Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ E320. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS REVERSING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER, PASSENGER, CEILING, AND BOTH SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT OCCURRING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT LEFT A VOICE MESSAGE WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ E320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT A VIBRATION COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR AIR BAG ERRONEOUSLY DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION AND INJURIES TO THE FACE, NECK, AND SHOULDERS, WHICH REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THERE WAS NO CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY THE MANUFACTURER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT UNIVERSAL JOINT AND DRIVESHAFT FRACTURED, WHICH CAUSED THE AIR BAG SENSOR TO ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATE AND DEPLOY THE AIR BAGS. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER (MERCEDES-BENZ OF GREENWICH, 261 WEST PUTNAM AVE, GREENWICH, CT) WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
TAKATA RECALL SRS LIGHT ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT
I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, GOING ~5 MPH, WHEN I SMELLED SOMETHING, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION BY MY HEAD AND THE AIR CURTAINS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SELF-DEPLOYED. AFTER THAT MY HUSBAND, A MECHANIC, DEACTIVATED THE SRS USING THE SWITCH ON THE CONSOLE OF THE CAR. HOWEVER, APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE AIR CURTAINS AND AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SELF-DEPLOYED WHILE HE WAS DRIVING THE CAR. THEN ON OR ABOUT JULY 31, 2014, A CLEAR DAY, AROUND 8:30 A.M. WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, HE HEARD AN EXPLOSION, THE SEATBELT RETRACTED WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT CAUSED A PAINFUL BLOW TO HIS CHEST AND PINNED HIM INTO THE CAR. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. AT FIRST HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SHOT BECAUSE OF THE NOISE FROM THE EXPLOSION, IT WAS HARD TO BREATHE AND PAINFUL. HOWEVER, AFTER A FEW MINUTES, HE REALIZED IT WAS THE SEATBELT AND STRUGGLED TO RELEASE IT. THE SEATBELT PUT A GASH IN HIS LEFT SHOULDER THROUGH HIS CLOTHES. (WE HAVE PICTURES OF THE GASH.) IN ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS, WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD, WE HAVE NOT BEEN SPEEDING, AND, THEREFORE, DID NOT CALL THE POLICE. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT NO LONGER WORKS, AND DRIVING THE CAR WITHOUT THE SEAT BELT WOULD VIOLATE A NEW JERSEY STATUTE. WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE MORE AIRBAGS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF SPONTANEOUSLY SELF-DEPLOYING WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. WE'VE CONTACTED MERCEDES AND WERE TOLD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALER AND PAY FOR A DIAGNOSIS. WE FEEL THAT THE CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED BY MERCEDES BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES E320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING A DRIVEWAY, THE FRONT DRIVESHAFT FRACTURED AND ALL OF THE AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CRASH INTO ANYTHING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHY THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 182,000.
AS I WAS ENTERING THE INTERSTATE ON THE ON RAMP MY REAR U JOINT ON FRONT DRIVE SHAFT CAME APART. SUBSEQUENTLY BOTH MY CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AS WELL AS MY DRIVER FRONT DOOR AIR BAG. AS IT WAS CONSIDERED A MECHANICAL FAILURE MY INSURANCE WITH USAA DID NOT COVER ANYTHING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E320. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG ABRUPTLY DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY FORCE TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
DRIVER SIDE SRS AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY. NOT RELATED TO ANY COLLISION OR ACCIDENT. CAR WAS STOPPED, IN PARK, WHEN DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BANGING INTO THE DRIVER LEFT SIDE AND ARM. IF THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN STOPPED, THE DRIVER PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISE TO THE LEFT SIDE AND LEFT ARM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E-320. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY LOT WHERE IT WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 112,000. UPDATED 02/23/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AN INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED SOMETHING HAPPENED WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SAY SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT WAS. UPDATED 02/28/11
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES E320. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE FAR LEFT. THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO SWAY THE VEHICLE INTO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO AVOID HITTING A PASSING VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO AN EMBANKMENT WHERE THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER TWICE. NEITHER THE FRONT DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE POLICE AND EMT ARRIVED AND THE DRIVER WAS HOSPITALIZED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NECK, HANDS, HEAD AND SHOULDERS. THE POLICE DETERMINED THAT CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS A RESULT OF HIS PASSENGER REAR TIRE BEING FLAT. THE CAUSE OF THE FLAT WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 140,000.
I WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS SIDE IMPACT ACCIDENT - IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE CAR THAT HIT ME WAS GOING APPROX. 40 MPH. I WAS HIT DIRECTLY ON BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR DOOR (DRIVER'S SIDE) OF MY VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE COST OVER $10,600 TO REPAIR. THE AIRBAGS IN MY 1999 MERCEDES E320 DID NOT DEPLOY. MERCEDES SENT SOMEONE OVER TO INSPECT THE CAR 9 WEEKS AGO AND HAS NOT RESPONDED TO SEVERAL CALLS FROM ME INQUIRING ABOUT THE FAILURE. BOTH THE AMBULANCE ATTENDANTS AT THE SCENE AND THE MERCEDES CERTIFIED REPAIRMAN AGREED THAT THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED - HOWEVER, MERCEDES BENZ WILL NOT ISSUE A REPORT TO ME. I AM NOW DRIVING THE CAR AGAIN AND FEAR THAT THE AIRBAGS ARE FAULTY. *JB
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. UPON IMPACT, SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB
DRIVER INVOLVED IN REAR END COLLISION AT LOW SPEED. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEVICE KNOWN AS "ETR" ACTIVATED ON LEFT FRONT AND REAR RESTAINT AND ON RIGHT REAR RESTRAINT. NO PASSENGERS IN THESE SEATS. FIRE OCCURRED IN "C" POST ON LEFT SIDE. ORIGIN IN AREA OF "ETR" UNIT. FIRE CAUSE NOT VERIFIED. I AM FIRE INVESTIGATOR NOT OWNER OF VEHICLE. OWNER IS JUDITH ROBERTS #19 JAY STREET NEW YORK, NY 10013 (212) 941-4646. *AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH GOING 35MPH. VEHICLE WAS HIT ON DRIVER'S SIDE, AND WAS PUSHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS SITTING STILL IN TRAFFIC WHEN A SUV SLAMMED IN REAR SIDE OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD A SEAT BELT TENSIONER THAT DIDN'T LOCK. CONSUMER PUSHED THE SEAT BACK TRYING TO PREPARE FOR AIR BAGA WHICH THE DIDN'T DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. MERCEDES BENZ DEALER STATED AIR BAGS ACTED AS DESIGNED.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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