2005 Mercedes-Benz 211 Owner Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF RANDOMLY AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY AND I WILL LOSE STEERING AND MY BRAKING ABILITIES. THE SBC PUMP ALREADY HAD BEEN REPLACED AND MERCEDES HAS NOT MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO REIMBURSE ME, MULTIPLE AREAS OF THE WIRING HARNESS WILL CRUMBLE IN YOUR HAND INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE TRUNK HAD PINCHED WIRES SHORTING OUT AND CAUGHT FIRE LUCKILY I HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE AT THAT TIME TO WITNESS AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR WILL START UP AND DRIVE AND STALL OUT RANDOMLY NOW AT ANY SPEEDS OR EVEN BEING STOPPED.

NHTSA ID

11128317

Incident

Aug 27, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

CAR WENT INTO BRAKE FAILURE BARELY COULD STOP THE CAR ONCE IN PARK COULD NOT GET INTO DRIVE

NHTSA ID

11067330

Incident

Feb 6, 2018

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL THAT HAS A SERVICE THRESHOLD. WHEN THIS THRESHOLD IS REACHED THE BRAKE SYSTEM DEFAULTS TO NON POWER ASSISTED HYDRAULIC MODE TO THE FRONT WHEELS ONLY. THIS OCCURS WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING AND RESULTS IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. I HAVE SENT A COPY OF THE MERCEDES SERVICE BULLETIN S142.46-P-0012A WHICH ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. MERCEDES STOPPED INSTALLING THIS SYSTEM IN 2006. AT THE VERY LEAST, MERCEDES SHOULD ISSUE A MANDATORY RECALL TO INTERROGATE THESE VEHICLES WITH STAR DAS TO DETERMINE HOW CLOSE TO THE SERVICE THRESHOLD THE SBC UNIT IS AND REPLACE THEM AT THE DEALER'S EXPENSE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ID

11044436

Incident

Nov 2, 2017

Mileage

143,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY MERCEDES E320 2005 ON I-75 AND TOOK EXIT 107. WHEN I PUSHED MY BRAKE PEDDLE I HAD WHAT SEEMED TO BE NO BRAKES AND A RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. I RAN THE CAR OFF ON THE GRASS TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I HAD A GREEN LIGHT AND RAN ON THE SIDE STREET. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I AM UPSET THAT MERCEDES WOULD DESIGN A SYSTEM THAT COULD DO THIS.

NHTSA ID

11000927

Incident

Jun 21, 2017

Mileage

83,000 mi

SBC BRAKE FAILURE ALMOST CAUSES ACCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 2 LANE HIGHWAY AT 60MPH AND STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. AT THE MOMENT I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES THE DASHBOARD STARTED TO BLINK RED AND BEEPING WITH BRAKE FAILURE MESSAGE AND THERE WAS NO NOTICEABLE BRAKE POWER. I PUSHED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND FELT NO RESISTANCE AND VERY LITTLE BRAKING POWER. I'M ESTIMATING 5% POWER FROM NORMAL. I HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE I BLEW STRAIGHT THROUGH IT AND EVENTUALLY MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER ABOUT 200 YARDS. THIS HAPPENED WITH NO PRIOR MESSAGES OR WARNINGS ON THE DASHBOARD. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT AND BRAKING POWER RESUMED AS NORMAL. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO MESSAGES ABOUT BRAKES. IT'S LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10943757

Incident

Jan 8, 2017

Mileage

148,000 mi

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE VAPORS IN GARAGE WHEN VEHICLE HAS A FULL TANK. FAINT SMELL DETECTABLE IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. SMELL SUBSIDES WHEN FUEL TANK LEVEL REACHES 3/4 TO 1/2 FULL.

NHTSA ID

10899135

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

Mileage

50,000 mi

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH SENSOTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL THAT HAS A SERVICE THRESHOLD. WHEN THIS THRESHOLD IS REACHED THE BRAKE SYSTEM DEFAULTS TO NON POWER ASSISTED HYDRAULIC MODE TO THE FRONT WHEELS ONLY. THIS OCCURS WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING AND RESULTS IN INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE. I HAVE SENT A COPY OF THE MERCEDES SERVICE BULLETIN S142.46-P-0012A WHICH ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. MERCEDES STOPPED INSTALLING THIS SYSTEM IN 2006. AT THE VERY LEAST, MERCEDES SHOULD ISSUE A MANDATORY RECALL TO INTERROGATE THESE VEHICLES WITH STAR DAS TO DETERMINE HOW CLOSE TO THE SERVICE THRESHOLD THE SBC UNIT IS AND REPLACE THEM AT THE DEALER'S EXPENSE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ID

10812021

Incident

Dec 22, 2015

Mileage

74,000 mi

CAR BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE CAR BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING. A RED LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH SAYING "REDUCED BRAKING POWER".

