2001 Mercedes-Benz S600 Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S-600. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL LOWERED THE SUSPENSION ON TO THE TIRES, MAKING THE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE CONTACT THEN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT DID NOT INFORM THE CONTACT OF THE TEST RESULTS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 04V228000 (SUSPENSION) BUT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UDPATED EVOQ 04/19/12

NHTSA ID

10454826

Incident

Mar 28, 2012

Mileage

82,000 mi

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IN VEHICLE DISPLAYING SPEED, OIL PRESSURE, FUEL LEVEL, AND OTHER ENGINE FUNCTIONS NOT WORKING. REFERRING TO RECALL ID 06V028000, I CONTACTED LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND OWNER OF VEHICLE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIRS. CONTACTED MERCEDES-BENZ REPRESENTATIVE AND WAS TOLD EXACTLY THE SAME. I EXPLAINED TO BOTH REPRESENTATIVES THAT I TOOK OWNERSHIP IN 2008 AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS ON VEHICLE, BUT THEY BOTH GAVE SAME RESPONSE, EMPHASIZING OF AN EXPIRED EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT NOT OF RECALL AS MENTIONED. (REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ANY RECALL EXISTING.) WHILE AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, SUPENSION GOES UP AND DOWN CONSTANTLY; WHILE DRIVING STILL GOES UP AND DOWN, BUT NOT AS CONSTANT. DID NOT REPORT TO DEALERSHIP OR REPRESENTATIVE BECAUSE AS MENTIONED, THEY KEPT REFERRING TO AND EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WAS UNKNOWN TO ME, AND DID NOT KNOW OF ANY RECALLS. THERE ARE OTHER RECALLS ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE RELATING TO SAFETY THAT WERE UNKNOWN TO ME. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS. AS THE OWNER I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GET THE REPAIRS DONE NOT ONLY FOR MY SAFETY BUT ALSO MY FAMILY AS WELL, BUT IF THERE ARE RECALLS ALREADY ESTABLISHED, THE MANUFACTURER OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO NOTIFY OWNERS AND SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. I HAVE AN OLDER VEHICLE FROM ANOTHER MANUFACTURER, AND THEY NOTIFIED ME OF ALL RECALLS CONCERNING THAT VEHICLE WITHOUT ME DOING ANY REGISTRATION WITH THEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10410120

Incident

Jun 28, 2011

Mileage

98,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S-600. WHILE HE ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS AIR IN THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ACTIVE CONTROL BODY PUMP. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ACTIVE CONTROL BODY PUMPS AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE FOR $3,700. HE WILL CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO INQUIRE IF HIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN RECALL 04V228000, SUSPENSION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ID

10300257

Incident

Oct 1, 2009

Mileage

70,000 mi

ABC HIGH PRESSURE HOSE LEAKING BADLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10288757

Incident

Oct 4, 2009

Mileage

71,250 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S-600. THE CONTACT IS EXPERIENCING SUSPENSION FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 55,746.

NHTSA ID

10243554

Incident

Sep 26, 2008

Mileage

55,746 mi

THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALER INFORMED ME THAT I HAD AN OIL COOLER AND ABC HOSE LEAK ON MY 2001 S600. THE COST TO REPAIR IS UNBELIEVABLE. ABOUT $7,500. IN READING THE MBZ FORUM THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM MBZ. THE FAILURE FOR THE OIL COOLER LEAK CAN LEAD TO A FIRE, AND THE ABC HOSE LEAK CAN LEAD TO MALFUNCTION OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL SYSTEM CAUSING THE CAR TO DRASTICALLY LOWER AT THE EFFECTED WHEEL. THE FREQUENCY OF THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED BY A MANUFACTURER RECALL. THIS IS A DEATH HAZARD TO ME AND MY FAMILY. I AM NOT DRIVING THE CAR AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE COST TO REPAIR AND THE PROBLEM OF INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10239498

Incident

Aug 4, 2008

Mileage

76,568 mi

MERCEDES 2001 S600, MANUFACTURE 02/01. OIL COOLER LEAKS, ABC CONTROL FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS IN RECALL BUT MERCEDES SAID MY VIN IS EXCLUDED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10223783

Incident

Mar 10, 2008

2001 S600 ABC HOSE LEAK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO MY ABC HOSE IS LEAKING AND THE SHOP SAID THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION TO REPLACE IT - ABOUT $3200 IN LABOR AND $1000 FOR THE PART, AND THAT IT MUST BE REPAIRED RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE IT MIGHT LEAK ON THE CAT AND START A FIRE. THERE IS A RECALL. I DON'T THINK MY INSURANCE CO. IS GOING TO APPRECIATE IT IF THEY HAVE TO COVER AN S600 BARBECUE. THE RECALL READS AS FOLLOWS: MAKE / MODELS : MODEL/BUILD YEARS: MERCEDES BENZ / CL CLASS 2000-2004 MERCEDES BENZ / S CLASS 2000-2004 MANUFACTURER : MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 07V263000 MFR'S REPORT DATE : JUN 07, 2007 COMPONENT: SUSPENSION POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED : 19924 SUMMARY: ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, CORROSION MAY OCCUR IN THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HUMIDITY CAUSING DETERIORATION OF THE HOSE. CONSEQUENCE: THIS MAY RESULT IN ABC HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE NEAR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. LEAKING FLUID MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FIRE. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW CORROSION RESISTANT ABC HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 2, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367 MERCEDES-BENZ RECALL NO. 207060002. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV. IF THIS PART IS DEFECTIVE IT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THANKS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10218986

Incident

Feb 22, 2008

Mileage

78,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S-600. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR TWO WEEKS, THE SUSPENSION SHIFTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND HE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V228000 (SUSPENSION). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,420 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

NHTSA ID

10214790

Incident

Jan 14, 2008

Mileage

84,000 mi

SOMETHING IN THE FRONT PART OF THE AUTO MAKES A THROBBING NOISE. IT CAUSES EITHER THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL OR THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO LOSE ITS BALANCE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. IN A ONE HOUR TRIP, IT WILL HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE AND FOR A PERIOD OF FROM 5 MINUTES TO 20 MINUTES. I AM TOLD THAT S600 HAS A COMPUTER THAT BALANCES THE CAR. IT APPEARS THAT THIS COMPUTER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AS I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED BOTH FRONT RIMS, LEFT AND RIGHT, AS WELL AS REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES. THE PROBLEM CAUSES THE FRONT TIRES TO BE EATEN UP FROM JUST THE SIDE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 5,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM RECURS AS I MAKE A ONE HOUR TRIP SEVERAL TIMES DURING EVERY WEEK. MY COMPLAINT: I OWN AN EXTENDED THREE YEAR MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. MY AUTO IS UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE CALLED MERCEDES BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA. THEY TELL ME TO GO TO SEE THE SERVICE DEALER. I HAVE. I HAVE TAKEN MY AUTO TO THREE AUTHORIZED SERVICE DEALERS AND ALL THREE ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*JB

NHTSA ID

10136098

Incident

Sep 9, 2005