NHTSA Complaint #10133955 — 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

VEHICLE IS A 2001 S-500. ALMOST WORD FOR WORD THE SAME ISSUE(S) AS ODI ID NUMBER : 10100807. SAME CAR, SAME PROBLEMS, SAME SENTIMENT. REPLACING FUSES ONLY RESULTS IN FLICKERING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING, AND EVEN THEN THE BACKLIGHT IS STILL NON-FUNCTIONAL. GAUGE NEEDLES FLICKER AS WELL, UNTIL THEY TOO GO OUT COMPLETELY. FUSES LAST ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, WHEREUPON THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REMAINS ENTIRELY BLACK. PROBLEM COULD BE REMEDIED SIMPLY BY REPLACING FAULTY TRANSISTORS, OR REDESIGNING AN IMPROPERLY LAID-OUT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, IE COOLING THE TRANSISTORS MUCH MORE ADEQUATELY. THIS CREATES A TREMENDOUS SAFETY RISK BY ESSENTIALLY CREATING AN INFORMATION BLACK HOLE: THE OPERATOR DOES NOT KNOW HIS/HER OWN SPEED, FUEL LEVEL, IF THE PARKING BRAKE IS STILL ON, IF THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS ARE OPERATIONAL, IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT MERCEDES IS SO KEEN ON RELAYING ONLY TO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE FAULTY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS NOT YET CREATED AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL ONE OF THE OTHER THOUSANDS OF S-CLASS OWNERS RUNS OUT OF GAS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND GETS INTO A COLLISION ALL BECAUSE HE/SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL THEY HAD.