2009 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Body & Structure Problems

CPSC:2009 MERCEDES BENZ ML320 WITH APPROVED, DEALER INSTALLED TRAILER TOW HITCH PURCHASED USED ON 9/05/2017. RATED CAPACITY IS 7200 LBS. ON MONDAY, 9/11/2017, ATTACHED AN 2005 AIRSTREAM TRAILER, WEIGHING 5240 LBS. , MOVING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, HEARD A LOUD "POP" SOUND. .ON 9/22/2017, AND CONFIRMED AS FAULTY, DUE TO LACK OF PENETRATION AT THE POINT OF WELDS. *BF...UPDATED 11/14/17 *BF UPDATED 10/16/2017*JS UPDATED 7/27/18*JB

THE AUTOMATIC REAR HATCH CLOSED BUT DID NOT LOCK. DURING ACCELERATION THE REAR HATCH STARTED TO OPEN. ANY FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO LOCK THE HATCH WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE REAR HATCH COULD NOT BE LOCKED. *TR

IN OCTOBER 2012, I OPENED THE REAR HATCH OF MY 2009 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 AND IT WOULD NOT CLOSE. I CONTINUED TO PUSH THE BUTTON ON THE HATCH DOOR, ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND ON THE KEY IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE HATCH DOOR. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES, I WAS SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO CLOSE IT. THREE WEEKS AGO, THE REAR HATCH MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN, HOWEVER, THIS TIME IT WOULD NOT OPEN. I TRIED THE BUTTON ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HATCH, ON THE INSIDE ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND ON THE KEY IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE HATCH TO OPEN. I LEFT FOR A BUSINESS TRIP THE NEXT DAY, AND WHEN I RETURNED MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO CALL ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE TO GET A JUMP OF THE BATTERY. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD A SUSPICION THAT THE DEAD BATTERY WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INVOLVING THE REAR HATCH. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE REAR HATCH CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY. WHILE DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR HATCH EITHER FAILING TO OPEN OR FAILING TO CLOSE AND AS A RESULT THE BATTERY DRAINS. FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE PROBLEM CAUSES THE BATTERY TO DRAIN IS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT THE BULB THAT ILLUMINATES THE LICENSE PLATE IN THE REAR HATCH DOOR WENT OUT AS WELL. APPARENTLY THE BULB CONTINUED TO STAY ON BECAUSE THE SENSOR IN THE DOOR WAS ACTIVATED, WHICH WOULD ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THE HATCH DOOR IS OPEN. FAILURE OF THE HATCH DOOR TO OPEN, MEANS THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TREATED THE HATCH DOOR AS IF IT WAS AJAR EVEN THOUGH THE LOCKING MECHANISM WAS MALFUNCTIONING NOT ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN. SO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONTINUOUSLY KEPT ATTEMPTING TO LATCH THE DOOR WHICH IS WHAT CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MERCEDES BENZ ML350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HATCHBACK DOOR DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH A SENSOR THAT WOULD PREVENT THE DOOR FROM CLOSING IF A PERSON WAS IN THE DOOR PATH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DESIGNED WITH A SENSOR AND THAT WERE UNABLE TO ALTER THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,000.