What 284 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Mercedes-benz C-class Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ C300. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION AND THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC LIGHT POLE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED LACERATIONS TO THE HEAD, MUSCLE DAMAGE TO THE LEGS, AND A FRACTURE ON THE EYE SOCKET. THE CONTACT RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

NHTSA ODI 10713334

I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 EASTBOUND AT APPROXIMATELY MILE MARKER 180 TO 182, WHEN I MADE A LANE CHANGE TO LET A FASTER MOVING VEHICLE PASS ME. I WENT FROM THE LEFT TO RIGHT LANE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 70 OR 75 MPH, (SPEED LIMIT ON I-10 IS 75 MPH). UPON ENTERING THE RIGHT LANE I SAW A TRACTOR TRAILER BRAKE LIGHTS, AND I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE IN MY C 250, AND IT CAUSED THE CAR WHEELS TO LOCKED UP, WHICH ALSO CAUSED THE CAR TO SKID, AND SWERVE THE BACK END. THE C 250 DID SLOW DOWN SOME, BUT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AFTER THE C 250 IMPACTED THE REAR BUMPER OF THE TRAILER ATTACHED ON THE TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK. THE C 250 SLIDE APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET, THERE WERE TIRE TRACKS ON THE PAVEMENT, WHICH SHOWS THE TIRES LOCKED UP. THE REAR ENDED OF THE CAR ALSO SWERVED, AND IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THE C 250 WAS SLOWING DOWN, ONCE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THERE WAS ALSO SOME SKIPPING OF THE TIRES. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED BUT WAS LATE, AND CAUSED ME TO IMPACT THE WINDSHIELD WITH MY HEAD. THERE IS ALSO A HOLE IN THE AIRBAG THAT IS BIGGER THEN A SILVER DOLLAR, WHICH SHOWS SIGN OF TEARING AND FRAYING. THE SEAT-BELT DETACHED AT IMPACT WHICH FORCED ME FORWARD AND DIDN'T RESTRAIN ME FROM ME HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND WINDSHIELD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10706262

DRIVING ON A FOUR-LANE STREET (TWO LANES ON EACH SIDE) WITH MY TWO KIDS. THE 2014 C250 HAD A MALFUNCTION WITH THE ELECTRIC STEERING: AUTOMATICALLY JERKING THE CAR TO THE RIGHT. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND HIT THE CURB. IT FELT LIKE WE WENT AIRBORNE. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT TO TRY TO STABILIZE THE CAR, QUICKLY REALIZING THERE WAS TRUCK TO THE LEFT I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID HITTING THE TRUCK. THIS CAUSED ME TO HIT THE CURB AGAIN. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST IT WAS HARD TO STABILIZE THE CAR. MERCEDES-BENZ (EXPRESSED AS MBUSA) HAD MY CAR FOR OVER A MONTH. IN THEIR INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE THEY ASKED TO GRANT PERMISSION TO IMAGE THE DATA CONTAINED IN THE VEHICLE'S EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR). I SENT THE QUESTIONNAIRE TO MY INSURANCE, AND WE DIDN'T NOT GRANT MBUSA PERMISSION AS THE LESSEE. MBUSA BROKE THE LAW AND WENT WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND IMAGED THE DATA. THAN CAME BACK AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE, AS THE EDR STATED THAT I HIT THE CURB. MBUSA EXPRESSED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THEIR MALFUNCTION. I ASKED FOR A COPY OF THE RECORDED CONVERSATION AND I WANT THE REPORT. IT WAS EXPRESSED BY MBUSA THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET A COURT SUBPOENA FOR THEM TO GIVE ME THE INFORMATION. I CALLED A ATTORNEY AND THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW; AND IS ALL TACTICS/STRATEGIES ON MBUSA PART TO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THEY WOULD BY LAW HAVE TO REPORT IT TO NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). ALL I WANTED WAS TO KEEP MY FAMILY SAFE, AND FOR MBUSA TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AS IT WAS AROUND 3 MONTHS OLD WHEN THE ACCIDENT ACCUSED. IF I FIGHT THIS: JUST TO GET SOMEONE TO REVIEW THE EDR WILL COST AROUND $10,000. GREAT BUSINESS STRATEGY MBUSA IN KEEPING YOUR CUSTOMERS SAFE UNTIL SOMEONE DIES BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK OF HUMILITY! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10671406

R/F TIRE BUBBLE IN SIDEWALL. AT 1959 MILES A BUBBLE APPEARED IN THE R/F TIRE. I DISCOVERED THE BUBBLE WHILE WASHING THE CAR . THIS APPEARED ABOUT TWO MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. AUGUST 19 20014 THE DEALER RELUNCTANTLY REPLACE THE TIRE. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY BUBBLES SINCE THAT DATE. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE CONTINENTAL TIRES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10668400

