2008 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS63 Owner Complaints

ENGINE IS MAKINE A TICKING NOISE AND LOSE OF POWER

NHTSA ID

10933992

Incident

Nov 23, 2016

A CAST ALUMINUM WHEEL ON MY 2008 MERCEDES BENZ CLS63 AMG CRACKED DUE TO A CASTING DEFECT. IN THE INSIDE LIP OF THE RIM OF THE WHEEL AT THE OUTER DIAMETER IS A VOID, OR HOLE, THAT WAS CREATED BY A AN AIR BUBBLE THAT WAS ENTRAINED IN THE MOLTEN METAL BUT COULD NOT ESCAPE THE MOLD BEFORE THE METAL SOLIDIFIED. THIS VOID MAKES THE RADIUS OF THE WHEEL AT THAT POINT WEAK AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. I AM ENTERING THIS COMPLAINT REGARDING THE CASTING DEFECT IN ORDER TO PRESENT INFORMATION THAT PROVES MERCEDES-BENZ MUST REPLACE ONE WHEEL ON MY VEHICLE. THE USA CONSUMER ACTION HANDBOOK CONTACTING NHTSA IS SUGGESTED. THE HANDBOOK MADE ONE THING CLEAR, NHTSA LAW STATES, IF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS, THE MAKER MUST FIX IT AT NO COST TO YOU, EVEN IF YOUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. TO BE FAIR, I AM ONLY ASKING MERCEDES-BENZ REIMBURSE ME FOR THE UNSAFE WHEEL WITH A REFURBISHED ONE COSTING $450, RATHER THAN A NEW ONE COSTING $1200. HAVE FURTHER SUBSTANTIATION THAT MERCEDES-BENZ WHEELS ARE PRONE TO CRACKING: A STUDY OF NHTSA COMPLAINTS FROM 2000 THROUGH 2011 REVEALS THAT FOR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS IN WHEELS: AUDI HAD 1 COMPLAINT, CADILLAC HAD 2, BMW HAD 14, INCLUDING A RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR DEFECTIVE WHEELS (00V383000) MERCEDES-BENZ HAD 47. MB REPLACED A NUMBER OF THESE WHEELS THAT WERE OUT OF WARRANTY AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA COMPLAINTS. AS DEFINED IN THE USA CONSUMER ACTION HANDBOOK THIS COMPRISES A WARRANTY, THEREFORE MY WHEEL IS COVERED ALSO. MB HAS A 1 YEAR / 12,000 MILE WARRANTY ON WHEELS. WHEELS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE BASIC BUMPER -TO- BUMPER WARRANTY AS ARE BY AUDI, BMW, GM, FORD, CHRYSLER, TOYOTA, HONDA, AND HYUNDAI. IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THIS EVIDENCE, AND THE LAW, PLEASE HAVE MB REIMBURSE ME $450. (MERCEDES-BENZ CUSTOMER SUPPORT, 3 MERCEDES-BENZ DRIVE, MONTVALE, NJ, 07645).

NHTSA ID

10554744

Incident

Sep 28, 2013

Mileage

53,032 mi

A MERCEDES-BENZ 2008 CLS63 AMG HAS FOUR OEM CAST ALUMINUM WHEELS WITH LARGE CASTING DEFECTS IN THE FORM OF DEBRIS COLLECTED AT A KNIT LINE AROUND ITS CIRCUMFERENCE. THE OTHER THREE PICTURES SHOW THE KNIT LINE AS WELL AS MOLD DEBRIS. THE DEFORMITY, OR KNIT LINE, IS THE LOCATION WHERE THE TWO MOLD FRONTS MEET WHEN THE MOLD IS FILLED. ONE OF THESE DEFECTS LOOKS LIKE IT GOES ALL OF THE WAY THROUGH THE WHEEL. THIS ONE SHOULD LEAK AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON A LEAK TEST. WHEELS ARE SCRAP. THEY HAVE ANOTHER CASTING DEFECT FROM MOISTURE IN MOLTEN AL. WHEN CAST THE WATER BOILS AND OUTGASSES FORMING PITS ON THE SURFACE OF THE PART. THIS CAUSES WEAKNESS. IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. THE VEHICLES NOW HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT. THESE DEFECTS CREATE A WEAK SPOT ON THE WHEEL. WITH THE CONSTANT LOADING AND UNLOADING OF FORCE ON THE DEFECT A CRACK HAS DEVELOPED AND ENLARGED BY WAY OF FATIGUE. THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE FROM THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE AND HAVE BEEN UNSAFE AND WILL REMAIN UNSAFE AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN USE. THEY CANNOT BE REPAIRED. THEY MUST BE REPLACED. THEREFORE, I HAVE ASKED MBUSA TO RECALL THESE WHEELS AND REPLACE THEM AT MANUFACTURER'S EXPENSE. THEY DENIED RESPONSIBILITY STATING THE WHEELS ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. (WHEELS, IT TURNS OUT, ONLY CARRY A ONE YEAR, 12,000 MILE WARRANTY. THIS TELLS ME THAT MB IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IS TRYING TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE TABLE.) ACCORDING TO NHTSA COMPLAINT DATABASE ID # 103234408, THE OWNER IS HAVING REPEATED CRACKING PROBLEMS WITH THE IDENTICAL AUTO AT 9,000 MILES, WITHIN WARRANTY, AND MB WILL NOT REPLACE THEM. SINCE THESE DEFECTS ARE CAUSED BY THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, NEARLY ALL OF THE CAST ALUMINUM WHEELS MADE BY THE SAME METHOD WILL HAVE THESE SAME DEFECTS. (WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT ALL FOUR WHEELS ON ONE CAR HAVE THIS DEFECT?) *TR

NHTSA ID

10549686

Incident

Sep 28, 2013

Mileage

53,032 mi

MY CAR HAS A FUEL TANK LEAK AND DEFECTIVE FUEL SENDING UNITS. A FEW DAYS AGO I NOTICED A VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL AFTER FILLING UP MY CAR AT THE GAS STATION. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THE FUEL TANK IS LEAKING AND BOTH FUEL SENDING UNITS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT MBUSA NEEDS TO CORRECT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM AND ISSUE A FORMAL SAFETY RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10496451

Incident

Feb 1, 2013

Mileage

47,000 mi

MY VEHICLE HAD 9,000 MILES ON IT AND IS DRIVEN IN MODERATION. ONE OF THE RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS CRACKED - THE OTHER 3 ARE BENT. WITHIN 1,500 MILE, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE REPLACED RIM IS NOW ALSO BENT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE VEHICLE'S SAFTEY WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS - THE CAR SHAKES. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE WHEELS STATING NO DEFECTS OR RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED.

NHTSA ID

10323408

Incident

Apr 1, 2010

Mileage

9,000 mi