2007 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Powertrain & Transmission Problems

THE INCIDENT I AM REPORTING IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE COMPLAINT I READ ON YOUR WEB PAGE. I WAS ENROUTE TO THE MERCEDES DEALER SHIP TO PURCHASE A SWITCH FOR MY ELECTRIC WINDOWS. I HAD NOTICED ENROUTE THAT THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO NOT BE SHIFTING. I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE IF I HAD SOMEWAY MANUALLY SHIFTED DOWN. I HAD NOT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE IT SEEMED I WAS IN SECOND GEAR. I WAS APPROX THREE BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO I SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 MPH. I STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED--THE VEH WOULD NOT MOVE. SOMEWHAT PANICKED I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT WAS UNABLE TO. THE VEH STALLED AND EACH TIME I RESTARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WOULD "JERK" BUT NOT MOVE. FINALLY AFTER MUCH OF DOING I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I WAS ABLE TO LIMP INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE YOUNGMAN WHO CHECKED ME IN SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE TRANSMISSION. THEY KEPT MY CAR AND SEVERAL HOURS LATER TOLD ME SOMETHING IN THE TRANSMISSION WENT HAYWIRE AND IT WOULD BE APPROX $1700.00 TO FIX. THEY ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS NOT A DEFECT. I DON'T MISTREAT MY VEHICLE, RACE IT OR DO QUICK TAKE OFFS SO I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN. I AM EVEN MORE CONVINCED AFTER READING ALMOST AN IDENTICAL COMPLAINT THAT MERCEDES BENZ SPEAKS WITH FORKED TONGUE. I HOPE MY COMPLAINT WILL LEAD TO A RECALL BEFORE SOME OTHER SAP GETS BURNT FOR SOMETHING NOT THEIR FAULT. *KB

WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY, AT LEAST ONE OF THESE EVENTS WOULD OCCUR: A) THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT, IT WOULD REMAIN STUCK IN HIGH GEAR. B) THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO IDLE AT STOP, THEN IT WOULD STALL. C) WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT UP-SHIFT, THE CAR WOULD BE STUCK IN "LIMP HOME " MODE (SECOND GEAR?). D) PEDDLES WOULD NOT BE FUNCTIONAL. THE PROPER OPERATION WOULD USUALLY RETURN AFTER CYCLING THE IGNITION SEVERAL TIMES IN ORDER TO EFFECT A "RE-SET" OF THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. BEFORE A RESET ACTUALLY TOOK HOLD, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT VERY "HARD" AND "JOLT" ONTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ SL550. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. TWO MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT NO LONGER WANTED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT ONLY HAD 80 MILES AND THE DEALER PROVIDED HIM WITH A NEW ONE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80.