2003 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Complaint Log

I PURCHASED A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ SL500 IN DECEMBER OF 2003. AS OF TODAY 8 NOVEMBER 2005, THE SUSPENSION APPARENTLY CAN NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CAR HAS BEING TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE EIGHT (8TH) TIME TO REPAIR THE SUSPENSION. IT IS CURRENTLY ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA, MERCEDES BENZ AS OF NOVEMBER 9TH, 2005. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME FROM A DINNER ENGAGEMENT, LATE OCTOBER 2005, ONE OF THE FRONT HYDRAULIC SHOCK DROPPED AND THE VEHICLE LITERALLY CHANGED LANES. FORTUNATELY, NO CARS WERE BESIDE ME AT THE TIME. I AM WRITING TO THE NHTSA TO GET THEIR ASSISTANCE IN DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH ITS UNPREDICTABLE LEVEL OF SAFETY. I AM APPALLED BY MERCEDES BENZ LACK OF CONCERN TO REPLACE THIS VEHICLE, THE MANUFACTURER OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES, ARE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. I REQUEST YOUR ASSISTANCE TO DETERMINE MY NEXT STEPS OR ANY ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO COMPEL THE MANUFACTURER TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER. *JB

I TURNED KEY AND CAR DID NOT START. I ENDED UP GETTING STUCK EITHER AT HOME OR IN A SHOPPING CENTER. CAR HAD TO BE PUT ON A FLAT BED. DEALER RELPACED PARTS EACH TIME , BUT COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

2003 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 320 EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH HESITATION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED.*MR ON ONE OCCASIONS WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE GAS THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AND THE CONSUMER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE THERE WAS ALSO A RATTLE IN THE EXHAUST. *JB

HYDRAULIC BRAKE FAILURE, TOTALLY UNEXPECTED. CAR IS A MARCEDES BENZ SL500, 2003. ONLY 8,500 K. ON 6-24-04, MB ISSUED A SAFETY BULLETIN (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NO. 04V296000)MB HAS NOT NOTIFIED OWNERS LIKE ME. I RUN A 4-WAY STOP SIGN AND A LARGE PICK-UP TRUCK WAS WITHIN 1 OR 2 FEET FROM HITTING ME ON THE DRIVERS' SIDE. IWAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR ABOUT 50 YARDS AFTER THE STOP SIGN. MESSAGGE --IN RED LETTERS IN THE DASHBOARD-- WICH SAID "REDUCED BRAKE EFFECT. VISIT WORKSHOP".. I WAS NOT INJURED PHYSICALLY, BUT THIS WAS A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE. THIS HAPPENED ON 7-26-04. THE DEALER HAS PRACTICALLY CONFICATED THE CAR AND REFUSES TO SAY MUCH. MB SENT A TECHNICIAN FROM HEADQUARTERS TO CHECK THE CAR BUT REFUSED TO TALK TO ME. NEEDLES TO SAY THEY ARE EVASIVE AND DENY THERE IS A PROBLEM. ONLY GOING TO THE INTERNET IA FOUN THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED, HAVING, BY CHANCE FOUND THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEFECT. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO INJURIES, BUT I WANT TO REPORT THIS FRO TW REASONS. NO.1: WHY MB DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THIS DEFECT. IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL THIS CAR USES IS DEFECTIVE, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES ELECTRICAL ENERGY. ACCORDING TO THE CARS' MANUAL (PAGE 260),THE SBC WILL GO INTO THE EMERGENCY OPERATION MODE AND BRAKES ARE ONLY APPLIED TO THE FRONT TIRES, STOPPING DISTANCE IS INCREASED AND THE DRIVER HAS TO BE DEPRESSED ALMOS TO THE FLOOR. IN MY CASE I ALMOST STOOD UP TO APPLY PRESSURE AND WENT DOWN TO SECOND GAER ON THE TRAMNSMISSION, BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED. NO. 2: MERCEDES BENZ SAYS IN THE CARS' MANUAL TO "CONTINUE DRIVING WITH ADDED CAUTION" "DO NOT EXCEED SPED OF 55 MPH". ARE THEY CRAZY? THE CAR WILL NOT STOP IN TIME WHEN DRIVING IN A LINE OF CARS NOR WILL STOP ON TIME WHEN SOMEONE IS CROSSING THE ROAD. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED OR MAIMED.*AK

THE HEATER MOTOR HAD BLOWN OUT. THE VEHICLE BOX CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK THE FIRE MELTED THE MELTED THE WIRING HARNESS. *SCC *JB

THE VEHICLE (2003 MB SLK320) WAS PURCHASED ON 4/14/2004 IN AZ AND BEGAN NOTICING PROBLEMS ON THE DRIVE BACK TO NM. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM INVOLVES THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH HAS BEEN SERVICED BY THE MANUFACTURER 8 TIMES WITHOUT RESOLUTION. THE VEHICLE SLIPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAS SPENT A TOTAL OF OVER 68 DAYS IN THE SHOP FOR UNSATISFACTORY REPAIRS IN A ONE-YEAR PERIOD. TO THIS DATE, THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN UNCOOPERATIVE IN RESOLVING THESE PROBLEMS FORCING ME TO SEEK LEGAL SERVICES.*AK

MY MERCEDES 2003 SL500 DEVELOPED BANGING NOISE IN THE GAS TANK, IN JANUARY 2010 , HAVING ABOUT 18,000 MILES, PROMPTING ME TO CALL THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BAFFLE BROKE OFF AND COULDN'T BE FIXED, ADVISING ME TO REPLACE THE TANK FOR $2,500. I ARGUED THAT IT WAS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT CONSIDERING THE LOW MILES AND REQUESTED A FREE TANK REPLACEMENT, BUT I WAS REFUSED ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I HEARD, DID SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT EARLY MODELS IN 2003 AND 2004, HAD SIMILAR TANK PROBLEMS AND WERE REPLACED WITH A BETTER DESIGN LATER. BUT, I WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT IT. FURTHERMORE, I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS FROM THAT TIME HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS I DID. I WAITED FOR A WHILE TO SEE IF MERCEDES CORPORATION WOULD RECALL THE EARLY MODELS, KEPT THE GAS TANK FULL TO AVOID THE ANNOYING NOISE (THE BROKEN BAFFLE CANNOT FLOAT AND BANG WHEN THE TANK IS FULL) AND WHEN I GOT CONVINCED THAT MERCEDES WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR THE VICTIMS I DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT. IT IS A SHAME THAT A MANUFACTURER WOULDN'T WANT TO CORRECT THEIR OWN MISTAKES, CONSIDERING A $100,000 PRICE TAG THAT I PAID. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT GERMAN QUALITY AND ETHICS? THEY CERTAINLY LOST THIS CUSTOMER FOR GOOD.

IN THE RIGHT DOOR PANEL THERE IS A GLUE THAT SEALS THE PANELS TOGETHER. THIS GLUE GIVES OFF TOXIC FUMES. CONSUMER'S WIFE IS CURRENTLY SEEING A NEUROLOGIST FOR PROBLEMS SUFFERED FROM INHALING THE FUMES. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK