2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Steering Problems

I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN ONTO A CITY STREET WHEN I HEARD A CLICK/ CRACK, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE CAR IN TIME AND HIT A PARKED CAR. THE ENGINE DID NOT TURN OFF WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IT WASN'T A CASE OF THE POWER STEERING FAILING BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL AT ALL (I DO KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE). I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, SURVEYED THE DAMAGE, THEN TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO REVERSE IT AND PARK THE CAR BEHIND THE ACCIDENT. THE STEERING WAS FINE. AFTER I COLLECTED MYSELF, I DROVE THE CAR AROUND THE BLOCK (RESIDENTIAL AREA) AND SAW THE CAR DROVE FINE, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I WAS JUST IN AN ACCIDENT. I ENDED UP HAVING THE CAR TOWED BECAUSE THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING, CAUSING SMOKE, AND I DIDN'T WANT THE BELT TO BREAK. I WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO TURN THE LOCKED STEERING WHEEL, I INJURED MY RIGHT ELBOW FROM THE IMPACT. MY STOMACH MUSCLES WERE ALSO HURT, PROBABLY DUE TO THE FLEXING OF MY CORE AS I WAS TRYING TO YANK THE WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT. AS I STATED EARLIER, THESE WERE VERY MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE MAIN REASON I'M REPORTING THIS IS BECAUSE I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY SON TO DRIVE. AND I CANNOT LET HIM DRIVE THIS CAR NOW, KNOWING THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN. THANK GOD HE WASN'T DRIVING AND IT HAPPENED AT LOW SPEED.

I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 5, BRANCH AVE., NEAR CLINTON, MD, ABOUT 30 MPH, DOWN SLIGHT DECLINE OF A HILL, APPROACHING A PLACE IN THE ROAD WHERE CARS CAN ENTER THE HIGHWAY FROM BOTH THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT. AS WE NORMALLY DO, I PRESSED ON THE BREAKS TO SLOW DOWN, IN CASE ONE OF THE CARS SITTING ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT, DECIDED TO ENTER ON TO BRANCH AVE. MY BRAKES FAILED - THE FOOT PEDDLE WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR WHEN I WAS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN, THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO CONTROL IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND I LOOKED AT THE DASHBOARD AND IT WAS LIT UP IN RED WARNING LIGHTS , FIRST SAYING BRAKE NEED MAINTENANCE (OR SOMETHING) AT FIRST. I MANAGE TO GET THE CAR TO STEER TOWARDS THE RIGHT TO GET ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HOPING THE ROUGH TERRAIN WOULD HELP TO SLOW THE CAR TO A STOP. BY THIS TIME THE RED WARNING LIGHTED UP DASH BOARD SAID STOP, BRAKE FAILURE OR SOMETHING. THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED AND I TURNED IF OFF. I AM 59 YEAR OLD WOMAN AND WAS ABSOLUTELY PETRIFIED - MY WHOLE BODY WAS SHAKING FROM THE FEAR THAT I WAS GOING TO WRECK ON THIS BUSY HIGHWAY. LUCKILY FOR ME THE CARS WAITING TO ENTER THE ROAD, DID NOT AND CARS ON THE HIGHWAY SLOWED DOWN AND WENT AROUND ME WHILE THE CAR WAS COASTING TOWARDS THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT TELLING ME TO GET THE BRAKES SERVICES - THEY JUST FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I CALLED MERCEDES ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR THEM TO PICK UP THE CAR. AFTER AN HOUR AND THEY HAD NOT ARRIVED, I TURNED THE CAR ON, THERE WAS NO RED LIGHT. I PRESSED THE BRAKE AND IT DIDN'T GO TO THE FLOOR BUT IT WAS SOFT AND WENT NEARLY TO THE FLOOR. I KEPT PUMPING THE BREAKS - SOMETHING I USED TO SEE MY FATHER DO - THINKING THAT WOULD BRING THE BREAKS BACK UP SO THAT I COULD AT LEAST DRIVE BACK HOME TO AWAIT SERVICE TRUCK. I LET MERCEDES SERVICE KNOW, THEN I SLOWLY DROVE BACK, SIDE ROADS, PULLING OVER TO ALLOW CARS TO PASS UNTIL GOT HOME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT RESUMED DRIVING EVEN THOUGH THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT FORCE BEING APPLIED. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED IN 2006 UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT WAS DISPLEASED BECAUSE HER RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,559. UPDATED 03/11/14*LJ THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THE TRANSMISSION ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND POWER STEERING HOSE BE REPLACED. UPDATED 03/18/14

NEW MERCEDES E320 WAS PURCHASED ON MAY 31, 2003 FROM BOBBY RAHAL MOTORCAR COMPANY IN WEXFORD, PA. THE CAR HAS HAD TWO SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITHIN 25 DAYS OF ITS PURCHASE, BOTH BEING SERIOUS AND COULD BE LIFE THREATNING:*AK 1. THE SEAT EASY FUNCTION MALFUNCTIONED. IT PUSHED THE SEAT RIGHT TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND ALMOST CAUSED CHOKING DUE TO PRESSING OF THE CHEST AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL(JUNE 13, 2003) 2. LOST THE PUMP FOR THE FLUID PRESSURE TO THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AT 35 MILES/HOUR ON A HILLY CURVING ROAD. STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD AND STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT - ALMOST RIGID TO TURN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH OPPOSING INCOMING TRAFFIC ( JUNE 25, 2003) DEALER REPAIRED IT BUT REFUSES TO GIVE ANY ASSURANCE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. WHEN HE WAS SUGGESTED TO REPLACE THE CAR FOR SAFETY ISSUES THAT HAD OCCURRED IN 25 DAYS, HE HAD REFUSED.

I OWN A 2003 E-CLASS MERCEDES BENZ PURCHASED THIS YEAR FROM RALLEY MOTORS, ROSLYN, NEW YORK. SINCE I TOOK THE TITLE TO THE VEHICLE, THERE HAS BEEN UNCONTROLLED MILD ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CAR BUCKS AND SHAKES UPON DE-ACCELERATION RESULTING IN MY HAVING LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CONSEQUENTLY REQUIRING MY JAMMING ABRUPTLY ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. IN ADDITION, THE CAR HAD SIGNIFICANTLY STEERED TO THE RIGHT AT ALL TIMES, REQUIRING MY CONSTANTLY HAVING TO STEER TO THE LEFT IN ORDER TO DRIVE STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ADMITTED THAT IT CAN NOT REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, IE; THE UNCONTROLLED CHANGE OF SPEED, BUCKING AND ACCELERATION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE. THEY HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHICH I BELIEVE IS AN IMPORTANT VEHICLE COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS MANY SYSTEMS OF THE CAR, AND THE VEHICLE NOW HAS THE THIRD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, ALL IN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, ALL DUE TO PRODUCT DEFECTS! THE SERVICE MANAGER HAS ADMITTED TO ME THAT THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION WHICH THERE ALLEGEDLY IS NO FIX TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO HORRIBLE GAS MILEAGE, THE TORQUE CONVERTER OF THE TRANSMISSION IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO LOCK UP AT LOW SPEEDS, AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY THE 2003 AND 2004 E-CLASS AUTOMOBILES HAVE THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD ADVISED ME THAT HE KNOW OF NO FIX FROM THE FACTORY. THE DEALERSHIP BECAME FRUSTRATED WHEN I EXPRESSED MY DISPLEASURE, AND HAS NOW INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER SERVICE MY BRAND NEW AUTOMOBILE. *LA *SCC THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE STALLED, THE WIPER BLADES WERE NOISY. *JB