2005 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz S430. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, he became aware that the defroster was not working properly, affecting the visibility while driving. The contact also stated that the heater and the A/C were not working. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V227000 (Electrical System); however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE STARTED UP AFTER THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED HOWEVER, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS STILL INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER A DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 206,000. ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES-BENZ 2005 S430 ##

ELECTRONIC DASH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLACK AND THE SPEEDOMETER COULD NOT BE SEEN AND ALL OTHER DRIVER INFORMATION ON THE REMAINING GAUGES WERE ALSO NOT VISIBLE. THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT OPERATE ,THE TRUNK WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE SEANT WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION. I WAS DRIVING THE 118 FREEWAY IN CA . I WAS DOING 65 MPH WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURED. I HAD TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY AND DRIVE HOME ON SURFACE STREETS. WAY TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 99000 MILES AND HAD NO OTHER PROBLEMS.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK WE WERE UNABLE TO SEE OUR SPEED MILEAGE GAS GAUGE ODOMETER . IT WENT OFF AND ON FOR A PERIOD OF TIME . UNTIL IT WAS TO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE.

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK. I COULD NOT DETERMINE MY SPEED, TIME OF DAY FUEL USAGE, MILES TRAVELED, OR SIGNAL LIGHTS. I DID NOT BUY THE VEHICLE FROM A MERCEDES DEALER. I CALLED A DEALER ABOUT A RECALL. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT IT HAD EXPIRED. I UNDERSTAND A RECALL EXPIRING, BUT IT SEEMS THAT MERCEDES BENZ WOULD SUPPORT THEIR PRODUCT NO MATTER WHEN THE DEFECT OCCURRED. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED RUNNING OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO DETECT IT AND NO WAY OF BEING AWARE OF THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS DON'T FUNCTION ON THE CLUSTER. I BELIEVE IT WAS A DEFECT THAT MERCEDES BENZ WAS AWARE OF AND THAT THEY SHOULD REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AT NO COST TO ME. THE COST TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS OUTRAGEOUS FOR A COMPONENT THAT IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE. OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS THAT ARE OR HAVE BEEN A PART OF A RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE GAUGES WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO READ. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 08/02/16*LJ UPDATED 08/08/16.*JB

DASH WARNINGS:: SRS INACTIVE, PRE-SAFE UNAVAILABLE, FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF ACCORDING TO THE LIGHT AND THERE IS NO BABY SEAT IN IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

ON 7-26-2015 I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM COMMONWEALTH MOTORS LLC. AFTER 24 HOURS ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE TRAVELING AT 55MPH, I CALLED BACK AND I FILED A COMPLAINT OF THE BRAKES BEING WORN TO THE METAL, THAT THE SUSPENSION WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, THAT THE LEFT DRIVER MIRROR WAS BROKEN, AND THE REAR TIRE KEPT GOING FLAT. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHOM CLAIM ITS THE STATE INSPECTOR MADE AN ERROR THEREFORE ITS THE STATES REPSONSIBILTY. I SCHEDULED A FOLLOW UP WHICH THEY DECLINE TO REPSOND TO. THE SECOND THIRD DAY THE HEAD LIGHTS WENT ON AND OUT. I TOOK THE AUTO TO A CERTIFIED BENZ DEALERSHIP AND SHOP TO FIND OUT THESES ISSUES. AFTER PAYING FOR WARRANTY ETC..ON 7-26-2015 CARS PROTECTION PLUS PURCHASED $495.00 8-8-2015 CARS PROTCTION PLUS AUTO PROTECTION WAS DENIED AFTER PAYING $495+$10.00 FILING FEE 8-1-2015 NEW BATTERY REPLACEMENT $154.24 10-30-2015 INSTALL AND REPLACE RF LOWER CONTROL ARM $165.00 WAS JUST THE START. THEN THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS STRUTS I WAS TOLD WAS THE CONCERN FROM THE SECOND DAY OF HAVING THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED AND CAUSED ALL THE GAUGES TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,995.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

