NHTSA Complaint #10032524 — 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E430

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG HAS DEVELOPED CRACKS IN THE DASH BOARD THAT SEPARATE THE AIR BAG FROM THE OCCUPANTS. I FEEL THE AIR BAG MAY NOT FIRE PROPERLY SINCE THE DASH BOARD IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH ON 1/2 OF THE TOTAL AREA THAT SURROUNDS THE AIRBAG. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP BUT THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING AND REALLY DID NOT CARE. I ALSO TRIED TO REACH THE AREA DSM FOR MERCEDES BUT THE LOCAL SERVICE MANAGER WOULD NEVER PATCH ME THROUGH. THE CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED THROUGH THE DASH BOARD DECOMPOSING UNUSUALLY QUICKLY FOR A CAR THAT IS A 1999 MODEL. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A DASHBOARD CRACK THIS BADLY ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN A 10+ YEAR OLD CAR. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM ON THEIR MERCEDES E430'S AND HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET MERCEDES TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT MERCEDES HAS NOT EVEN ATTEMPTED TO ACT TO FIX THE PROBLEMS. I AM OUT OF WAYS TO GET THE ATTENTION OF MERCEDES AND AM FORCED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT TO THE NHTSA. *NLM