1999 Mercedes-Benz E Class

ODI HAS FOCUSED THIS INVESTIGATION ON ASSESSING THE RISKS POSED BY A SEPARATED SPRING AS (1) A ROAD HAZARD AND (2) THE POTENTIAL FOR VEHICLE CONTROL TO BE COMPROMISED AFTER THE FRONT COIL SPRING HAS BEEN EJECTED FROM ITS INTENDED POSITION IN THE VEHICLE.BOTH RISKS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CORROSION, FLEXING, AND FRACTURE OF THE UPPER FRONT SUSPENSION MOUNTING BRACKET.TIME-IN-SERVICE FAILURE RATES ARE NOTABLY HIGHER IN SALT BELT STATES SINCE CORROSION IS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THE FAILURE MODE.SINCE A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED, ODI IS SKEPTICAL THAT OWNERS CAN ALWAYS DETECT THE SUBTLE SIDE TO SIDE DIFFERENCE IN RIDE HEIGHT AND/OR INSPECT OR NOTICE THAT THE UPPER SUSPENSION BRACKET HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY CORROSION.(1) ROAD HAZARD - ALTHOUGH THE (APPROX. 7 LB.) FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING THAT MAY BE EJECTED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD POSE A SERIOUS ROAD HAZARD TO PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER VEHICLES, THE OCCURRENCE RATE HAS BEEN LOW (.03% BASED ON 51 REPORTED INCIDENTS OCCURRING AND AN INITIAL POPULATION OF 172,781 VEHICLES AFTER 9 - 12 YEARS OF USE / EXPOSURE) AND THERE ARE NO KNOWN INJURIES, FATALITIES, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE REPORTS DUE TO AN EJECTED SPRING.ALSO, MANY OF THE 51 INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT LOW SPEED OR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED OR PARKED.(2) VEHICLE CONTROL - VEHICLE HANDLING AND CONTROL COULD BE AFFECTED BY THE FRACTURE OF THE UPPER SUSPENSION MOUNT AND/OR THE ASSOCIATED SPRING EJECTION.ODI FIRST IDENTIFIED ITS CONCERN ABOUT CORROSION IN THE UPPER SUSPENSION BRACKET OF SUBJECT VEHICLES IN 2002, AT WHICH TIME MERCEDES PROVIDED A VIDEO THAT SHOWED THAT A VEHICLE COULD BE STEERED, STOPPED, AND CONTROLLED THROUGH VARIOUS MANEUVERS AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH A FRONT COIL SPRING COMPLETELY MISSING FROM THE VEHICLE. DURING PE07-021, IN ADDITION TO REVIEWING THE 2002 VIDEO-TAPE, ODI ENGINEERS DROVE AN EXEMPLAR VEHICLE WITH THE SPRING REMOVED AND SIMULATED VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF STEERING ANGLES TO ASSESS WHETHER THERE WERE ANY POSSIBLE CONDITIONS / DISPLACEMENTS IN WHICH THE SEPARATED SPRING MIGHT INTERFERE WITH THE WHEELS. IN A VEHICLE WITH THE FRONT SPRING REMOVED, THE TOP OF THE WHEEL CAN LIGHTLY CONTACT THE BOTTOM AREA OF THE WHEEL FENDER DURING HIGH ANGLE TURNS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SLOWER SPEED MANEUVERS SUCH AS CITY DRIVING. THE LIGHT TIRE CONTACT GENERATED AN OBVIOUS GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD LIKELY ABRADE OR BEND THE EDGE OF THE FENDER WITH CONTINUED USE.HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF THE INTERFERENCE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO AFFECT VEHICLE STEERING AND DOES NOT OCCUR AT SMALLER TURNING ANGLES ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHWAY DRIVING.ODI HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND AT THIS TIME.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING THAT A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF FUTURE CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT.

