NHTSA Complaint #10157449 — 1997 MERCEDES BENZ E320

CAR (1997 E 320 WITH 90K MILES) WAS IN FOR ROUTINE 90K MAINTENANCE AND MECHANIC FOUND CRACKED SPRING PERCH ASSEMBLY. DEALER CALLED TO TELL ME IT MUST BE FIXED, CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT A FATAL CRASH COULD RESULT AT HIGH SPEEDS. BUT TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. LATER TOLD ME THEY WILL PAY FOR HALF AS PART OF "GOODWILL WARRANTY." HALF??? WHAT IF THERE WAS A CRASH DUE TO THIS? WHAT IF I HAD NOT BROUGHT IT IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE? I WAS TOLD BY AN UNNAMED SOURCE AT THE DEALER THAT THEY SEE "TONS OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE E CLASS, FROM 1996-2000 MODELS." HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE AFFECTED E CLASS. ANOTHER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE OTHER ONE COULD BREAK. BUT THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROACTIVELY REPLACE IT BEFORE IT SHOWS SIGNS OF TROUBLE. HE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE 50% GOODWILL WARRANTY AND SHUT UP OR THEY WOULD PULL THE OFFER OFF THE TABLE!!! UNBELIEVABLE THAT A COMPANY LIKE MERCEDES BENZ WOULD TOLERATE THAT KIND OF CUSTOMER ABUSE FROM A PUNK SERVICE MANAGER. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE A LIFELONG MERCEDES CUSTOMER, BUT AFTER THIS HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER. TOO BAD, BECAUSE THE LOANER CAR I AM DRIVING WHILE MY REPAIR IS BEING DONE IS A FANTASTIC CAR (I'M IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW ONE) AND I'D BUY ONE TOMORROW IF IT WERE NOT FOR THIS. INSTEAD, I WILL BE BUYING A LEXUS. MERCEDES SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY WITH THIS WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM INSTEAD OF PROTECTING CORPORATE PROFITS. SHAME ON YOU MERCEDES BENZ. THIS IS BAD BUSINESS. *NM