2005 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Electrical System Problems

The contact owns a 2005 Mercedes-Benz C240. The contact stated that rainwater had entered the vehicle through the sunroof and damaged the computer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility) after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who declined the repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

WHILE DRIVING, MY SON WAS USING THE HEATED SEAT FUNCTION AND NOTICED A BURNING SMELL, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WAS SMOKING, WHICH BURNED A HOLE IN THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SEAT BACK AND ALSO BURNED A HOLE IN THE BACK OF MY SONS SWEATSHIRT.

HI MY NAME IS [XXX] I OWN THE VEHICLE DESCRIBE AND PROVIDED THE VIN NR I WENT TO THE MERCEDES BENZ OF PORTLAND OR SITUATED IN 1605 S.W NAITO PKWY PORTLLAND OREGON ON THE DATE OF 3 OCTOBER 2019 BECAUSE THIS CAR HAVE A S.R.S RECALL THEY MAKE ME WAITING FROM 10;16 TO 15;41 BUT THEY DU NOT WANT TO SOLVE ALL THE RECALL FOR FREE MOTIVATED THE COMPANY THEY DO NOT ALLOW TO CHANGE EVERY SENSOR FOR FREE BECAUSE ON THE COST TOO BIG !!! THE CAR HAVE SEVERAL ISSUE SINCE THAT AND I AM ON DISABILITY I CAN CHANGE THOSE ISSUE BY MYSELF PLEASE TAKE NOTE AND HELPING ME >THANK YOU VERY MACH [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR *JS

I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE SAFETY AIR BAG RECALL HOWEVER, I HAVE JUST FOUND OIL IN MY WIRING HARNESS. MY CAR IS IDLING VERY ROUGH AND STALLING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, I RECEIVED 8 CODES. I HAVE OIL IN MY CAMSHAFT WIRING HARNESS, MY PISTON 1 FUEL INJECT, SPARK PLUGS, AND FRONT OF THE ENGINE WHERE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER MAGNETS ARE COVERED IN BLACK SLUDGE OIL. ANOTHER MERCEDES OWNER TOLD ME THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIS CAR AND WAS "PIGTAILED" THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE FOR THIS TYPE OF CAR 2005 C230 KOMPRESSOR SPORT THE RECALL NUMBER IS #200910001. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE MERCEDES BENZ DEALERSHIP TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, I NEED A GOVERNMENT LETTER TO BE APPROVED. MAY YOU PLEASE ASSIST ME WITH THIS REQUEST?

I PURCHASED THE CAR AND ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER THE BATTERY HAD DRAINED. I PURCHASED A NEW ONE THEN ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER IT DRAINED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. IT KEEPS DRAINING NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I REPLACE IT. I HAVE ONLY PUT ABOUT 200 MILES ON THE CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THIS. I REPLACED THE TIRES ONCE AND THE BATTERY NUMEROUS TIMES. I PAID $6,500.00 FOR A CAR I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C230. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIPER MOTOR FAILED AND CAUSED THE WIRE HARNESS TO BURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 156,000.

OTHER REMAINING

The SAM system failed and car would not start !It took months to be diagnosed by 3 different mechanics! The message said quite often that the Air bags have been deployed !The dealer could not determine the issue! There have been various recalls on the Takata air bags stating my C230 2005 Kompressor is included in the recall over the last few years and when I put in the vin it says my car is not included! My mechanic said I should take it to the dealer before someone is killed. All I want now is to have these airbags replaced! Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ON A WAY FROM ROAD TRIP I WAS DRIVING ( NIGHT DRIVE) MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT IN MIDDLE OF DRIVING. I PULL ON SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON AND THEN I SAW SMOKE PORING OUT OF MY DRIVER SIDE FOG LIGHT AND PASSENGER HEADLIGHT .OPEN THE HOOD AND SAW WHAT I REALLY DID NOT WANTED TO SEE A FIRE. I JUST WANA SAY BIG THANKS FOR SEMITRUCK DRIVER WHO WAS SO NICE TO STOP WITH HIS RIG AND TRY TO HELP ME WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WHEN FIRE WAS OUT I PULL THE BULB OUT AND PLASTIC BULB SOCKET THE HOLD THE BULB WAS GONE MELTED. IM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PLASTIC PART THAT IS ON BULB IS A PLASTIC PART THAT IS COMING FROM THE CAR ELECTRICAL WIRE THAT PLUGS IN TO THE BULB.SAME THING WAS WITH FOG LIGHT BULB ALL MELTED TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS NO PLASTIC FOR BULB SOCKET. AFTER COUPLE MINUTES SEMITRUCK DRIVER TOLD ME TO FOLLOW HIM TO FIRST RESTAREA STOP SO I CAN BE SAFE NOT STANDING ON MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WHEN I RESTART THE CAR AND TURN MY HEADLIGHTS ON ONLY ONE LIGHT WAS WORKING. FINALLY AFTER COUPLE MILES OF DRIVING WITH ONE HEADLIGHT AND FOLLOWING THE SEMITRUCK DRIVER WE CAME TO FIRST REST AREA STOP. AFTER LOOKING FOR COUPLE MINUTES SEMITRUCK DRIVER GAVE ME ELECTRICAL TAPE TO COVER THE WIRES SO THAT FIRE DOSE NOT START AGAIN. MAYBE IS HARD TO BELIEVE BUT I HAVE PHOTOS THAT I CAN SEND IT . I KNOW THERE IS A MERCEDES FORUM ON INTERNET ABOUT THIS PEOPLE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. LIKE I SAID I HAVE PHOTOS THAT I CAN SEND IT IF YOU GUYS THING IS A MADE UP STORY. AND WORST THING IS NEXT TO THE HEADLIGHT IS A FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR SO I DON'T FEEL SAFE OR DRIVING ANY MORE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAPPENED I BEEN GOING THRU 20 BULBS FOR MY BRAKE LIGHTS TAIL LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS. BUT NOW IM THINKING IS NOT THE BULBS THAT R BAD IS THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE CAR. *TR

