2007 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Complaint Log

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES ML350. WHILE DRIVING 50MPH, SHE SMELLED SMOKE INSIDE THE VEHICLE, SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE SMOKE DISTRACTED HER AND CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL ON THE VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO THE MEDIAN. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE ARRIVED. A REPORT WAS FILED AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE MIGHT BE DUE TO THE HEATER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 24,000.

CAR CONTINUES TO STALL UNEXPECTEDLY. CAR RESTARTS AFTER THIS BUT CONTINUES TO STALL AT RANDOM TIMES. *TR

I HAD THE SEAT HEAT ON, AND WAITING TO PICK UP MY FAMILY IN FRONT OF A THEATRE, I SMELLED BURNING, I OPENED THE WINDOW, TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS BURNING OUTSIDE, I SUDDENLY FELT A PINCH IN MY LEFT LOWER LEFT BACK, I OPENED THE DOOR AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR, I SAW ON THE LOWER LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER SEAT A WHOLE THAT WAS GLOWING BRIGHT RED, I SAW FIRE WAS STARTING, I HIT IT FEW TIMES WITH MY HANDS AND PUT OUT THE GLOWING FIRE, THE SMELL WAS SICKENING, I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND STARTED CHECKING MYSELF, I FELT A HOLE IN MY WINTER JACKET. THANK GOT THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS STOPPED, IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY THIS WOULD HAVE SURELY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IT IS HARD TO DESCRIBE THE PANIC CONDITION WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

WHILE OUT OF STATE ON VACATION, WE ACTIVATED BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WARMERS IN MY CAR. AFTER ABOUT TWO TO THREE MINUTES OF ACTIVATING THE SEAT WARMERS, WE BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING LEATHER. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE BEGAN TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER SEEING THE SMOKE, WE PULLED OVER TO THE ROADSIDE TO SEE WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM. ONCE WE EXITED THE VEHICLE WE REALIZED MY HUSBANDS JACKET AND SHIRT HAD BEEN BURNED BY THE MALFUNCTION IN THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK WARMERS. AFTER INSPECTING THE SEAT BACK, WE SAW THAT THE SEAT HAD A LARGE BURN AREA. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF BOTH SEAT WARMERS AND THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE. THE BURNING FINALLY STOPPED AFTER TUNING OFF BOTH THE SEAT WARMERS AND THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS THE WORST ENCOUNTER THAT I EVER HAD WITH A VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE HAPPENS TO BE A BRAND NEW MERCEDES-BENZ ML350, 2007 MODEL FROM DOWNTOWN LA MOTORS. I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF OWNING A MERCEDES-BENZ, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE THIS KIND OF EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH A PRESTIGIOUS VEHICLE. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD PURCHASED MY DREAM VEHICLE, BUT AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE I REALIZED THAT I WAS MISTAKEN. THIS EXPERIENCE SPOILED OUR TRIP, AND TRAUMATIZED MY FAMILY AND I. NOT ONLY DID IT SPOIL OUR TRIP, WE WERE INCONVENIENCE AND DEVASTATED BY THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND ALSO TO MY HUSBAND WHO WAS ALMOST BURNED BY THE INCIDENT. MY VEHICLE IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP. UPON COMPLETION OF THE REPAIRS, I WILL BE HESITANT TO USE THE SEAT WARMERS IN MY VEHICLE AGAIN BECAUSE THE CONFIDENCE AND TRUST I ONCE HAD IN MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIMINISHED. I AM AFRAID THAT IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 MERCEDES BENZ ML350, THE CAR STARTED TO SHUT DOWN, MEANING ALL CONTROLS LOCKED UP AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE PASSENGERS SEAT. MY CHILDREN & I EXITED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND THE CAR WENT UP IN FLAMES - TOTALLY ENGULFED. *TR

CAR STALLED AGAIN UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER ONCE AGAIN CANNOT FIND ANY FAULT WITH CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MERCEDES BENZ ML320. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, ALL OF THE INTERIOR AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE STEERING DIMINISHED AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR FAILED AND THEY REPLACED THE COMPONENT. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH MERCEDES, BUT THEY WERE OF NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 5,400. THE CONSUMER ALSO ADDED BRAKING WAS DIMINISHED AS WELL. UPDATED

CAR STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AT LOW SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THERE IS NO COMPUTER RECORD THAT THE DEALER CAN FIND ON THE CAR TO CONFIRM ANY FAILURE BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY WITH DIFFERENT DRIVERS. *TR

PURCHASED A 2007 ML350 APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO. PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY DURING A HOUSE HUNTING TRIP, PLACED THE CAR IN PARK WITH THE GEAR CHANGE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL, OPENED THE DOOR, EXITED THE AUTO, WALKED UP THE STAIRS TO THE HOUSE AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I HEARD MY WIFE AND 2 CHILDREN (WHO WERE STILL IN THE CAR) SHOUTING AT ME. I TURNED TO SEE THE CAR MOVING FORWARD. THE CAR HAD BEEN PLACED IN PARK (THE P WAS NOTED PRIOR TO MY LEAVING THE AUTO) AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION HAD POPPED ITSELF THROUGH N - NEUTRAL INTO D-DRIVE AND WAS ROLLING FORWARD. I RAN TO THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO PLACE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PLACE THE CAR BACK INTO P-PARK, THE CAR CAUGHT MY LEG AND I WAS DRAGGED WITH THE CAR ANOTHER 15 FEET, UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET THE GEAR INTO P-PARK. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT ROLLED INTO THE CLOSED GARAGE DOOR. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, WHERE IT WAS SCRAPED ALONG A STUCCO WALL AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR WHERE IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GARAGE DOOR. THE HOMEOWNERS GARAGE DOOR HAS A SIZABLE DENT IN IT. MY KNEE HAS A DEEP ABRASION FROM BEING DRAGGED UNDER THE CAR, AND IS EDEMATOUS, WITH DECREASED MOVEMENT. MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE UNHARMED. I PLACED A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER ARRIVING HOME. THEY HAVE ADVISED I BRING IN THE AUTOMOBILE SO THEY CAN REVIEW THE COMPUTER CHIP THAT DOCUMENTS THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE CAR WAS PLACED INTO PARK. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE IDLING AT AN INTERSECTION WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT CREATING A CHAIN REACTION OF FOUR VEHICLES. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE POLICE WAS PRESENT, AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THERE WAS ONE PERSON INJURED FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WHO WAS EVACUATED IN AN AMBULANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A BRAKE FAILURE. *AK UPDATED 01/29/07. *JB *NM