2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Problems

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive. The contact stated that after stopping at a stop sign, the vehicle lost motive power before the "Malfunction visit workshop" and "Stop switch engine off" messages were displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the failure recurred more frequently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with an electric drive motor failure. The contact was informed that the electric drive motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to technical service bulletin 2015070002. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 62,700.

Coolant leak causing catastrophic drive unit failure.

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING 55 MPH, AN UNKNOWN YELLOW WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING ASSISTANCE REQUIRED. THE DRIVER CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND SHORTLY AFTER, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ANOTHER RED WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES-BENZ OF ALEXANDRIA (200 S PICKETT ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304, (703) 341-2100) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE DRIVETRAIN TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO EURO MOTORCARS APPEARANCE CENTER (4932 BETHESDA AVE, BETHESDA, MD 20814, (301) 654-8153) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE DRIVETRAIN TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V655000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

VEHICLE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INSTRUCTING TO STOP DRIVING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS, MERCEDES DEALER-MECHANIC SAID THAT COOLANT HAD GOTTEN INTO BATTERY AND DRIVE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $12,000 - RENDERING CAR TOTALLED. INDEPENDENT EV SPECIALIST HAS PRESSURE TESTED COOLING SYSTEM AND FINDS NO LEAKS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A SAFE PLACE AT THE TIME I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR. IF I HAD BEEN OUT ON THE FREEWAY DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC OR AT NIGHT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT AND DRIVE UNIT, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO FIRE, IF NOT POTENTIAL CRASH IF DRIVER LOSES POWER IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEED. AS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR, BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION RELY ON POWER TO SAFELY BRING CAR TO A STOP.

Coolant leak causing catastrophic drive unit failure.

VEHICLE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INSTRUCTING TO STOP DRIVING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS, MERCEDES DEALER-MECHANIC SAID THAT COOLANT HAD GOTTEN INTO BATTERY AND DRIVE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $12,000 - RENDERING CAR TOTALLED. INDEPENDENT EV SPECIALIST HAS PRESSURE TESTED COOLING SYSTEM AND FINDS NO LEAKS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A SAFE PLACE AT THE TIME I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR. IF I HAD BEEN OUT ON THE FREEWAY DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC OR AT NIGHT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT AND DRIVE UNIT, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO FIRE, IF NOT POTENTIAL CRASH IF DRIVER LOSES POWER IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEED. AS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR, BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION RELY ON POWER TO SAFELY BRING CAR TO A STOP.

THIS IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. IN NORMAL OPERATION, WHEN THE CAR IS SLOWING, AND ALMOST AT A STOP, IT COMES OUT OF REGENERATIVE BRAKING MODE, AND ENTERS THRUST MODE, SO THAT IF THE BRAKE IS RELEASED WHEN STOPPED, THE CAR WILL BEGIN TO ROLL. IN THIS VEHICLE, SOMETIMES THE CAR EXITS REGENERATIVE BRAKING MODE AND ENTERS THRUST MODE WHEN SLOWING AT HIGH SPEED, SUCH AS WHEN EXITING A HIGHWAY RAMP. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS BRAKING IS MOMENTARILY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LOST WHEN IT IS NEEDED MOST. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUES OR FAULT CODES. AS THE ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT, I AM STUCK. *TR

THIS IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE PADDLE SHIFTERS CAN BE USED TO PUT THE CAR IN 'D-' MODE, FOR MORE AGGRESSIVE ENGINE BRAKING. THIS INCREASES THE RATE OF DECL WITHOUT USING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES. THIS HAS WORKED WELL FOR FOUR YEARS AND 65,000 MILES. TODAY THERE WAS A 'ONE TIME' MALFUNCTION. I DID THE USUAL 'D-' 'DOWN SHIFT' TO SLOWDOWN FROM 30 MPH, IN TRAFFIC, FOR RED LIGHT. THE CAR DID NOT AGGRESSIVELY SLOW DOWN AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I NOTICED THE CAR NEED EXCESSIVE BREAK PEDAL PRESSURE TO MAKE WHAT SHOULD BE A NORMAL STOP. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE POWER METER AND IT IS INDICATING POWER IS STILL BEING APPLIED TO THE MOTOR. THE INDICATOR WAS HALF WAY TO THE FIRST TIC AND DROPPING AS I SLOW DOWN. THIS IS ABOUT 25 AMPS POWERING THE MOTOR, NOT RECHARGING THE BATTERY. THIS AGGRESSIVE BRAKING INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO COLD THE WEATHER BATTERY PROTECTION MODE WHERE ENGINE BREAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THE BATTERY REACHES MINIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 40F. TO RECAP, WHILE APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS STILL PRODUCING POWER AS INDICATED BY THE AMMETER, STOPPING THE CAR REQUIRED MORE THAN THE USUAL AMOUNT OF BRAKE PRESSURE.

VEHICLE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INSTRUCTING TO STOP DRIVING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS, MERCEDES DEALER-MECHANIC SAID THAT COOLANT HAD GOTTEN INTO BATTERY AND DRIVE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $12,000 - RENDERING CAR TOTALLED. INDEPENDENT EV SPECIALIST HAS PRESSURE TESTED COOLING SYSTEM AND FINDS NO LEAKS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A SAFE PLACE AT THE TIME I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR. IF I HAD BEEN OUT ON THE FREEWAY DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC OR AT NIGHT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT AND DRIVE UNIT, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO FIRE, IF NOT POTENTIAL CRASH IF DRIVER LOSES POWER IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEED. AS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR, BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION RELY ON POWER TO SAFELY BRING CAR TO A STOP.

THIS IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE PADDLE SHIFTERS CAN BE USED TO PUT THE CAR IN 'D-' MODE, FOR MORE AGGRESSIVE ENGINE BRAKING. THIS INCREASES THE RATE OF DECL WITHOUT USING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES. THIS HAS WORKED WELL FOR FOUR YEARS AND 65,000 MILES. TODAY THERE WAS A 'ONE TIME' MALFUNCTION. I DID THE USUAL 'D-' 'DOWN SHIFT' TO SLOWDOWN FROM 30 MPH, IN TRAFFIC, FOR RED LIGHT. THE CAR DID NOT AGGRESSIVELY SLOW DOWN AND I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I NOTICED THE CAR NEED EXCESSIVE BREAK PEDAL PRESSURE TO MAKE WHAT SHOULD BE A NORMAL STOP. I GLANCED DOWN AT THE POWER METER AND IT IS INDICATING POWER IS STILL BEING APPLIED TO THE MOTOR. THE INDICATOR WAS HALF WAY TO THE FIRST TIC AND DROPPING AS I SLOW DOWN. THIS IS ABOUT 25 AMPS POWERING THE MOTOR, NOT RECHARGING THE BATTERY. THIS AGGRESSIVE BRAKING INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO COLD THE WEATHER BATTERY PROTECTION MODE WHERE ENGINE BREAKING IS DISABLED UNTIL THE BATTERY REACHES MINIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 40F. TO RECAP, WHILE APPLYING THE MECHANICAL BRAKES, THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS STILL PRODUCING POWER AS INDICATED BY THE AMMETER, STOPPING THE CAR REQUIRED MORE THAN THE USUAL AMOUNT OF BRAKE PRESSURE.

I WAS CRUISING DOWN A PRETTY BUSY MAIN STREET. AS I WAS TRYING TO MANUEVER IN TRAFFIC, I SENSED THAT AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I LOOKED AT THE DASH AND NOTICED THE CAR HAD MOVED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT STILL ON (FROM THE LOOK OF THE DASHBOARD). I QUICKLY TRIED TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IN BETWEEN SPEEDING TRAFFIC, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I WAS NEAR THE HIGHWAY ONRAMP AREA. ONCE I SAFELY PULLED ASIDE, I TRIED TO AGAIN TURN THE CAR ON USING THE KEY. AGAIN THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. WHEN IN THE OFF POSITION, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP. I PULLED THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTED IT AND TURNED THE KEY AND THE CAR CAME BACK ON AND BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS STRUCK BY A PEBBLE. AFTER A WEEK, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS FRACTURED AND DID NOT FIT PROPERLY INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD SHOULD BE THICKER AND WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,619.