2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The contact owns a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would occasionally become difficult to maneuver. The contact stated the power steering fluid was previously refilled. The air bag warning light was illuminated intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an unusual amount of smoke coming from under the hood occasionally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power steering fluid might have leaked. The mechanic could not determine the cause of the failure. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Transmission cooler which i manufactured inside the radiator failed causing transmission fluid to mix with anti-freeze/coolant, now the transmission slips and per recommendation from a mercedes dealership the vehicle needs a new transmission, torque converter, radiator, radiator cap, new upper and lower radiator hoses, new upper and lower radiator overflow hoses, new thermostat and the entire cooling system to be flushed and the transmission lines to be flushed, estimated at $11,200 for the repair

THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY SHIFTS ITSELF FROM DRIVE TO PARK WHILE MOVING FORWARD WHILE DECELERATING AT SLOW SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY UNDER 5 MPH.) THERE IS A SUDDEN JERK, AND EVERYONE / EVERYTHING IN THE CAR IS THROWN FORWARD AS THE VEHICLE JUMPS TO A DEAD STOP. THIS IS QUITE DANGEROUS AND FURTHER, CAN PROBABLY CAUSE RAPID DETERIORATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE WAS FIRST PRESENTED IN JANUARY 2017 TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP IN RENO, NV WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT CHARGED ~$140 FOR THE ANALYSIS. THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECORD WITH MB OF SUCH AN ISSUE. THEY ALSO STATED THAT IF THE ISSUE WAS LATER FOUND AND REPAIRED, THE DEALERSHIP WOULD CREDIT THE EVALUATION COSTS. DURING A TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY THIS WEEK THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AT THE SLC MERCEDES DEALERSHIP (KEN GARFF). AT TODAY'S APPOINTMENT (3/29/17), THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THEY FOUND A DESCRIPTION OF THIS EXACT ISSUE IN THE MB DATABASE AND HAVE A RECOMMENDED FIX. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT FIX IS OVER $800 AND MERCEDES WILL NOT TAKE AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRING THIS, AS IT IS NOT A "RECALL." THIS IS MOST UPSETTING, AS I VIEW THE SUDDEN STOPPING AND TRANSMISSION CHANGE WHILE MOVING AS A SAFETY AND A LONGEVITY ISSUE FOR THE VEHICLE. I AM PLANNING ON TAKING THE VEHICLE IN THIS WEEK TO MB SLC AND HAVING THE PRESCRIBED REPAIRS COMPLETED. FURTHER, I BELIEVE THAT MERCEDES-BENZ SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE BOTH ETHICALLY AND FINANCIALLY FOR RESOLVING THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT.

ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION : OCT. 29, 2015. MY CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I OPENED THE TAILGATE, PUT SOMETHING INTO THE TRUNK, PUSHED THE ELECTRIC BUTTON AND THE TAILGATE CLOSED. I GOT INTO THE CAR, STARTED THE ENGINE, AND THE TAILGATE POPPED OPEN. I BACKED UP TO CLEAR THE GARAGE, STOPPED THE CAR ON MY FLAT DRIVEWAY, AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. I OPENED THE DOOR, WALKED AROUND TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, PUSHED THE BUTTON AGAIN, AND STOOD THERE WATCHING THE TAILGATE CLOSE, FOR GOOD MEASURE. WHEN IT LOCKED, THE CAR POPPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE (NOT NEUTRAL); DROVE INTO ME AND PINNED ME AGAINST THE BUILDING FRACTURING MY LEFT LEG, UNTIL NEIGHBORS HEARD ME SCREAMING, RAN OUT, GOT INTO THE CAR, AND DROVE IT OFF ME. *TT CONSUMER STATED PERMANENT NERVE DAMAGE TO HIS LEFT FOOT UPDATED 7/13/18*JB *TR

SUBMISSION FROM CONSTITUENT RE ACCELERATION ISSUE WITH 2011 E350 BLUE TECH MERCEDES BENZ. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR INPUT. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. *JB

E 350 2011 MERCEDES BENZ I OWN HAS PROBLEMS WITH GEAR SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING UPHILL. *TR

