NHTSA Complaint #10037113 — 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E320

CRANKSHAFT BALANCER FAILURE- MERCEDES E320 1999 (FROM INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES OF SEVERAL MERCEDES CUSTOMERS WITH 320 V6 ENGINE ON W210 PLATFORM AND OTHERS).*AK AROUND 72000 MILES, MY VEHICLE CRANK SHAFT BALANCER PULLEY STARTED SPERATING A THICK BLACK RUBBER RING, WHICH IS SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE CRANKSFAT AND THE SERPENTINE BELT PULLEY ON THE OUTSIDE, BELT BURNING SMELL AND CLICKING NOISE WHICH QUICKLY TURNED INTO A KNOCKING NOISE RECOGNIZED AS I WAS DRIVING AT VERY LOW SPEED, LUCKILY. I PARKED THE VEHICLE AND CHECKD THE ENGINE BAY, TO FIND A FALLEN OFF PIECE OF CRANK SHAFT BALANCER PULLEY (IT MADE A THUD WHEN IT CAME OFF WHILE DIRVING). IT COULD HAVE EASILYCAUSED FLYING OBJECT DAMAGE IF I WERE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND GOT IT FIXED, WORTH 421 DOLLARS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CRANK SHAFT PULLEY IS A COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS MODEL ENGINE AND I WAS LUCKY THAT IT DID NOT 'TOTALLY' GOUCE THE TIMING CHAIN COVER AND OIL PAN. I HAVE HEARD FIRST HAND INCIDENCES OF OTHERS WITH SIMILAR MODEL VEHICLES IN THE RANGE OF 1997 THROUGH 2001 HAVING TIMING CHAIN COVER GOUGED OFF COMPLETELY AND VEHICLE BECOMING INOPERABLE WITHIN MINUTES AND CAUSING MECHANICAL DAMAGE TO THE EXTENT OF 20 TO 25 HOURS REPAIR NEEDED, AND OVER 25000 DOLLARS NEEDED ON AVERAGE.