NHTSA Complaint #10152252 — 1998 MERCEDES BENZ E430

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE 1998 MERCEDES E430 AT 65 MPH ON A TWO LANE FRONTAGE ROAD ALONG I-4 IN LAKELAND FLORIDA ON AUGUST 7, 2005. THE ROAD HAD CURVES AND STOP SIGNS. WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING AND ANTI-LOCK POWER BRAKES. MY WIFE RAN THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND INTO A FIELD BEFORE REGAINING CONTROL, ALTHOUGH LIMITED, OF THE VEHICLE. THE HARMONIC DAMPER HAD DISINTEGRATED TAKING OUT THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE SEIZING OF THE ENGINE AS THE DAMPER PARTS WEDGED BETWEEN THE REMAINING PART OF THE DAMPER AND THE ENGINE OIL PAN. MY WIFE WAS STARTLED BY THE NOISE, THEN THE QUIET AND THE LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING AND THE POWER BRAKES. MY WIFE, A WOMAN OF 125 LBS HAD ALL SHE COULD DO TO STOP AND STEER THE CAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE ($75) TO THE NEAREST MERCEDES DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER REPLACED 47 PARTS/GASKETS ON THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE UNDER THE RECALL. THE OWNER HAD TO REPLACE THE MASS AIR SENSOR AND THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR AT A COST OF $1500.00. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS A RUMBLING VIBRATION GETTING WORSE AT 50-60 MPH THAT IT DID NOT HAVE BEFORE THE RECALL. THE ENGINE IS CONSUMING OIL OR LEAKING OIL NOW ALSO. *NM