2002 Mercedes-Benz C Class

THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO COMPLAINT #10579528. SPOKE TO ROBIN, CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT MERCEDES BENZ CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A DESIGN FLAW IN THE REAR SIGNAL ACTUATOR MODULE AS THE BASIS FOR THE FUEL DELIVERY FAILING WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. THE EXPLANATION THEY OFFERED IS THAT THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IN FUEL DELIVERY TO THE ENGINE, WHILE DRIVING, IS THE FUEL PUMP, MERCEDES PART# 203 470 3794. HOWEVER, THEY FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REPLACE A FAULTY FUEL PUMP IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK, FUEL DELIVERY UNIT, FUEL SENDING UNIT AND WIRING HARNESS ...THE ENTIRE FUEL STORAGE TANK AND FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM! NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HEARD OF A SITUATION WHERE AN ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A FAILED IN-TANK FUEL PUMP. THIS POINTS TO YET ANOTHER DESIGN FLAW FOR WHICH MERCEDES BENZ, THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER,HOLD ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE. WHAT POSSIBLE ENGINEERING REASON CAN THEY OFFER OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE FUEL AND ELECTRICAL FUEL DELIVERY COMPONENTS SYSTEM WERE SERIOUSLY FLAWED FROM THE BEGINNING OF PRODUCTION? *JS

NHTSA ID

10585735

Incident

Apr 25, 2014

Mileage

103,000 mi

I CALLED MBUSA 2 WEEKS AGO REGARDING MY 2002 C320 WAGON WHICH WAS SMELLING OF PURE GASOLINE WHICH THE ODOR WAS SO STRONG IT WAS COMING INTO THE HOUSE FROM THE GARAGE GIVING US HEADACHES. I CHECKED ONLINE WITH MBUSA CLUB MEMBERS AND FOUND OUT THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND TO CALL IT IN. I CALLED MBUSA AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR BULLETINS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE AND WE WERE OUT OF WARRANTY TO CONTACT THE DEALER. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO SEEMED VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AND JUST FOR PARTS IT WAS OVER $800 AND THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY WARRANTY, RECALL ISSUES. THIS IS OUR FAMILY CAR WE USE THIS WAGON TO TRAVEL DAILY WITH THE KIDS OR OTHER LITTLE FAMILY MEMBERS SO WE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. WE CALLED OUR INDEPENDENT MERCEDES BENZ CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HE KNEW WHAT IS WAS JUST FROM OUR CONVERSATION. HE HAD US BRING IT IN RIGHT AWAY AND HE LIFTED UP THE REAR SEAT WHERE OUR CHILDREN SIT AND SHOWED MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF A POOL OF GASOLINE COMING FROM THE FUEL PUMP SITTING RIGHT UNDER THE SEAT!! I WAS DISGUSTED TO KNOW THAT MBUSA DISMISSED THIS SO QUICKLY AND COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY PUT OUR CHILDREN AT RISK. PLEASE NOTE THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAS VISITED THE MB DEALER MORE TIMES THAN ANY CAR SHOULD EVER NEED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM EVEN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALER TOLD US THEY SEE ALOT OF THESE NEEDING REPLACED AND ALTHOUGH MB HAS UPDATED THE FAULTY PART THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED OWNERS OF THE POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10524137

Incident

Jun 24, 2013

Mileage

136,000 mi

DRIVERS POWER SEAT CONTROL MODULE DRAINS BATTERY WHEN AUTO IS PARKED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10512849

Incident

May 17, 2013

Mileage

56,000 mi

THIS IS A C230 KOMPRESSOR COUPE. THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MADE A LOUD NOISE AND THEN LOCKED UP AFTER BEING DRIVEN SLOWLY TO A SHOP. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE EARLY 2002 C CLASS CARS BUT AS USUAL, THERE IS NO RECALL. I CONTACTED MBUSA AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THIS CAR HAS ALSO RECENTLY SHOWN EVIDENCE OF RUSTING. I CONTACTED MBUSA ABOUT THAT AND LEARNED THAT THE MB CORROSION PROTECTION IN THE U.S. IS MERELY FOUR YEARS. I ALSO FOUND THAT MOST OF THE OTHER GERMAN LUXURY AUTOMAKERS HAVE USED GALVINIZED STEEL FOR DECADES, UNLIKE THE MANUFACTURING PRACTICES OF MB. OVERALL, BETWEEN BUILT-IN MECHANICAL FAILURES AND THE RUST, AND THE FACT THAT MBUSA DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES, I WILL CERTAINLY STEER CLEAR OF MERCEDES IN THE FUTURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10439377

