What 57 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Mercedes-benz E-class Wagon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES-BENZ E350. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 42 MPH, THE BLIND STOP DETECTION MONITORING SYSTEM AND OTHER UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS MALFUNCTIONED. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. ALSO, WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE AND CAUSED THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING LOT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11256349

COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM (PRESAFE PLUS) FAILED TO WARN (AS ADVERTISED BY MBUSA) OF AN IMMINENT REAR END COLLISION ON AN EXPRESSWAY. THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE AN AUDIBLE WARNING SIGNAL BASED ON THE RATE OF CHANGE OF THE CLOSING DISTANCE BETWEEN MB AND A VEHICLE IN FRONT. MOREOVER, IF THE DRIVER IGNORES THE WARNING SIGNAL, THE MB IS SUPPOSED TO APPLY BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY. NEITHER OF THESE TWO EVENTS TOOK PLACE, RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION. THE HIGHWAY BEFORE AND AT THE POINT OF COLLISION WAS STRAIGHT WITH NO CURVES. AFTER COLLISION DAMAGE REPAIR BY AN MB DEALERSHIP AND ASSURANCE FROM THE DEALER THAT THE SAFETY SYSTEMS WERE OPERATIONAL, I TESTED THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES BY DRIVING THE MB INTO A VARIETY OF LARGE BOXES THE FRONTS OF WHICH WERE COVERED WITH METALLIC FOIL. ALL TESTS FAILED TO PROVIDE BOTH AN AUDIBLE WARNING AS WELL AS AUTOMATIC BRAKING (SEE WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=6_D9A_AXAV4 FOR ONE EXAMPLE OF TEST). MBUSA ADVERTISING IN 2015 TOUTED THESE SAFETY FEATURES ON TV AND YOUTUBE VIDEOS. WHAT WAS MISSING FROM THESE INFOMERCIALS IS INFORMATION ON THE RELIABILITY OF THESE "SAFETY" SYSTEMS (I.E., WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY THAT THE SYSTEM WILL FUNCTION AS ADVERTISED). I SUSPECT THAT THIS PROBABILITY IS QUITE LOW, AND IF SO, THIS FACT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE CONSUMER. ALSO, IF MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE ACTUAL ACCIDENT AND MY ADDITIONAL TESTING IS ANY INDICATION OF RELIABILITY, MERC3DES BENZ VEHICLES INCORPORATING PRESAFE PLUS SHOULD BE SUBJECTED TO A NHTSA RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11072118

VEHICLE SENSORS RELATING TO STEERING AND TIRES PROVIDED INCORRECT AND DANGEROUS INFORMATION THAT ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE DEPARTING A SUBURBAN, RESIDENTIAL ROADWAY WHILE IN MOTION, STRIKING A TREE AND KILLING THE DRIVER AND INJURING TWO PASSENGERS.

NHTSA ODI 10893613

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES-BENZ E63 EQUIPPED WITH DISTRONIC PLUS ACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND PRE-SAFE BRAKING. WHILE DRIVING 55, MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PRE-SAFE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE ACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000. ..UPDATED 08/08/16 *BF ... UPDATED 08/23/16 *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 10888970

CAR WAS STOPPED, PLACED IN PARK ON SLIGHT REARWARD INCLINE. DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A GATE CODE IN A BOX LOCATED NEAR THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. DRIVER COULD NOT REACH THE KEYPAD SO THE DOOR WAS OPENED AND DRIVER LEANED OUT TO ENTER THE CODE. THE CAR BEGAN ROLLING REARWARD AND DRAGGED THE DRIVER OUT OF THE CAR AND UNDER THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE BEHIND AND INLINE FOR THE SAME GATE OPENER. DRIVER SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO LOCAL HOSPITAL. NUMEROUS ELECTRONIC FAILURES PRECEDED THE INCIDENT AND HAD BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR CORRECTION BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THIS INCIDENT. FAILURES INCLUDED AUX BATTERY, CPA+ INOP, KEYLESS ENTRY FAILURE AND OTHERS. PHYSICIAN IMAGES OF INJURIES PROVIDED UPON REQUEST. NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE/S.

NHTSA ODI 10875815

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES BENZ E400. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A DISTRONIC DEVICE THAT ALLOWED THE CONTACT TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEVICE FAILED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED THE CONTACT TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND THEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500.

NHTSA ODI 10767459