NHTSA Complaint #10140198 — 2006 MERCEDES BENZ M-CLASS

THE VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS FAILURES ARE DETAILED BELOW: DOT SAFETY RECALL FOR POWER STEERING CLAMP REPAIRED BY MBM IN JULY CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM OCCURRED ~ 2 WEEKS LATER WHILE ROUNDING A CORNER WITH 4 OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, BARELY AVOIDED A HEAD-ON COLLISION. VEHICLE TOWED TO MBM FOR REPAIRS. I INDICATED TO THE SERVICE REP THAT I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING ABRUPT SHIFTING. A PROMISE BY NATIONAL SERVICE CENTER OF CLEAN UP OF GARAGE AND DRIVE FROM PS FLUID DID NOT OCCUR. POWER WASHING AND 4 HOURS AND $50 IN CLEANERS WERE NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE CLEAN UP. MBM INDICTED PERMANENT REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE AT A LATER DATE, AND I WOULD BE CALLED WHEN A NEW PART ARRIVED. NO SUCH CALL OR CONTACT FOR THE THIRD SAFETY SYSTEMS SERVICE WAS EVER RECEIVED. THROUGHOUT JULY AND AUGUST 7-SPEED ELECTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DETERIORATED, EXPERIENCED ABRUPT DOWNSHIFTS PRIMARILY AT SLOW SPEED AND ON INCLINES. ON FIVE OCCASIONS EXPERIENCED COMPLETE DISENGAGEMENT OF TRANSMISSION, ALL OCCURRED AT ~20-45 MPH. 4 TIMES IT REENGAGED AFTER JERKING AND LURCHING MOTIONS OVER SEVERAL SECONDS. 1 OCCASION IT WAS NECESSARY TO SHUT OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MBM IN AUGUST DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING REPROGRAMMING. RIGHT OUTSIDE MIRROR IS NOT OPERABLE RESULTING IN AN UNCORRECTABLE (NO MANUAL ADJUSTMENT WAS POSSIBLE) BLIND SPOT. REPAIRS IN PROGRESS. I DROVE THE ML 350 INTO MY GARAGE ~9AM SATURDAY MORNING, PUSHED IN THE TRANSMISSION BUTTON, HEARD TYPICAL TRANSMISSION SOUND AND STEEPED OUT OF VEHICLE TO UNLOAD BEFORE HEADING FOR ADDITIONAL ERRANDS LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN AND ENGINE RUNNING. I PROCEEDED TO THE REAR AND NOTICED IT MOVING REARWARD, IMMEDIATELY JUMPED BACK IN DRIVERS SEAT, AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. THE VEHICLE IMPACTED ON APPLIANCE IN GARAGE AND RESULTED IN ~$3,000 IN DAMAGE PRIMARILY TO DRIVERS DOOR. NO FINAL RESOLUTION OR REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *NM