What 233 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-benz E-class Cabrio

WHILE DRIVING ON AN EXPRESS WAY IN DALLAS, TEXAS MY GPS MADE AN ERROR CONCERNING AN EXIT AND I WAS REQUIRED TO DIVERT QUICKLY TO THE LEFT TO MAKE EXIT LANE .TIME WAS 6:00 PM ,HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE EXCELLENT AND DRY. MY MERCEDES PRE ACTIVATED A SKID MODE AND THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY A 70% CUT BACK IN ENGINE POWER .A YELLOW ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SKID MODE CAME ON OPERATOR SCREEN BUT THERE WAS NO SKIDDING TAKING PLACE. I WAS HELPLESS WITH NO POWER TO KEEP UP WITH THE 50-60 MPH TRAFFIC WHILE TRYING TO GET INTO LANE .CONSEQUENTLY A SEMI TRACTOR STRUCK MY LEFT REAR FENDER /BUMPER CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY MERCEDES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE TRACTOR. ACCORDING TO MERCEDES THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THIS AS A SAFETY FEATURE. IF THIS IS TRUE THEN THEY ACTUALLY IN MY OPINION WHILE DEVELOPING SAFETY FEATURES CREATED ANOTHER UN SAFE CONDITION WHERE AS THE SEMI COULD HAVE RUN OVER MY WIFE AND I KILLING US BOTH. THIS WAS TRULY A NEAR MISS AND WE ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT IT HAPPENING AGAIN TO US OR SOME ONE ELSE, RESULTING IN A FATAL ACCIDENT, NOT JUST A FENDER BENDER. MERCEDES IS IN DENIAL CONCERNING ANY UN SAFE CONDITION AND REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT THIS CAR CAUSED. PLEASE REVIEW THIS VEHICLE FOR POSSIBLE CALL BACK BEFORE SOME ONE DOES GET SERIOUSLY INJURED. PERHAPS SKID MODE OR TRACTION CONTROL MAY BE HELPFUL BUT ENGINE CUT BACK AND POWER LOSS NEEDS TO BE LEFT TO THE OPERATOR NOT THE VEHICLE CONTROLLING IT'S SELF. YOUR HELP WOULD BE GRACIOUSLY APPRECIATED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10585027

VEHICLE STOPS ACCELERATING WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. AT ALL OTHER TIMES, VEHICLE DRIVES NORMALLY. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER VEHICLE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO SLOW DOWN. THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND IT SEEMS THAT THE CAR IS NOT DOWN SHIFTING OR THE AUTO CLUTCH IS NOT ENGAGING TO ALLOW DOWN SHIFT WHILE ACCELERATING. IT DRIVES LIKE IT'S IN 4TH GEAR WHEN IT SHOULD BE IN 1ST OR 2ND GEAR IF IT WERE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND AS IF THE CLUTCH WAS NOT PUSHED IN FULLY WHILE SHIFTING IF IT WERE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. AT THIS POINT THE CAR WILL ONLY GO ABOUT 10-15 MPH UNTIL ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. WHEN CAR IS RESTARTED, IT RUNS NORMALLY. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. DEALERSHIP STATES NO FAULT CODES WERE STORED AND THEY CAN NOT FIX IT UNLESS THEY HAVE A FAULT CODE OR SEE IT HAPPEN. THEY DID ROAD TEST IT, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE THEY HAD THE CAR. THEY DID UPDATE THE SOFTWARE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND HOPE THAT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING INTERMITTENTLY. I ASKED THAT THEY CALL THE CAR ENGINEERS AND ASK WHAT 3 -5 PARTS OR SENSORS COULD BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND CHECK TO SEE IF THEY ARE WORKING PROPERLY, BUT THEY SAID NO. THEY WANT ME TO TRY TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT HAPPENS (NOT POSSIBLE, NO ACCELERATION) OR CALL FOR SERVICE AND LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING UNTIL SOMEONE CAN GET THERE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. IF A CAR OR TRUCK WERE COMING UP BEHIND ME OR I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY AND THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10541747

2012 MERCEDES BENZ E350. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE TIRES ON VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE EXPERIENCED THREE TIRE FAILURES, TWO AT THE SAME TIME, AND ONE ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION. THE CONSUMERS WIFE NOTICED A CUT IN ONE OF THE TIRES AND A BUBBLE IN ANOTHER, THE DEALER SATED IT WAS COSMETIC. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE, WITH THE BUBBLE. ON MAY 13, 2012, THE TECHNICIAN FOUND A PUNCTURE CLOSE TO THE SIDEWALL.

