1999 Mercedes-Benz C280 Problems

ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010 OUR 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280 SEDAN ENGINE STALLED/STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY FOR US WE WERE NOT ON A FAST MOVING SURFACE STREET, A HIGHWAY OR A FREEWAY. THIS SITUATION, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS/STOPS MAKES IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR AND STOP IT SINCE THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING ARE DIFFICULT TO USE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. AFTER REFUELING THE CAR WE TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 100FT WHEN, WITHOUT ANY DASH BOARD WARNING LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER INDICATIONS, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. WE ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES AND IT WOULD NOT START. WE CALLED AAA OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT APPROXIMATELY 3:15PM, THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AT 3:55PM AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER ASKED US TO ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR AND TO OUR SURPRISE THE ENGINE STARTED. WE DROVE TO SOUTH BAY MERCEDES BENZ, TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, WITH THE TOW TRUCK FOLLOWING US. WHILE THE WORK ORDER WAS BEING PREPARED, SERVICE BAY PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. AFTER ABOUT 35 MINUTES, ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFUL. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE ENGINE STALLING/STOPPING IS MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOTAL DISASTER FOR US AND OTHER DRIVERS HAD THIS HAPPENED IN A HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA TRAFFIC SAFETY ORGANIZATION. THIS INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE TO DETERMINE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE, REVIEW MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE REPORTS AND OTHER C280 OWNERS. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT SOUTH BAY MERCEDES, TORRANCE, CA, AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. THE ENGINE STALLING/STOPPING WAS CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THERE ARE NO REDUNDANCIES WHEN THIS PART FAILS. *TR

MERCEDES-BENZ 1999 C280. CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FELL APART WHILE AT A STOP SIGN NOT FAR FROM HOME, WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK HOME BEFORE COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. SMELLED BURNING RUBBER, NO FIRE. THE CAR HAS ONLY 25,284 MILES. *AK

ON JULY 30, 2015 AROUND 1900 HRS. I WAS LEAVING HOME GOING TO PICK UP MY KIDS FROM AROUND THE CORNER. I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT (RED). BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN A LOUD BANG HAPPENED THEN SCRAPING. I GOT OUT THE CAR TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION AND OBSERVED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS SAGGING. I RETRACED MY TRACKS ON FOOT AND LOCATED MY COIL SPRING. ONCE I GOT BACK HOME, I JACKED UP THE CAR AND NOTICED MY UPPER SPRING HOUSING ON MY PASSENGER SIDE WAS BROKEN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE UPPER SPRING PERCHES BECAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES C280. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIGHTS CONSTANTLY BURN OUT AND HAD BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST TWENTY TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE BURNING OUT AND CREATING A FIRE HAZARD. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THE REAR TAIL LIGHT BULBS AND PLASTIC HOLDER MELTED SEVEN TIMES. THE DEALER HAS NOT DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY REPLACED THE PLASTIC HOLDER AND BULB UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

THE ELECTRONIC ODOMETER NO LONGER DISPLAYS THE MILEAGE PROPERLY. THIS SEEMS VERY COMMON FOR THE MERCEDES C-CLASS BUILT BETWEEN 1994-2000. *NM

THE VEHICLES FUEL TANK FILLER FAILED AND MADE IT DIFFICULT TO FILL THE TANK WITH GAS. THE GAS CAME BACK OUT THE FILLER CAP ALTHOUGH THE TANK DIDN'T HAVE A HALF A TANK OF GAS. *NLM SOMETIMES THE ENGINE DIDN'T TURN OVER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS POOR ON GAS. *SCC

THE ELECTRONIC ODOMETER NO LONGER DISPLAYS THE MILEAGE PROPERLY. THIS SEEMS VERY COMMON FOR THE MERCEDES C-CLASS BUILT BETWEEN 1994-2000. *NM

EXPLOSION OF MERCEDES-BENZ BATTERY IN VEHICLE.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SHE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY SMOKE FROM THE TRUNK OF THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOT HE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BATTERY THE YEAR BEFORE. THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL NOTICE. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *NM

HARMONICA BALANCER ON 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280 V6 2.8L ENGINE. I'VE HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING AND STARTING THE CAR. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAPERS FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

MY WIPER MOTOR ON MY VEHICLE WENT OUT BECAUSE IT HAS ONE WIPER AND THE GEAR POWERING IT IS PLASTIC AND STRIPPED OUT. I KNOW TWO OTHER PEOPLE PERSONALLY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO, AND WHILE SEARCHING FOR THIS PART USED I'VE FOUND THAT THIS PART IS SOLD OUT ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY DUE TO THESE MOTORS GOING OUT ALL THE TIME. *NM

ON JULY 30, 2015 AROUND 1900 HRS. I WAS LEAVING HOME GOING TO PICK UP MY KIDS FROM AROUND THE CORNER. I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT (RED). BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN A LOUD BANG HAPPENED THEN SCRAPING. I GOT OUT THE CAR TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION AND OBSERVED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS SAGGING. I RETRACED MY TRACKS ON FOOT AND LOCATED MY COIL SPRING. ONCE I GOT BACK HOME, I JACKED UP THE CAR AND NOTICED MY UPPER SPRING HOUSING ON MY PASSENGER SIDE WAS BROKEN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH OVER A BUMP AND A LOUD POPPING NOISE EMITTED OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FALL TOWARDS THE GROUND AND TILT TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY DETECTED EXCESSIVE RUST CORROSION WITHIN THE FRAME. A NEW SPRING PERCH AND BUSHING WILL NEED TO BE WELDED TO THE FRAME; THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE VEHICLE NOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO A SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, AND THE BRAKING WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE, CAUSING A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

HEN TURNING OFF THE ENGINE A/C FAN WILL STAY WORKING. CONSUMER HAD TO REMOVE THE FAN FUSE TO STOP WORKING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, AND THE BRAKING WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE, CAUSING A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS ACCUMULATING BELOW THE DRIVER FLOOR. THIS LEAK FILLED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH FLUID AND IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THIS. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE SHIFTER AND THE REVERSE BACKUP SOLENOID IN SHIFTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MERCEDES SERVICE MANAGER MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I SHOULD GET THE PART REPLACED. THE SAFETY CONCERN WAS THAT IF THE SHIFTER WAS MOVED TO REVERSED WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE PLACED IN REVERSE. I NEVER RECEIVED AN EXPLAINATION OF HOW THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED.

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH ON HIGHWAY AND ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE LANE, HITTING VEHICLE, AND DRIVER'S AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK