF FLASHING THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO ON.

WHEN GAS TANK IS FULL, I CAN SMELL GAS FROM THE DRIVERS PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN THE GAS TANK IS 3/4TH TANK, THE SMELL DISAPPEARED. AFTER RESEARCH ONLINE THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM IN THE RUBBER SEAL IN THE TANK. IT IS A FIRE ISSUE.

WHEN FILLING FUEL TANK VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS INSIDE OF CAR AND OUTSIDE. WHEN TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE FAULT AND THEY WANTED $5000 TO CORRECT ISSUE.FOUND OUT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, AND THEY REFUSED TO EXPEDITE AS THEY SAID IT WAS FOR 15 YEARS AND THAT HAD EXPIRED. NO RECALL NOTICES HAD BEEN SENT TO ME OR THE PREVIOUS OWNER.I HAVE HAD CAR FOR 4 YEARS, PREVIOS OWNER HAD IT FOR 6.CONTACTED HEAD OFFICE IN ATLANTA STILL WOULD NOT COVER THE ISSUE

WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLASSIFIED AS A TOTAL RECALL TURNED INTO AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND AS A RESULT I HAVE LOST $1700. AFTER A BATTLE WITH THE NHTSA, BACK IN 2015 MERCEDES SETTLED TO DO A RETROACTIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON CERTAIN 2003-2011 VEHICLES DUE TO HOW MANY PROBLEMS AND SAFETY CONCERNS THERE WERE WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. UNKNOWN TO ME, NOT RECEIVING ANY LETTERS ABOUT THE ISSUE SINCE PURCHASE, MY CAR WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD BY 3 MONTHS WHEN I GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT READ BY A REPUTABLE GAS-STATION SHOP, AND THEY FOUND AN EVAP LEAK. THIS WAS NO NORMAL HOSE LEAK/GAS CAP OPEN EVAP LEAK. THEY ENDED UP FINDING A MASSIVE LEAK AT THE TOP FUEL PUMP! THERE WAS ACTUALLY DARK PLASTIC/SIGNS OF HIGH-HEAT INSIDE THE GAS TANK (ON THE PUMP). FIRE HAZARD?!? I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MERCEDES OF WILMINGTON FOR A SECOND EVALUATION BECAUSE IT WAS A TIME BOMB. I WAS QUOTED $2100 TO FIX THE ISSUE FOR A NEW FUEL PUMP AND FUEL SENDER. I FOUGHT WITH MBUSA TO GET IT COVERED FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT MY CAR, AFTER 15 YEARS, WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD! THEY WOULDNT EVEN DROP THE COST DOWN TO $2000 EVEN WHEN I ASKED FOR SOME SORT OF GOOD WILL IF I GOT THE WORK DONE. I NEEDED MY CAR SO I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO THE MOST REPUTABLE PRIVATE BENZ SHOP IN DELAWARE - "EURO TECH". I PURCHASED AN FCPEURO FUEL PUMP KIT AND HAD THEM INSTALL IT FOR LESS THAN THE DEALER WANTED. THIS SHOULD BE A TOTAL RECALL AND PEOPLE ON THE BIGGEST MB-FAN WEBSITE, MBWORLD.COM, ARE STILL POSTING WEEK AFTER WEEK WITH FUEL PUMP HORRORS! THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED ALREADY BY YOU GUYS. I AM ALSO SENDING THIS EMAIL TO MBUSA. IF I DON'T HEAR BACK FROM MBUSA I WILL BE SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE. I HAVE SPENT $100 AT SHOP #1, $100 AT THE MB DEALER TO TELL ME 'NO', $1050 IN PARTS, AND $450 IN LABOR, FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL.

FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY RECALL

I JUST PURCHASED A USED 2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E55 AMG. UPON DRIVING IT HOME FROM THE STATE WHERE I PURCHASED IT, I SMELLED A STRONG FUEL SMELL. THIS IS STRONG INSIDE THE CABIN AND ALSO OUTSIDE THE CABIN, TO THE POINT THAT OTHERS AROUND THE CAR NOTED THE FUEL SMELL. I CAN SMELL IT WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY. A GOOGLE SEARCH INDICATED THAT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS YEARS AGO AND MBUSA OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF AN ADDITIONAL 5 YEARS BEYOND THE INITIAL 10 YEARS IN LIEU OF HAVING A COURT REQUIRE A FULL RECALL. AFTER, FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON MY PART, I LEARNED THAT IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF BUT WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR W211 VEHICLE. I CALLED MY LOCAL MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM ON MY CAR ENDED LAST YEAR. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE PREVIOUS OWNER(S) DID NOT TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. MAYBE THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FULL RECALL! THIS IS A HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE ASTHMA AND I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THE POTENTIAL HEALTH RISK INVOLVED. MBUSA SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WIGGLE OUT OF FAULT ON A VERY POORLY DESIGNED FUEL SYSTEM BY OFFERING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT ONLY GAVE OWNERS A FEW YEARS TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND ALSO GET THE WORK DONE.THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS FINALLY OFFERED BY MBUSA IN 2015, ONLY GIVING THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF MY CAR A FEW YEARS TO LEARN ABOUT THE WARRANTY AND GET THE WORK DONE. NOT TO MENTION THAT MY CAR WENT THROUGH SEVERAL OWNERS DURING THAT TIME FRAME. MEANING THAT THE OWNERS DID NOT OWN THE CAR LONG ENOUGH TO DISCOVER THE ISSUE AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THESE OWNERS NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MBUSA ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, MY CAR WAS ACTUALLY IN ITALY WHEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ISSUED. IT WAS LATER BROUGHT BACK TO THE US.

GAS TANK LEAKS, CAR IS 2 YEARS OUT OF COVERAGE FOR GAS TANK. THE ORIGINAL PROGRAM DID NOT LEAVE MUCH ROOM FOR 2003 OWNERS TO BE ELIGIBLE. THE TANK LEAK AT THE TOP IS AN INHERENT DESIGN FLAW THAT MERCEDES ADMITS IS A PROBLEM BUT WASHES THEIR HANDS OF IT AFTER THE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY EXPIRATION. THERE IS A NOTICEABLE GAS SMELL COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AREA AND THE LEAK CAN BE SEEN COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK WHEN THE FUEL FILTER ACCESS PLATE IS REMOVED.

STRONG FUEL SMELL AFTER FILL UP. FUEL LEAKING ON TO TOP OF TANK AND VAPORS ENTERING CABIN

FUEL SMELL COMING FROM WITHIN CABIN FIRST NOTICED OCTOBER 2018 TOLD IT WAS PROBABLY WAS CHARCOAL FILTER NOT A BIG DEAL WHEN FILLING TANK WITH FUEL IT SOMETIMES HAPPENS, AND WAS RECENTLY NOTICED WHEN TIRES WHERE CHANGED THAT FUEL SMELL AND LOOKED LIKE LEAKAGE OF GAS. WAS TOLD THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT AND AS THE SECOND OWNER WAS NEVER INFORMED IN ANY CAPACITY. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN WHICH IN MY OPINION IF THEY KNEW, ALL OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED ASAP. I AM NOT SURE WHAT I CAN DO, OR CAN BE DONE, BUT THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT ACCEPTABLE IF IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT. THIS WAS NOTICED WHEN VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING. I WANT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO KNOW, WE MAY HAVE OTHERS OUT THEIR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM NOT KNOWING THIS. WHAT A SHAME FOR MERCEDES IF THEY HAVE NOT CONTACTED PEOPLE. I STARTED REVIEWING WHAT I COULD FIND ON WEB SITES, ATTACHED IS A NHTSA DOCUMENT.

FUEL LEAKING TO THE INSIDE OF PASSENGER COMPARTMENT UNDER ACCESS PORT UNDER REAR SEAT CUSHION, THAT'S THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL PUMP. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH TUCSON MERCEDES BENZ TO INSPECT THE CAR SINCE I BELIEVED THAT A MERCEDES RECALL WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SERVICE ADVISOR MARK SCHOFIELD AND HE ASSURED ME TWICE THAT THE RECALL IS IN PLACE AND THEY WOULD FIX THE FUEL SYSTEM DEFECTS WITHOUT CHARGE. HE CALLED ME THIS EVENING AND TOLD ME ALL ABOUT WHY TUCSON MERCEDES WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR, I WAS TOLD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM ENDED 2/21/2018. I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 4/5/18, FILLED IT UP WITH GAS ON 4/08/18 AND THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH FUMES THAT NIGHT AS WELL AS IN MY GARAGE. TUCSON MERCEDES FIRST SAID THAT THE TANK WAS LEAKING AT THE VENT TUBE BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT ACCESS POINTS. HE TOLD ME THAT THE COST WOULD NORMALLY BE $3000 BUT HE REDUCED IT TO $2000. I ASKED MARK HOW THE FUEL COULD RUN ACROSS THE TOP OF THE TANK, CLIMB THE LOCKING RING AND PUDDLE ON TOP OF THE LEFT SIDE FUEL PUMP? HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT MERCEDES COULD NOT JUST REPLACE A PORTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE TANK. ALSO, NOT TRUE. HE SAID THAT UPON A SECOND EXAMINATION WAS MADE AND THERE APPEARS TO BE A CRACK ON TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP AND NOW THAT'S WHERE THE LEAK IS COMING FROM. NOW HIS PRICE TO REPAIR ALL IS $770 + TAX. AFTER A FEW WORDS MORE, THE PRICE DROPPED TO $700 + TAX. I FEEL THAT MERCEDES SHOULD JUST FIX MY VEHICLE AND CALL IT GOOD. THIS LEARNED THAT THIS CAR HAD A FUEL PUMP INSTALLED AT 59,000 MILES. I MISSED THEIR SELF IMPOSED CUT OFF DATE BY ABOUT 6 WEEKS, NOT SO MUCH TIME FOR SUCH A SERIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY. THE FUMES INSIDE MY CAR AND GARAGE COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE OR WORSE YET, AN EXPLOSION. THE PROBLEM FIRST APPEARED AFTER THE FIRST TIME I FILLED THE TANK.

DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS CAR. I HAVE OWNED IT SINCE 2005. MERCEDES NEVER NOTIFIED US NOR MADE US AWARE OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE DEFECTIVE FUEL TANKS. A MECHANIC TOLD US ABOUT THE WARRANTY AND TOLD US TO CONTACT MERCEDES IMMEDIATELY. FEBRUARY 2018 I CONTACTED CORPORATE OFFICE AND THEY TOLD ME TWICE THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE THE CAR TAKEN TO MERCEDES DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM CONFIRMED THE ISSUE. TWICE MERCEDES CORPORATE OFFICE REPS TOLD ME TO DRIVE IT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM EVALUATE THE CAR, CONTACT CORPORATE FOR AN " EXCEPTION". I DID JUST SO. THE CAR RUNS OKAY, HOWEVER, THE STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE THE CAR IS FRIGHTENING AND I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I COULD NOT CHANCE MY DAUGHTER DYING IN A AUTOMOBILE EXPLOSION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE BEEN RENTING CARS FROM ENTERPRISE FOR MY DAUGHTER FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS SINCE HER CAR IS OUT OF COMMISSION. FOR GOD'S SAKE, SHE'S OUR DAUGHTER AND THE CAR COULD EXPLODE! THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THAT THE FUEL TANK IS INDEED DEFECTIVE AND IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE REPS AT CORPORATE DECIDED TO NOT TO EXTEND THE "EXCEPTION" AFTER ALL. MERCEDES NEVER NOTIFIED US OF THE FUEL TANK DEFECT/RECALL/WARRANTY EXTENSION. THOUGH IT'S DRIVABLE, I REFUSE TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER RISK HER LIFE. I DID EVERYTHING CORP OFFICE SAID I SHOULD DO AND NOW THEY ARE BACK PEDDLING. THEY ARE MAKING US PAY FOR THE ROUNDTRIP TOWING AND THIS IS UNFAIR. GROSS MISREPRESENTATION. DRIVING WITH A FUEL TANK LEAK IS DEADLY. THEY NEED TO HONOR THIS REPAIR. THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE INSTRUCTED ME TO TOW A CAR TO THEIR AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP IF THEY KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE EXCEPTION.

MERCEDES INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THEIR WARRANTY TO COVER THEIR FAULTY FUEL PUMPS. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATION WITH SUSAN (EXECUTIVE REFERRAL MANAGER) AND SHE DECLINED MY REQUEST TO PAY FOR THE INVOICE. MY FUEL PUMP FAILED AND I HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED BEFORE THE CAR HAD SERIOUS PROBLEMS.

FUEL SMELL COMING FROM LEFT REAR FUEL SENDING UNIT LEAKING

STRONG FUEL ODOR COMING FROM VEHICLE WHEN TANK FULL. DOESN'T HAPPEN IF TANK IS 3/4 FULL OR LESS. ANY RECALLS? WILL DEALERSHIP FIX PROBLEM?