Mercedes Benz 300e 1999
Model 300e made in 1999 by Mercedes Benz got 13 consumer complains as well as 1 investigation. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags and engine and engine cooling. The car had one investigation (suspension).
Model 1999
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | ||||||
| PE07021 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 04/19/2007 | 08/09/2007 | FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING EJECTION | ||
| Odi has focused this investigation on assessing the risks posed by a separated spring as (1) a road hazard and (2) the potential for vehicle control to be compromised after the front coil spring has been ejected from its intended position in the vehicle.both risks are associated with corrosion, flexing, and fracture of the upper front suspension mounting bracket.time-in-service failure rates are notably higher in salt belt states since corrosion is a primary contributor to the failure mode.since a number of incidents have occurred while the vehicle was being operated, odi is skeptical that owners can always detect the subtle side to side difference in ride height and/or inspect or notice that the upper suspension bracket has been compromised by corrosion.(1) road hazard - although the (approx. 7 lb.) front suspension spring that may be ejected at highway speeds could pose a serious road hazard to pedestrians and other vehicles, the occurrence rate has been low (.03% based on 51 reported incidents occurring and an initial population of 172,781 vehicles after 9 - 12 years of use / exposure) and there are no known injuries, fatalities, or property damage reports due to an ejected spring.also, many of the 51 incidents occurred at low speed or while the vehicle was stopped or parked.(2) vehicle control - vehicle handling and control could be affected by the fracture of the upper suspension mount and/or the associated spring ejection.odi first identified its concern about corrosion in the upper suspension bracket of subject vehicles in 2002, at which time mercedes provided a video that showed that a vehicle could be steered, stopped, and controlled through various maneuvers at high speeds with a front coil spring completely missing from the vehicle. during pe07-021, in addition to reviewing the 2002 video-tape, odi engineers drove an exemplar vehicle with the spring removed and simulated various combinations of steering angles to assess whether there were any possible conditions / displacements in which the separated spring might interfere with the wheels. in a vehicle with the front spring removed, the top of the wheel can lightly contact the bottom area of the wheel fender during high angle turns typically associated with slower speed maneuvers such as city driving. the light tire contact generated an obvious grinding noise and would likely abrade or bend the edge of the fender with continued use.however, the extent of the interference was not sufficient to affect vehicle steering and does not occur at smaller turning angles associated with highway driving.odi has not identified a safety related defect trend at this time.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that a safety related defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if future circumstances warrant. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 08/11/2003 | 45000 | 1 | |
| Passenger's side air bag deployed after consumer got out of vehicle and shut the door.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - OTHER FUEL TYPES - TURBO-CHARGER | |||
| 08/04/2007 | 109315 | 6 | 11/25/1998 |
| Engine failure during normal driving in traffic in my 1999 mercedes e300 turbo diesel. both in independent repair shop and dealer in ft. myers can not find and fix this problem. this is a serious safety problem and traffic hazard. *tr | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 11/23/2005 | 40470 | 4 | 08/31/1998 |
| Fuel line leaks x4. 1999 mercedes 300 td. starting in feb. 03 first fuel line leak. car would not start towed to dealer. fuel line replaced. twice again in march of 03, fuel line leaks. repaired by dealer. nov.23 05, car came to a stop while driving. car towed to dealer. fuel line leak diagnosed. all fuel lines and cut off switch replaced. parts not available. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 05/11/2008 | 115000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1999 mercedes benz 300e. while attempting to put the vehicle into gear, she heard a grinding noise. she pulled over and tried to shift into reverse and was unsuccessful. after turning the vehicle off she was able to shift into reverse; however, the grinding noise continued and the vehicle was towed to an authorized service mechanic and then to dealer. the dealer stated that the transmission was full of shavings and to install a rebuilt transmission. the owner's manual indicated that fluid checks and changes for transmission were not required as the dipstick was omitted. in 2005 the dealer gave her document s100.20-p-0022a which indicated that fluid checks and changes were required. her concern was that she was not updated with the new document which may have prevented the transmission failure. the current and failure mileages were approximately 115,000. | |||
| 12/01/1998 | |||
| The car vibrates in decelaration at about 40mph, manufacturer is aware but does not repair do to low number of complaints. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 06/24/2008 | 167755 | 1 | |
| The brake light came on that said brake fluid is below minimal check . i checked and added brake fluid. the next day while driving the light came on again. i contacted atlanta classic cars, had the vehicle towed. i was told that the abs/asr hydraulic unit was leaking. upon researching i came upon some information that is related to my situation. the cost to replace the system was 2048.30, there was a recall of the e-class in foreign countries where the vehicle is used as a taxi cab. the service advisor told me that this situation had never occurred. my vehicle is a 1999 -e 300 dw with 167,755 miles i have had all services done by authorized mercedes-benz dealers. i am registering this complaint based on a letter dated april 30, 2004 from mercedes-benz usa. part 579 foreign defect report . *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK | |||
| 05/21/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Exiting the freeway, vehicle would not decelerate with brakes applied, abs system was locking & unlocking, and tires were spinning on wet pavement. cruise control had not been engaged. with collision imminent, driver moved gear selector to neutral, engine then raced to tachometer red-line, and stayed there. driver turned engine off, waited several seconds and restarted engine. vehicle has performed normally since.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 08/13/2011 | 151000 | ||
| 1999 mercedes benz e300td faulty upper coil spring support design. my vehicle was parked in a grocery store parking lot when the left upper spring mount simply collapsed. the car dropped down and the coil spring fell off.it had to be towed to a repair facility as it was rendered inoperable. moments earlier i had been at 70 mph down the highway.i feel extremely lucky to be alive! had this happened while i was traveling an accident investigator would be filing this report. i did nothing unusual to cause this event.the vehicle has about 151,000 miles on it and these vehicles are claimed to be able to last for 400-500,000 miles. i have read on the internet that this a common problem with this vintage of mercedes vehicles. looking at the design, the material has no corrosion allowance for a part that is located in an area that is subject to a damp environment. it is extremely thin and the method of attachment encourages rusting, exacerbating the problem. for me, the consequences were inconvenience and financial loss. others may not be so fortunate, and that is why i bring it to your attention. many others have also complained to you regarding this situation. i had the vehicle repaired and drove it home, as i was 900 miles away when this happened. i have the old part in my possession and am proceeding to replace the right side bracket as a precaution. please act on this complaint before someone is killed. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 05/21/2001 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| Exiting the freeway, vehicle would not decelerate with brakes applied, abs system was locking & unlocking, and tires were spinning on wet pavement. cruise control had not been engaged. with collision imminent, driver moved gear selector to neutral, engine then raced to tachometer red-line, and stayed there. driver turned engine off, waited several seconds and restarted engine. vehicle has performed normally since.*ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||
| 10/21/2003 | 23000 | 1 | |
| While driving with the cruise control set to 72 mph consumer attempted to disengage the cruise control and vehicle took off like a jet. as a result, vehicle jumped the median on the highway, damaging the under carriage of the vehicle. *ak | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | FORT MYERS | MERCEDES-BENZ OF FORT MYERS | 239 433 8300 | |
| MD | BETHESDA | 20814 | EUROMOTORCARS | 301 986 8800 |