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ C300. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10660706

RE: CONTINENTAL PROCONTACT (FRONT) 225 45 R17 AND (REAR)245 40 17- ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 AT 306 MILES TIRE DISPLAYED BULGE NEXT TO "C" OF CONTINENTAL OF FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE CAR WAS SITTING FOR A WEEK NOT BEING DRIVEN WHEN THE BULGE APPEARED. I WAS NOT GOING TO DRIVE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND CHANCE A BLOW OUT ACCIDENT. CAR WAS TOWED TO MB FREEHOLD WHERE THEY TOLD ME I WENT OVER A POTHOLE. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT TO BE THE CASE BUT I WAS AT THERE MERCY. TIRE WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME; NOVEMBER 8,2014 THE NEW REPLACED TIRE OF THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 EVENT( FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE) HAD A BLOW OUT WHILE DRIVING 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE CAR WAS GARAGED FOR APPROX 2 WEEKS AND NOT DRIVEN, THEN FOR 2 DAYS DRIVEN LOCALLY TO DO ERRANDS, THEN DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY AN HOUR TO MY DESTINATION AND AN HOUR BACK WHEN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT 25 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND THE REPLACED TIRE BLEW. THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WENT ON- IT WAS DARK AND I HAD NO CHOICE THEN TO DRIVE MY HOUSE....THE WHEEL WHICH WASN'T SCRAPED BEFORE IS NOW SCRAPED... CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE BUT JERKS AND JOLTS WHEN TRYING TO PASS OR CHANGE LANES/DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAYS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10654025

I PURCHASED THIS C250 IN DEC 2013, HAVE 3 SIMILAR OCCURRENCE WERE THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND. ONCE COMING OUT OF A LIGHT, AND TWICE ON I-95 BOTH TIMES TRYING TO SWITCH LANES TO GET OUT OF ON COMING TRAFFIC, AND ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. ONE OF THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. WE WERE LUCKY WERE NOT KILLED BY THE SEMI TRACTOR TRAILERS. AM A RETIRE AIR FORCE FIREFIGHTER AND I HAVE SEEN SOME HORRIBLE STUFF ON THE HIGHWAYS, THANK GOD IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE THOSE DAYS. I CONTACTED MERCEDES-BENZ USA HQ. ON ALL THESE SAFETY OCCURRENCE BELOW AND ALL [XXX] AT HQ 1 800 367 6372 [XXX] WOULD TELL ME IS THAT VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY.... ON THE LAST TIME IT HAPPEN THEY SAID THE NEW ENGINE HAD BACKFIRED AND THEY WERE GOING THE REPLACE A FUEL PORT OR SOMETHING... IN THIS NEW VEHICLE. ENGINE 3X, NEW BRAKES, ALIGNMENT, DEAD BATTERY, TAN LEATHER TURNING BLUE. THANKS IN ADVANCE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10618354

THIS PROBLEM FIRST STARTED 2 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE OF THIS BRAND NEW 2014 MERCEDES C CLASS. UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AND ALARM STARTS DINGING EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAS NEVER BEEN APPLIED. THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT STOP IS TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASE LEVER. THIS HAS OCCURRED DURING INITIAL START-UP AND WHILE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEIR TECHNICIANS RESPONSE IS " THE C CLASS DOES THAT". AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER THE TECHNICIANS SAID SINCE THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM, NOTHING MUST BE WRONG. ONCE I DROVE 30 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ON AND ALARM DINGING SO THEY COULD WITNESS IT. THE MANAGER AND TECHNICIAN MET ME IN THE GARAGE AND HAD ME PULL THE LEVER; THE PEDAL ACTUALLY MOVED BY ABOUT AN INCH. THE MANAGER AND TECH PRACTICALLY ACCUSED ME OF PARTIALLY APPLYING THE BRAKE (WHICH I TOLD THEM I HAVE NEVER PULLED SINCE OWNING THE CAR). I TOLD THEM THIS MAKES THE SITUATION EVEN MORE SERIOUS BECAUSE THE BRAKE MAY ACTUALLY AUTO-APPLY WHILE DRIVING. STILL, NO CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY, OR RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. THEIR RESOLUTION WAS FOR ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO TRADE FOR A USED 2013 OR USED 2014 OR PAY TO MOVE INTO THE E CLASS WHICH THEY SAY DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10586131

I WAS DRIVING FOUR DAYS AFTER I LEASED MY BRAND NEW C250 2014 MERCEDES, AND THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET. THE COP AND I COULDNT EVEN MOVE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET. I AM WORRIED THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. THUS I HAVE BEEN CALLING MERCEDES TO PLEASE REPLACE THE CAR WITH A SAFE ONE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10561362