YOU PUT THE CAR IN PARK THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SAYS "PARK" BUT IT IS NOT. YOU PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE OR REVERSE THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SAYS DRIVE OR REVERSE AND CAR DOES NOT MOVE. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON THEN IT WILL START TO WORK PROPERLY AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN PHOTO'S OF THE ISSUE WITH THE RPM UP TO 4K AND THE CAR MPH AT ZERO AND IT SAYS "DRIVE" IN THE DISPLAY. I PROVIDED THE PHOTO'S MERCEDES AND THE DEALER AND THEY KEEP SAYING THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. I SPENT SOME TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT GETS IN THIS MODE AND FROM WHAT I DETERMINED IS WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE IF YOU MOVE THE LEVER TO GO IN PARK YOU DON'T HEAR THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGE WHEN IT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY BUT THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SAYS "PARK". THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT TRIGGER THE DISPLAY WHEN IT SHOULD IT SEEMS TO ME THE SHIFT LEVER DOES THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD TRIGGER THE DASH DISPLAY IF IT IS IN PARK OR DRIVE OR REVERSE TO ENSURE IT IS IN THE PROPER GEAR. THE SAME THING GOES FOR WHEN YOU ARE IN PARK AND PUT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL TIME THAT I LEFT MY CAR WHILE RUNNING THINKING IT WAS IN PARK AND IT START TO DRIVE FORWARD ONLY TO JUMP BACK IN AND PHYSICALLY TURN THE CAR OFF. THIS ISSUE OCCURS ONE OR TWICE A MONTH. *TR

2011 MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS-THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC SHIFTER JUST BEHIND STEERING WHEEL. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL IF IT GOES INTO PARK OR NOT. MY WIFE HAD ENGINE RUNNING, GOT OUT OF CAR TO CHECK THE TRUNK AND THOUGHT SHE PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. IT STARTED TO MOVE AND SHE WAS ABLE TO JUMP INSIDE AND HIT THE BRAKE. LATER THAT MORNING I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT AND THOUGHT I HIT THE PARK. I GOT OUT LEAVING THE ENGINE RUNNING WITH MY WIFE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT ON THE PHONE. WHEN FINISHED SHE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. SHE COULDN'T REACH OVER THE CONSOLE TO HIT THE BRAKE. SHE TRIED PUSHING THE PARK BUTTON AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE (72 HOURS OLD) STOPPED WHEN IT HIT A CAR BEHIND IT IN ANOTHER PARKING SPACE. FORTUNATELY, NOBODY WAS BEHIND THE CAR OR SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I SPOKE WITH MERCEDES CORPORATE WHO SAID THE ELECTRONIC SHIFTER HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2006. THE SERVICE FOREMAN AT MY DEALER TOLD ME THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE COMPUTER SO THAT IF THE CAR ISN'T IN PARK AND THE KEY IS TURNED OFF THE TRANSMISSION WOULD AUTOMATICALLY SENSE NO ONE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LOCK INTO PARK. HE EXPLAINED WITH THE KEY OFF HAD SHE OPENED THE DOOR THE PARK WOULD HAVE AUTOMATICALLY HAPPENED. IT SEEMS THERE IS A SIMPLE FIX. IF THE VEHICLE IS BELOW 5 MPH AND SOMEONE HAS THE ENGINE RUNNING BUT OPENS THE DOOR TO GET OUT IT STILL SHOULD GO INTO PARK. THIS IS A SIMPLE PROGRAM FIX I WOULD GUESS. THERE SHOULD ALSO BE A WARNING BELL OR VOICE COMMAND ALERTING THE DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE ISN'T IN PARK. IT CAME TOO LATE FOR MY WIFE TO KNOW HAD SHE OPENED THE DOOR THE CAR WOULD HAVE LOCKED INTO PARK WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF. THERE SHOULD BE A WARNING POSTED TO ALL NEW OWNERS AND A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW TO BEST UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY SYSTEM. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS KILLED BUT MY WIFE BEING TWISTED HEART HER BACK. NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM SINCE THE DEALER HAS NO DESIGNATED FIX. *TR