2005 HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM FOR 2004 RECALL BUT MERCEDES BENZ DOSE NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITIES. THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HUMIDITY CAUSING DETERIORATION OF THE HOSE. CONSEQUENCE: THIS MAY RESULT IN ABC HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. LEAKING FLUID MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FIRE. ORIGINAL RECALL FROM THE NHTSA MODEL YEAR(S): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 MANUFACTURER'S REPORT DATE: JULY 2, 2007 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V263000 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: N/A COMPONENT: SUSPENSION POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 19,924 SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, CORROSION MAY OCCUR IN THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HUMIDITY CAUSING DETERIORATION OF THE HOSE. IN ADDITION TO THAT THE RADIATOR IS DEFECTED CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO GO BAD AND STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGH WAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE IN PARK, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVE POSITION, BUT THE GEAR SHIFTER SEIZED AND REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A SHIFT LOCK LEVER FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

BLOWER MOTOR STOPPED WORKING AND REMAINED INTERMITTENT THROUGH JULY 2015. MERCEDEZ BENZ OF ST. LOUIS REPLACED BLOWER MOTOR AND REGULATOR/CONTROLLER. WITHIN DAYS OF GETTING CAR BACK THE BLOWER CONTINUED TO BE INTERMITTENT. IT WOULD WORK FOR DAYS OR WEEKS AND THEN STOP FOR 1-3 DAYS. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER WHEN IT WAS NOT WORKING AND THEY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE SWITCHES IN THE DASH. STILL UNRESOLVED. IN ADDITION THE WIPERS WOULD STOP WORKING, THE RADIO WOULD STOP WORKING AND THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR WAS INTERMITTENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STABILITY CONTROL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED THE GEAR TO SHIFT INTO LOW GEAR. THE TECHNICIAN ADDED THAT THE ELECTRICAL MODULE WAS UNABLE TO READ THE KEY AND THE HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LID FAILED TO REMAINED OPEN AND ALMOST FELL ON THE PASSENGER HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRUNK STRUTS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

ENGINE ALMOST STARTED ON FIRE AFTER OIL STARTED POURING OUT OF OIL COOLER. HAD CAR TOWED TO GARAGE WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE LEAKING OIL COOLER. ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER WITH THIS CAR. *TR

TOOK MY CAR TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF PEMBROKE, PINES FLORIDA I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER LAST MO MERCEDES-BENZ OF PEMBROKE PINES FLORIDA FOR THEM TO CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER IN TRANSMISSION. SO, MONDAY I TOOK IT BACK IN AND TOLD THEM TO CHECK MY KEY DOOR LOCKS, BECAUSE THE DOOR WOULD OPEN. "NO KEY" BUT WOULD NOT LOCK BY HOLDING THE HANDLE. ALSO, TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS HARSH WHEN DOWN SHIFTING WHEN IT WAS COLD. I GOT A CALL THE NEXT DAY TELLING ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I SAID I ONLY HAVE 52,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND I DON'T USE IT THAT MUCH. THE CAR COST $93,000.00 THIS SHOULD NOT BE. SOMETHING IS WRONG AT THAT DEALER, AND THEY WON'T LISTEN TO ME, THE SERVICE MGR WON'T EVEN RETURN MY CALL LONG STORY SHORT, BUT THE BILL WAS $9,300.00 I THINK I GOT RIPPED OFF. THANK YOU

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S430. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT TURNED THE IGNITION AND TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE VEHICLE BUT THE IGNITION CONTINUED TO RUN. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DID NOT NOTICE A FLAME BUT PULLED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY DUE TO FEAR IT COULD EXPLODE. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. THE AIR PUMP AND AIR MODULE PUMP COMPRESSOR WERE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

POLYCARBONATE HEADLIGHT LENSES, RECENTLY SUBSTITUTED FOR GLASS BY MANUFACTURER, BECOME BLACKENED AND OCCLUDED OVER TIME, RENDERING HEADLAMPS INCREASINGLY INEFFECTUAL AND MAKING NIGHT TIME DRIVING DANGEROUS. THIS MATERIAL IS UNSUITED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHIELDING THE HEADLAMPS AND SHOULD BE REPLACED IN ALL INSTANCES BY MATERIALS THAT DO NOT DEGRADE DURING THEIR INTENDED USE. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON IN 2005 SMART CAR. MAINTENANCE BOOK SAYS GET TO DEALER IMMEDIATELY, SO WE DID. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S500. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT. IN ADDITION, THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE FUSE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE INTERIOR LIGHTING (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 06V028000) HOWEVER, HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

