What 295 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-benz E-class

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM ON A CLEAR, SUNNY DAY, ABOUT A MINUTE AWAY FROM MY HOME. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD, AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC. I STOPPED AT THE CORNER TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. AS I PROCEEDED TO TURN, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY DID NOT ENGAGE. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE CAR. IT JUMPED THE CURB ( CAUGHT ON PROPERTY OWNER'S CAMERA, GOING AIR BORN) , AS I CONTINUED TO BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD WITH THE CAR INCREASINGLY ACCELERATING.I CRASHED THROUGH A FENCE AND HIT A POLE WHICH STOPPED THE CAR DEPLOYING BOTH DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS. THERE WAS SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, AND IT WAS TOTALED. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE.MY INJURY WAS DIAGNOSED AS ACUTE L1 COMPRESSION FRACTURE ALONG THE SUPERIOR ENDPLATE WITH MILD ANTERIOR WEDGING. I WAS REFERRED TO AN ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST AND HAVE NOT RETURNED TO WORK DUE TO PAIN AND ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, TWO DAYS LATER I WAS ISSUED A WARNING FOR FAILURE TO CONTROL SPEED!@&!

NHTSA ODI 11301964

I WAS COMING OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE. I PROCEEDED TO THE ENTRANCE TO GARAGE. THE STREET WAS NARROW FOR TWO CARS TO PASS BY. I MADE A RIGHT TURN FROM THE GARAGE EXIT TO THE NARROW STREET WITH 5 MPH SPEED. THERE WERE TWO CARS ABOUT 25 FEET AWAY ALREADY ON THAT STREET. THOSE TWO CARS WERE WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN ON MAIN STREET AT THE T JUNCTION. SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED TO 45 MPH APPROXIMATELY. I APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKE DID NOT EVEN SLOW DOWN THE CAR. WITH THE BRAKE NOT WORKING AND THE CAR ACCELERATING VERY FAST, THE CAR BECAME OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS APPROACHING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME, I STEERED MY CAR TO THE LEFT OF THESE TWO CARS. I WENT FAST BEYOND THESE TWO CARS AND CAME ON THE MAIN ROAD. I NOTICED A CAR WAS COMING CLOSE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE WHICH WOULD HAVE HIT MY CAR. AT THE SAME TIME, I NOTICED THAT ON THE LANE ON LEFT SIDE THERE WAS NO CAR IN CLOSE VICINITY. TO PROTECT OTHER CARS HITTING MY CAR, I STEERED MY CAR TO THE LEFT LANE AND DROVE MY CAR OVER THE CURB. THE CAR WENT OVER THE CURB AND HIT A STREET ELECTRIC POLE. THE CURB AND THE POLE STOPPED THE CAR. THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE FRONT OF MY CAR HIT THE POLE. THE IMPACT OF SUDDEN STOP DESTROYED THE FRONT MIDDLE PART OF THE CAR AND ALSO SHATTERED THE GLASS WINDSHIELD. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. UPON MY INSISTING, MERCEDES BENZ CHECKED THE CAR FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND BRAKE FAILURE. THEY TOLD US THAT NOTHING WAS MALFUNCTIONING IN MY CAR. I DO NOT TRUST THEM: SO I SEEK YOUR HELP IN THIS INVESTIGATION FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND BRAKE FAILURE AS THEY DID NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF CAR MALFUNCTIONING. I WAS TAKEN TO EMERGENCY FOR TREATMENT IN AN AMBULANCE. I MISSED SEVERAL DAYS FROM OFFICE. I AM STILL PHYSICALLY HURTING ON NECK/SHOULDERS AND CONTINUE TO TAKE PRESCRIPTION PAIN KILLERS; BUT LUCKY TO BE LIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10522362