Incident

Nov 12, 2011

Mileage

65,000 mi

MERCEDES BENZ C240 ECU FAILURE. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ARE SOMETIMES RANDOM AT BEST AND SOMETIMES SHUTS OFF. THE CARS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALSO SOMETIMES DOESN'T WORK, THE POWER STEERING LEAKS INTERMITTENTLY THE REAR COIL SPRING BROKE ON LEFT SIDE OF VEHICLE . THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED SO WAS THE COIL PACK AND OTHER ITEMS BY MERCEDES BUT THEY ALWAYS TRIED TO JUSTIFY THAT PROBLEM WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR WHICH IS NOT TRUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10404244

Incident

Mar 5, 2011

Mileage

90,000 mi

I PURCHASED A 2002 C240 MERCEDES IN 2006. THE CAR HAS NEVER GIVEN ME ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS UNTIL HERE RECENTLY. THE CAR BEGAN TO NOT START AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED THREE TIMES TO THE MECHANICS (DON ALLEN SERVICE CENTER ON ALLENTOWN ROAD, FORT WASHINGTON, MD). WAS TOLD I NEEDED A FUEL PUMP. I PAID $1,500 TO HAVE A NEW FUEL PUMP INSTALLED. PROBLEM NOT SOLVED. WHEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR. IT HESITATES FOR ABOUT 10-15 SECONDS BEFORE IT TURNS OVER. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MECHANICS AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED TO FUEL FILTER CHANGED AGAIN. PROBLEM NOT SOLVED. NOW THE CAR MAKES THIS LOUD WHINING NOISE FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. NOW I HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM WORK TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANICS TO HAVE HIM TO REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER AGAIN. THIS IS WHAT I'M BEING TOLD IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. THE FUEL FILTER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME IN ONE WEEK THAT THE FUEL FILTER HAD TO BE CHANGED. I WAS TOLD THAT ONCE THE FUEL PUMP GOES BAD, THE CAR WILL NEVER RUN THE SAME AGAIN. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE TRUE CONSIDERING THE PROBLEMS I'VE ENCOUNTERED AFTER HAVING THE FUEL PUMP INSTALLED ON MY CAR. HAVING A MERCEDES HAS BEEN A HEADACHE WITH THE COST OF JUST MAINTAINING THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WHICH IS COSTLY. I PLAN ON GOING BACK TO A LEXUS AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE! THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH MERCEDES. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED TO FIX THE FAULTY FUEL SYSTEM/PUMP/FILTER. I PLAN ON REPORTING THIS COMPLAINT TO MY STATES ATTORNEY OFFICE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10375150

Incident

Dec 15, 2010

Mileage

104,000 mi

POWER SEAT CONTROLLER BECOMES DEFECTIVE AND FAILS TO SHUT DOWN WHEN CAR IS OFF AND LOCKED, AND THUS DRAINS THE BATTERY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10267667

Incident

Jan 1, 2009

Mileage

65,000 mi

DEFECTIVE SEAT CONTROLLER MODULES ( DRIVER AND PASSENGER ) CAUSE THE BATTERY TO DRAIN COMPLETELY WITHIN 24 HOURS. THIS LEAVES ME STRANDED AND UNABLE TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. A SEARCH ONLINE REVEALS MULTIPLE OTHER WITH THE SAME ISSUES...INDICATING AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS WELL KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER WITH NO RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM FROM THE MANUFACTURER OTHER THAN PAYING $1000 FOR A KNOWN DEFECTIVE ISSUE/PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10260382

Incident

Feb 18, 2009

Mileage

115,000 mi

MERCEDES: REPLACING THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBER (LEFT AND RIGHT) BELOW THE MAIN FLOOR PANEL ON ALL MY 204 UP TO 12/31/07. (C300, C350, C300 4-MATIC, C63 AME). *PE

MODEL 203 (C) SERIES FROM PRODUCTION 8/1/01 TO 2/1/03 AND MODEL 209 (CLK) SERIES UP TO PRODUCTION 2/1/03; ESP VISIT WORKSHOP WITH FAULT CODE C1185. *PE