NHTSA ID

10788820

Incident

Nov 2, 2015

Mileage

146,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE MY VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED TO SEE IF ANY FUEL WAS LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. NOTHING APPEARED TO BE LEAKING. I THEN OPENED UP THE HOOD FOR THE ENGINE, AND OBSERVED THE COMPARTMENT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE TO SEE IF THE ODOR WAS DETECTABLE FROM THE ENGINE. IT WAS NOT. I WALKED BACK TO THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE AND BEGAN TO DETECT THE ODOR ONCE MORE. I OPENED THE DRIVERS SIDE PASSENGER DOOR AND FROM THE BACK SEAT I COULD DETECT A VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR, SO I GOT DOWN ON THE GROUND TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM UNDER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NO FUEL DETECTED. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING OVERNIGHT, AS SOON AS I GOT INTO THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A REALLY STRONG ODOR OF FUEL. I STARTED THE VEHICLE NORMALLY, BUT THE VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO START, IT TURNED OVER SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE STARTING. THIS WAS NOT NORMAL FOR MY VEHICLE. I GOT OUT AND GO INTO THE BACK SEAT AND THE ODOR WAS OVERWHELMING, THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT.

NHTSA ID

10776088

Incident

Sep 10, 2015

Mileage

160,955 mi

STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE NEAR LEFT REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN TANK IS FILLED. WHEN TANK GETS TO HALF FULL SMELL GOES AWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10650389

Incident

Oct 6, 2014

I FILLED THE CAR UP WITH GAS AND IT SET OVER NIGHT IN FRONT OF HOUSE. UPON MY RETURNING TO MY CAR THE NEXT DAY A STRONG GAS ODOR WAS OUTSIDE ON DRIVER SIDE.WHEN I ENTER THE CAR THE ODOR WAS ALSO STRONG. AFTER DOING SOME INVESTIGATING I FOUND THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION I ALSO FOUND GAS UNDER THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR ON THE DRIVER SIDE. IT WAS A PUDDLE OF GAS. THIS IS NOT SAFE OR HEALTHY. PLEASE HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10604600

Incident

Jun 13, 2014

Mileage

151,000 mi

AFTER FILLING THE FUEL TANK AND FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES AFTER UNTIL THE FUEL LEVEL IS USED DOWN TO ALMOST HALF FULL, THERE IS S VERY STRONG SMELL OF RAW FUEL COMING FROM UNDER THE BACK SEAT AND WHEN PARKED, FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR WHEN IT IS PARKED ESPECIALLY IN THE GARAGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10578964

Incident

Mar 29, 2014

Mileage

158,331 mi

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 MERCEDES E55 AMG (AKA 211 & W211). I HAVE EXPERIENCED STRONG GASOLINE ODOR AFTER REFUELING MY CAR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE SMELL OF GAS IS STRONG NOT ONLY INSIDE THE CAR, BUT FILLS THE ENTIRE GARAGE AND FUMES ARE NOTICED INSIDE THE HOUSE AS WELL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A LEAKING FUEL TANK AND FUEL FILTER MODULES NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A RECALL STICKER REFERENCING 2008020001 FROM 2009 ON THE UNDER SIDE OF MY HOOD. THIS IS FROM A PREVIOUS ATTEMPT BY MERCEDES TO FIX THIS KNOWN PROBLEM WHICH STATES TO "REPLACE FUEL FILTER MODULES IF NEEDED". THE RECALL FROM MERCEDES ALSO STATES THAT IT "DOES NOT EXPIRE". IN SPITE OF THIS INFORMATION, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP THAT THE COST OF REPAIRS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND QUOTED A PRICE OF $4000. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE ISSUE MERCEDES AS INSTRUCTED BY THE RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10563327

Incident

Nov 1, 2013

Mileage

38,100 mi