THE ELECTRONIC ENGINE/GEARBOX PROTECTION SWITCHED OFF THE ENGINE WHILE THE CAR IS ON THE MOVE IN A HIGHWAY. THE INCIDENCE HAPPEN TWICE IN 2011 AND 2012. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER AND RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY ADVERSE INCIDENCE. BUT, THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC INJURY AS A RESULT OF SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN A HIGHWAY CONCERNS ME.

SEAT CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. 2 MODULES PER CAR, 1 FOR PASSENGER SEAT, AND 1 FOR DRIVER SEAT FAIL. THE DEFECTIVE SEAT CONTROL MODULE UNIT WILL DEPLETE THE CARS BATTERY OVERNIGHT RESULTING IN A NO-START CONDITION THE FOLLOWING DAY. A NEW BATTERY, OR A JUMP START, WILL GET THE CAR GOING AGAIN. THE COMMON IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION IS TO UNPLUG THE SEAT CONTROL MODULE WHICH WOULD IMPACT THE SEATS ABILITY TO RESPOND IN AN ACCIDENT. THE REPLACEMENT PART AND DIAGNOSIS FROM MB DEALER IS APPROX $700/ MODULE. THIS IS A HUGE LIABILITY FOR MERCEDES OWNERS AND THE REPAIR SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR SEAT FUNCTION SAFETY. I UNDERSTAND THE PART NUMBER HAS BEEN UPDATED, WHICH I BELIEVE IS AN ADMISSION BY MERCEDES THAT THE ORIGINAL PART IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

IN SEPT 2008 I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED MERCEDES BENZ C230 SEDAN ALONG WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE THE CAR HAD APPROX 32K ON IT AT TIME OF PURCHASE, IT NOW IS AT APRROX 62K ALL SERVICE ACTIONS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED BY THE LOCAL MB DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR ONLY HAS THE OEM EQUIPMENT IT WAS MANUFACTURED WITH. ON THE 28TH OF OCT 2010 I HAD RETURNED TO WORK PARKED THE CAR AND ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER IT WAS SHUT OFF I WAS SUMMONED BY A COWORKER THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE, I IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE HOOD, EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DISCONNECTED THE CARS BATTERY AS HAVING A MECHANICAL BACKGROUND IN BOTH AUTOMOTIVE & AVIATION. I NOTIFIED MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO HAVE THE CAR TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEM, I WAS CALLED THE MORNING OF NOV 2, 2010 BY THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPT THAT MY CLAIM ADJUSTER HAD ARRIVED AND WAS ASKED TO AUTHORIZE TEAR DOWN OF THE CAR AND THAT IT HAD APPEARED THAT THE CARS ALTERNATOR WIRE HARNESS HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE CARS EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH LED TO THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THIS WAS CLASSIFIED AS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IN WHICH I AM IN TOTAL DISAGREEMENT WITH ESPECIALLY SINCE MERCEDES OF ALBUQUERQUE HAS PERFORMED ALL MAINTENANCE SINCE THE TIME OF PURCHASE. THIS NOW IS BEING PUT ON ME FOR THE EXPENSES. IN MY PAST 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE OF THIS NATURE WITH A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE. UPDATED 12/07/10 *TR