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

My Mercedes started smoking from within the cabin. I traced it down to the speaker in the car. I contacted the Mercedes dealership and told them that my speaker was burning and smoking. The service advisor knew exactly the problem and said that the factory amplifier went bad and is causing an electrical issue in the car. He had seen this before. However, Mercedes is not considering a safety issue nor doing a recall. However, I was told I should not drive the car and have it towed. So, if my car can catch fire while driving from a faulty amplifier, that would be a safety issue. I was told this would be an out of pocket expense.

NHTSA ODI 11453544

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C250W. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE ON ITS OWN AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF PALM BEACH (4000 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33409, 561-689-6363) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. WHILE DRIVING BACK HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A HISSING SOUND AND DARK SMOKE GUSHED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FLAMES APPROXIMATELY SEVEN FEET HIGH POURED OUT FROM THE HOOD AND ENGULFED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE PREVIOUS REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED AN INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,187.

NHTSA ODI 11092850

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