Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| SQ01010 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 09/25/2001 | 02/04/2002 | SUDDEN ENGINE SHUT DOWN | ||
| Alleged that the cup holder design make it easy for the cup(s) to spill ins content on the transmission shifter and the electronics below, resulting in engine stalling or failure of the electronic transmission | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | ||||||
| PE03058 | MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. | 12/17/2003 | 04/22/2004 | ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FAILURE | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and 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 by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 87500 | ||
| Faulty cam and crankshaft position sensor caused engine to die (stall) in the mid traffic on three seperate occasions within a period of two weeks. dealer replaced cam position sensor 003-153-28-28 and sender unit 004-153-69-28, indicating the cause as an internal fault. dealer's service rep indicated that this was a common problem. | |||
| 12/28/2009 | 130000 | 3 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz e class 320 wagon which was purchased used in march 2003. he stated that while driving at speeds of less than 40 mph, the contact thought he had run over something and there was a violent vibration in the steering wheel. then, while making a left turn he could heard a grinding and thumping sound coming from under the vehicle. he then noticed the front passenger's side wheel was actually inside the wheel well. the vehicle was towed to the nearest dealer where they found the front passenger's side coil spring perch failed causing the front end passenger's side of the vehicle to collapse. the current and failure mileages were under 130,000. updated 01/19/10 *bf the air mass flow sensor and outer tie rod were replaced. the lower ball joints were worn and were replaced. the crank sensor was replaced. the engine was consuming large amounts of oil. the dealer stated the vehicle needed new rings and a valve seal. the transmission would slip during cold weather conditions. there was an internal fault with the clutches. the gear shifter had excessive play. the left window regulator had to be replaced, because it would not close. the left rear door latch was inoperative. updated 01/20/10.*jb | |||
| 03/13/2008 | 69000 | 2 | 05/14/2007 |
| Driver side engine mount broke while driving and as a result, the heat shield around the steering column bent from the engine rotating. this resulted in the aluminum shield jamming the steering column from turning. this occurred during a sharp corner and steering inputs to straighten the vehicle did not produce any results. vehicle nearly crashed into oncoming traffic. new heat shield and motor mounts are being replaced. old mount was kept. this is a well documented failure on mercedes benz e55 motors. *tr | |||
| 10/03/2006 | 65000 | 1 | 10/01/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on the highway, there was a loss of all vehicle power, and the engine stalled without warning. the contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road. the engine would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined the me control module of the engine failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was alerted. | |||
| 07/27/2005 | 1 | ||
| Dt: on the highway the engine stopped suddenly. they pushed the vehicle to the side of the road and then called a tow truck. consumer waited 30-45 minutes and the engine started. the vehicle was then moved approximately 2-3 miles and the it stalled again. the vehicle was towed to the dealership; they were currently looking at the vehicle. the check engine light did come on. there had been no problems with the engine prior to this. the vehicle had been inspected a month prior, the consumer had spilled coffee in the gear shifter.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||
| 03/16/2005 | 120312 | 1 | 11/06/1999 |
| Vehicle lost belt on the highway at 55 mph. consumer could still drive car but power steering was lost. consumer was able to make it to the service road. then, vehicle was towed. the serpentine belt melted and fell off. *ak consumer stated the battery/alternator light came on and the power steering did not working. the a/c compressor also siezed. *bf *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 12/28/2009 | 130000 | 3 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz e class 320 wagon which was purchased used in march 2003. he stated that while driving at speeds of less than 40 mph, the contact thought he had run over something and there was a violent vibration in the steering wheel. then, while making a left turn he could heard a grinding and thumping sound coming from under the vehicle. he then noticed the front passenger's side wheel was actually inside the wheel well. the vehicle was towed to the nearest dealer where they found the front passenger's side coil spring perch failed causing the front end passenger's side of the vehicle to collapse. the current and failure mileages were under 130,000. updated 01/19/10 *bf the air mass flow sensor and outer tie rod were replaced. the lower ball joints were worn and were replaced. the crank sensor was replaced. the engine was consuming large amounts of oil. the dealer stated the vehicle needed new rings and a valve seal. the transmission would slip during cold weather conditions. there was an internal fault with the clutches. the gear shifter had excessive play. the left window regulator had to be replaced, because it would not close. the left rear door latch was inoperative. updated 01/20/10.*jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 07/23/2005 | 78800 | 10 | 08/04/2003 |
| Sever loss of power during operation as a result of faulty catalytic converters in mercedes e300 (2000 model). *nm | |||