NHTSA ODI 10522355

LARGE BUBBLE (APPROX 2" ACROSS) ON OUTER SIDEWALL OF LEFT FRONT TIRE. THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO CAUSE THIS TIRE DEFECT. THIS IS THE SECOND SIMILAR INCIDENT WITH THESE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW. THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES ON THIS MERCEDES BENZ E350 ARE: CONTINENTAL, CONTIPROCONTACT, 245/40 R18 97V. THESE TIRES DO NOT HAVE SIGNIFICANT TREAD WEAR. HAVING HAD 2 TIRE DEFECTS OUT 4 TIRES IN 8,500 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE, I AM AFRAID TO TAKE THIS CAR ON A ROAD TRIP AT HIGH SPEED. I AM AN ATTORNEY; THIS APPEARS TO ME TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD, PRODUCT LIABILITY PROBLEM. THE TIRE DEALER WHO HAS HANDLED BOTH TIRE REPLACEMENTS CAN PROVIDE FURTHER DETAIL AND TIRE SERIAL NUMBERS: BIG O TIRE, 3090 KIETZKE LANE, RENO, NEVADA 89502, 775-827-5000. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10500939

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ E550 (N/A). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG OFF WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPIED. THE OCCUPANT'S WEIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED POUNDS. THE MALFUNCTION RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE OPERATING PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100.

NHTSA ODI 10477296

THE INTERIOR DASH VENTS (SHINY ITEMS) ARE REFLECTED UNTO THE SIDE MIRRORS MAKING IT DANGEROUS WHEN CHANGING LANES BECAUSE ONE CANNOT BE SURE WHAT ONE IS SEEING IN THOSE LANES BECAUSE THE REFLECTION IS VERY PRONOUNCE. THESE VENTS AND OTHER DASH ITEMS ARE ALSO REFLECTED ON THE WINDSHIELD, ALMOST LIKE AN OBSTRUCTION WHEN ONE IS DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE ADJUSTABLE FRONT SEATS, ARE SO UNCOMFORTABLE THAT ONE IS CONSTANTLY ADJUSTING THE SEAT SETTING WHILE DRIVING. THESE ISSUES CAN CAUSE QUITE A DISTRACTION AND ARE OBVIOUSLY DANGEROUS. WHEN WE REPORTED THESE ITEMS TO THE DEALERSHIP, MBCHARLOTTE, AND MBUSA, THEY TOOK NO ACTION. IF THERE WAS EVER AN ACCIDENT WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND THE CAUSE AND EFFECT WAS RELATED TO THESE ISSUES AS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, HOW CAN ONE EVER PROVE THAT THEY CAUSED THE ACCIDENT OR CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAUSE. ONE WOULD NEED A WHOLE LOT OF EXPERTS TO SHOW THAT THE MANUFACTURER BUILD IN THE PROBLEM BY NOT ADDRESSING IT, OR TESTING FOR THE EFFECT THAT THESE ISSUES CAUSE THE DRIVER('S). ONE OF THE DEALERS PRODUCT EXPERT, SOLUTION TO THE REFLECTION PROBLEM WAS TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS WHEN DRIVING TO GET RID OF THE REFLECTIONS. THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SOLD US THE CAR, [XXX], TELLS ME, NOW, THAT HE NOTICES THIS REFLECTION ON ALL THESE CARS. THE DEALERSHIP IS INDIFFERENT ABOUT THESE ITEMS BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION. EVEN THOUGH THEY, IN OUR EYES, ARE SAFETY ISSUES. HOPEFULLY NHTSA CAN LOOK INTO THIS AND CAN DO SOMETHING TO RESOLVE IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10472816

I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT CRANK. I CALLED MERCEDES SERVICE AND THEY SENT SERVICE TO JUMPSTART THE CAR. THE CAR FINALLY STARTED. AS I BEGAN TO DRIVE, A WARNING LIGHT STATING "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION - CHECK OWNERS MANUAL" CAME ON. WITH CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULT, I AVOIDED THE CURB IN THE PARKING LOT AND MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO A PARKING SPACE. THE "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION" INDICATOR WOULD NOT COME OFF EVEN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN. THE CAR BECAME UNDRIVABLE. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10458487

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS BECAME INOPERABLE WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ABOVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY VIBRATE AGAINST HIS SHOULDER. THE SEAT BELT WOULD VIBRATE SO UNCONTROLLABLY THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO TUCK THE BELT UNDER HIS ARM TO DRIVE SAFELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THREE TIMES, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15. UPDATED 12/28/11*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE SEAT BELTS. UPDATED 03/16/12

NHTSA ODI 10434134