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER-STEERING ASSIST.ODI HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 546 NON-DUPLICATIVE REPORTS THAT ALLEGE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HARMONIC BALANCER FAILURE ON ALL MERCEDES-BENZ VEHICLES USING THE SUBJECT COMPONENT.THE SUBJECT COMPONENT FAILURES ARE PROGRESSIVE IN NATURE AND ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANT CLAIMS INVOLVED A FAILURE THAT HAD PROGRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO EFFECT POWER STEERING PERFORMANCE (6 OF 55 ODI COMPLAINTS REFERENCE INCREASED STEERING EFFORT).THERE HAVE BEEN NO CRASHES OR INJURIES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE SUMMARY REPORT ATTACHED FOR FURTHER DETAIL.

WHILE DRIVING CAR ON A LOCAL EXCURSION OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES, I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL NO LONGER LINED UP STRAIT. TOWARD THE END OF THE TRIP, I NOTED WHAT SEEMED LIKE STEERING IRREGULARITIES, THEN A RUBBING/ WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT. AFTER ARRIVING HOME AFTER DARK, I COULD SMELL HOT RUBBER. ALSO THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE NEXT MORNING, I REMOVED MY FRONT LEFT TIRE TO INSPECT THE AREA. I FOUND THE END OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CRACKED OPEN FROM THE BOTTOM AND BENT UPWARD. THE CONTROL ARM IS HOLLOW AND APPEARED TO HAVE RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, WHICH APPARENTLY CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS BENT INWARD AND THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS LOWER THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. DURING MY TRAVELS, I HAD NOT HIT ANY BUMPS TO CAUSE SUCH DAMAGE. HAD THIS BROKEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I FEEL VERY LUCKY. AFTER AN ONLINE SEARCH, I FOUND TWO OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING IN THIS MODEL MERCEDES. ALSO, MY INDEPENDENT MERCEDES REPAIR SHOP HAS SEEN THIS FAILURE BEFORE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10555666

Incident

Dec 7, 2013

Mileage

150,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E55. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE COLLAPSED ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE UPPER SPRING PERCH FRACTURED, WHICH RESULTED IN A SEPARATION FROM THE FRAME. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

NHTSA ID

10417172

Incident

Aug 4, 2011

Mileage

125,000 mi

SPRING PERCH BROKE OFF DUE TO RUST .THE FRONT OF THE CAR FELL DOWN ON TO THE WHEEL AND WAS UNDRIVABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10285830

Incident

Aug 9, 2009

Mileage

104,303 mi

I OWN A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E55 AMG (W210). AFTER PARKING THE CAR WHILE GROCERY SHOPPING, I RETURNED AND FOUND THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE MUCH LOWER THAN NORMAL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING AND TWO OTHER PARTS WERE FOUND LYING UNDER THE VEHICLE. I MOVED THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL BROKEN PARTS AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME AT 15 MPH, MAKING ONLY VERY MINOR TURNS (FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE). UPON INSPECTION WITH THE WHEEL OFF, THE UPPER SPRING PERCH HAD BECOME ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME RAIL, SEVERED THE ABS SENSOR WIRE (WHICH CAUSED SEVERAL WARNING CODES RELATED TO THE ABS, BAS AND ESP BRAKING SYSTEMS), AND HAD ALSO CHIPPED THE INNER RIM OF THE WHEEL AND PUT A VERY LARGE SLASH NEAR THE BEAD OF THE TIRE. I HAD JUST INSPECTED THE PASSENGER SIDE THE WEEK PRIOR WHILE CHANGING A FLAT TIRE, AND WITNESSED NO CORROSION/RUST WHATSOEVER. VEHICLE HAS 90,000 MILES, HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN THE WINTER, AND THE ONLY RUST ON THE VEHICLE IS WHERE THE SPRING PERCH TORE AWAY FROM THE FRAME RAIL. THE REST OF THE CAR, BODY AND UNDERCARRIAGE, IS RUST FREE. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER AND WAS OFFERED NO HELP, AND STRONGLY DISCOURAGED AGAINST THERE BEING ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE DONE FOR ME, AS IF THEY WERE READING A SCRIPT RELATING TO THE AGE OF THE CAR AND LOCATION/CLIMATE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MB USA, WHO IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10281915