MERCEDES BENZ S 500 HAD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 12,000 TO 14,000 MILES ON IT. DEALER IS TRYING TO BLAME BRAKE FAILURE ON RUST ON ROTORS DUE TO LACK OF USE OF VEHICLE. I DON'T THINK THE MANUAL WARNS ABOUT THIS. SOUNDS LIKE A MAKE UP STORY TO ME. I HAVE HAD MERCEDES VEHICLES FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS BEFORE. BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BUT SINCE AT VERY LOW SPEED NO INJURIES. IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT A HIGH SPEED IT COULD HAVE LED TO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH. *NM

DT: CONTACT STATED ON 8-9-05 WAS ON A TRIP TO OREGON AND WAS GOING TO PARK THE CAR WHEN IT SURGED FORWARD AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND HUGE BOULDERS STOPPED THE CAR. HE HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. THEY WERE FIXING THE CAR AND CHECKING TO SEE WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED. HAS BEEN WAITING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN. THEY WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE FROM MERCEDES TO CHECK IT OUT. THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY EVEN AFTER THEY REPAIRED THE CAR.*AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A SECOND FAILURE ON 1/3/06 . THE VEHICLE SURGED SUDDENLY AND THE CONSUMER CRASHED INTO A WALL. UPDATED 01/11/06. *JB

I LEASED A NEW MERCEDES BENZ S430 DURING DECEMBER 2004 FROM WALTER'S MB IN RIVERSIDE, CA. PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY SYSTEM (ESP) BEGAN MARCH 2005 AND ON MARCH 16, 2005 REPORTED PROBLEMS TO WALTERS MB DURING SERVICE VISIT. ON DECEMBER 9, 2005 REPORTED PROBLEM AGAIN TO WALTER'S MB DURING SERVICE VISIT. BOTH TIMES I REPORTED HOW VEHICLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BOARD LIGHTING WOULD BLINK AND BLACK OUT BUT ESP LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD TURN ON CAUSING VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM TO SHUT DOWN SPEED TO 15 MILES PER HOUR ON FREEWAY. DURING DECEMBER 2005 I SENT COMPLAINT LETTER TO NHTSA RECALL OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, DC. REGARDING PROBLEMS WITH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING AND ESP COLLATERAL PROBLEM. I INCLUDED COPY OF JUNE 2004 MERCEDES BENZ RECALL IN JAPAN OF 98,000 SCLASS VEHICLES WITH ESP PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTED SAME PROBLEM EXISTED HERE IN UNITED STATES. LATER DURING FEBRUARY 2006 ESP PROBLEM RETURNED AND REPORTED PROBLEM TO WALTERS MB VEHICLE WAS SERVICED DURING FEBRUARY, MARCH AND MAY 2006 WITH SAME SYMPTOMS. WALTER'S MB MADE ME FEEL LIKE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I SENT FOLLOW-UP COMPLAINT LETTER TO NHTSA RECALL MR. GEORGE PERSON IN WASHINGTON, DC. FINALLY I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 2006 AND A SECOND RECALL NOTICE #2006-080004 DATED DECEMBER 2006 BOTH FROM MB. ON FEBRUARY 6, 2007 WALTER'S MB PERFORMED THE REPAIRS FOR RECALL #2006-080004. ESP PROBLEMS CAME BACK DURING NOVEMBER 2007 AND WALTER'S SERVICED UNIT 1/16/2008. I HAVE COPIES OF LETTERS FROM 10 OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE ESP SYSTEM AND CAN PROVIDE COPIES FOR YOUR REVIEW. I BELIEVE THE ESP PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY "COLLATERAL DAMAGE" IN CONNECTION WITH THE "INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ILLUMINATION" AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN #2006-080004. MY RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE NHTSA TO INSPECT ALL RECORDS FOR MB VEHICLES REPAIRED BY THE RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES BENZ S-500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE AND SERVICE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF BRAKES. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 16 TIMES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WOULD NOT PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,591 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATE 06/10/08 *BF THE SHIFTER WOULD GET STUCK IN PARK, THE BRAKE WEAR LIGHT ILLUMININATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR PADS AND ROTORS, THE LEFT RERAR MARKED LIGHT WAS REPLACED, THE TRUNK ASSIST DID NOT OPEN THE TRUNK ALL THE WAY, THE MICRO SWITCH FOR THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR WAS FAULTY, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE, THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF NO HEAT IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED A FAULTY BLOWER MOTOR. UPDATED 06/09/08