What 21 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Mercedes-benz B-class E-cell

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ B250E. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED AS THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. DESPITE THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO HER HOME. THE NEXT DAY, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO START THE VEHICLE AS SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF ONTARIO (3787 E GUASTI RD, ONTARIO, CA 91761) WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE DRIVE ELECTRIC MOTOR INTERNAL FAULT AS WELL AS A DEFECTIVE DC CONVERTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT, OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND REMAINED AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,700.

NHTSA ODI 11403060

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING 55 MPH, AN UNKNOWN YELLOW WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING ASSISTANCE REQUIRED. THE DRIVER CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND SHORTLY AFTER, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ANOTHER RED WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER MERCEDES-BENZ OF ALEXANDRIA (200 S PICKETT ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304, (703) 341-2100) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE DRIVETRAIN TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO EURO MOTORCARS APPEARANCE CENTER (4932 BETHESDA AVE, BETHESDA, MD 20814, (301) 654-8153) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE DRIVETRAIN TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V655000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11397277

VEHICLE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INSTRUCTING TO STOP DRIVING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS, MERCEDES DEALER-MECHANIC SAID THAT COOLANT HAD GOTTEN INTO BATTERY AND DRIVE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $12,000 - RENDERING CAR TOTALLED. INDEPENDENT EV SPECIALIST HAS PRESSURE TESTED COOLING SYSTEM AND FINDS NO LEAKS. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A SAFE PLACE AT THE TIME I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR. IF I HAD BEEN OUT ON THE FREEWAY DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC OR AT NIGHT, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNSAFE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE COOLANT AND DRIVE UNIT, IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT PROBLEM COULD LEAD TO FIRE, IF NOT POTENTIAL CRASH IF DRIVER LOSES POWER IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEED. AS AN ALL ELECTRIC CAR, BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION RELY ON POWER TO SAFELY BRING CAR TO A STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11281161

ELECTRIC CHARGER CABLE BURNT ITSELF AND CAUSING FIRE DANGER. MERCEDES DOES NOT GIVE SUPPORT FOR THIS FIRE HAZARD. THESE ELECTRIC CHARGERS ARE USED AT HOME (IN GARAGE) ETC. WHILE CHARGING THE ELECTRIC CAR. MERCEDES DOES NOT STAY BEHIND ITS ELECTRIC CHARGER THAT CAUSES EXTREME DANGER. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11013467

IN PREPARING TO LEAVE A PARKING LOT ON NOVEMBER 23, 2016 IN HILLSBORO, OREGON, THE B-CLASS MERCEDES-BENZ ELECTRIC DRIVE AUTOMOBILE REFUSED TO MOVE AND A MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SAYING "HAVE ME TOWED TO A DEALER" OR SOMESUCH. VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO BEAVERTON, OREGON MERCEDES-BENZ WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A DEFUNCT MAIN TRACTION BATTERY. BATTERY, WHICH COSTS ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE MSRP OF THE AUTOMOBILE, WAS ORDERED FROM GERMANY AND ARRIVED ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 9, 2016 AS A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE IS REPORTED TO BE READY FOR PICK UP ON DECEMBER 15. NO ACCIDENT WAS INVOLVED, THOUGH HAD THE TRACTION BATTERY CEASED TO PROVIDE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE OUTCOME MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. NO INDICATION OF IMPENDING BATTERY FAILURE WAS NOTED. THE BATTERY POWERED THE VEHICLE 12 MILES TO A PARKING LOT IN HILLSBORO FROM OUR RESIDENCE, BUT ON ATTEMPT TO POWER THE PARKED VEHICLE FROM THE PARKING LOT, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE OTHER THAN A MESSAGE TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE B-CLASS IN QUESTION HAD A FEW MILES OVER 20,000 ON THE CLOCK AND HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR LESS THAN 2 YEARS. VEHICLE IS LEASED FOR 36 MONTHS. WITH THIS EXPERIENCE, WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO THE TOYOTA PRIUS AS OUR GREEN VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10935178

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 10 MILE PER HOUR; FORTUNATELY, WE WERE JUST BLOCKS AWAY FROM OUR HOME. MY WIFE CALL THE SERVICE CENTER AND THEY PICKED IT UP AND PROVIDED HER WITH A LOANER. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,184.

NHTSA ODI 10778583

I WAS CRUISING DOWN A PRETTY BUSY MAIN STREET. AS I WAS TRYING TO MANUEVER IN TRAFFIC, I SENSED THAT AS I WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I LOOKED AT THE DASH AND NOTICED THE CAR HAD MOVED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE, BUT STILL ON (FROM THE LOOK OF THE DASHBOARD). I QUICKLY TRIED TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IN BETWEEN SPEEDING TRAFFIC, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I WAS NEAR THE HIGHWAY ONRAMP AREA. ONCE I SAFELY PULLED ASIDE, I TRIED TO AGAIN TURN THE CAR ON USING THE KEY. AGAIN THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND PULLED THE KEY OUT. WHEN IN THE OFF POSITION, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP. I PULLED THE KEY OUT AND REINSERTED IT AND TURNED THE KEY AND THE CAR CAME BACK ON AND BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY.

NHTSA ODI 10743359

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS ELECTRIC. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,827.

NHTSA ODI 10734877