Incident

Aug 19, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

FRONT SPRING SUPPORT FAILED ON 2000 MERCEDES E300 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE COIL SPRING WAS EJECTED AND COULD HAVE PUNCTURED THE FRONT TIRE. CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A RUST AT THE WELD POINTS FOR THE UPPER CONSTRAINT FOR THE FRONT COIL SPRING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10268830

Incident

Jun 15, 2007

ON APRIL 27, 2008 MY CAR'S FRONT LEFT SIDE SPRING FAILED WHEN DRIVING BACK HOME AT A SPEED OF 30 MPH. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL AND GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE PERCH RIPPED OFF, IT SOUNDS LIKE MY WHEEL CAME OFF. THE STEERING WAS JAMMED AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THE SPRING ON THE PAVEMENT. ON MAY 3, 2008 I DROVE TO NEAREST AUTO SHOP WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY AND PAID $80 FOR AN INITIAL CHECK UP AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. THE SPRING PERCH RUSTED AWAY AND BROKE. I COMPLAINED WITH MERCEDES BENZ USA AND I DID NOT GET ANY ANSWER FROM THEM. IT'S BEEN IN MY GARAGE FOR FIVE MONTHS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10243255

Incident

Apr 27, 2008

Mileage

99,059 mi

ON APRIL 27 2008 MY CAR'S FRONT LEFT SIDE SPRING PERCH FAILED WHEN DRIVING HOME AT A SPEED OF 30MPH. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, I MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL AND GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE PERCH RIPPED OFF, IT SOUNDED LIKE MY WHEEL CAME OFF. THE STEERING WAS JAMMED AND I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THE SPRING ON THE PAVEMENT. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME. ON MAY 3, I DROVE TO THE NEAREST AUTO SHOP WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY AND PAID $80 FOR AN INITIAL CHECK UP AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. THE SPRING PERCH RUSTED AWAY AND BROKE. I HAVE HAD 4 MERCEDES SO FAR, 1984 300D, 1987 SEL 420, 1991 300D AND THIS 1999 E300D. I'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SPRING PERCHES WITH THE 3 OLDER MODELS BUT, THIS 1999 E300D HAD THIS PROBLEM. THIS 1999 E300D WILL BE THE LAST MERCEDES I WILL EVER OWN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10227187

Incident

Apr 27, 2008

Mileage

99,059 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS. ON AUGUST 27, 2007, WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE DECELERATED AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HOOD APPEARED LOWER TO THE GROUND THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. HE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED A COIL SPRING ROLLING ACROSS THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT DRIVE OVER ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRONT SPRING PERCH MOUNT WAS RUSTED AND SHEARED OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 120,000.

NHTSA ID

10201527

Incident

Aug 27, 2007

Mileage

120,000 mi

SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink

REVISED REPAIR PROCEDURE AND ADDITIONAL APPLICABLE MODELS. MODEL 170, 202, 208 AND 210 MODELS. FRONT FOG LAMP(S) INOPERATIVE. MERCEDES-BENZ. *TT MODEL YEARS: 1994-2004. UPDATED 09/09/08. *PE

TRUNK LID OPENS OR CLOSES TOO QUICKLY WHILE OPERATING WITH REMOTE TRUNK LID CONTROL BUTTON. *TT

CONSUMER SHUTOFF DISPLAYED IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHILE DRIVING. *TT

ORDERING PROCESS FOR EXTENDED LENGTH SEAT BELTS. *TT

VARIOUS INFORMATION ON INSTALLATION OF CD CHANGER AND CELULAR TELEPHONE ( CTEL ) SYSTEMS FOR 129, 170 AND OTHER MODELS. *YC