NHTSA Complaint #10198603 — 1998 MERCEDES BENZ C280

THE FOLLOWING IS A LETTER SENT TO MERCEDES WHIDH DESCRIBES THE ISSUE. DEAR MERCEDES: I RECENTLY HAD AN ALMOST TRAGIC INCIDENT IN MY MERCEDES. I WAS WITH MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS DRIVING MY CAR, UNDER HER LEARNERS PERMIT, ALONG THE HIGHWAY ON A CLEAR, SMOOTH, AND DRY PAVEMENT AT 55 MPH, THE SPEED LIMIT. THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING FELL OFF THE CAR. I AM SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE THE NOISE AS THE SPRING RUMBLED UNDER OUR CAR. IT SCARRED HER, THOUGH SHE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. OBVIOUSLY, WITHOUT THE SPRING IN PLACE, THE CONTROL OF THE CAR WAS SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZED. ONCE SHE FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER, A MOTORCYCLIST PULLED UP ALONG SIDE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. TO THAT POINT, I HAD NO IDEA. FORTUNATELY, THE SPRING BARELY MISSED THE CYCLIST AS IT BOUNCED ERRATICALLY DOWN THE ROAD, OR HE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. IN SPEAKING WITH MY MERCEDES MECHANIC, AS WELL AS THE DEALERS COLLISION REPAIR SHOP, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN AT LEAST 15-20 SUCH SPRING FAILURES DUE TO THE FLAWED SPRING SOCKET DESIGN. I DO NOT BELIEVE MERCEDES WOULD WANT TO RISK THEIR REPUTATION BY CONTINUING TO HAVE THEIR VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WITH SUCH A DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW. WHILE I HAVE APPRECIATED THE EFFORTS, AND FRIENDLY SERVICE, PROVIDED BY JUDY SUTTON OF R&H MOTORCARS, LTD. IN ARRANGING THE TOWING OF MY CAR AND FOR MERCEDES TO COVER HALF THE COST OF THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING REPLACEMENT, I FEEL MERCEDES SHOULD BE TAKING A MORE PROACTIVE STANCE ON THE MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THEREFORE, I AM ASKING MERCEDES TO COVER THE FULL COST OF THE REPAIR TO BOTH THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT SPRING SOCKETS, AND TO RECALL THE VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM SO THEIR VEHICLES ARE NOT ON THE ROAD PRESENTING A HAZARD TO THEMSELVES AND TO OTHERS. REGARDS, SAMUEL J. WORNOM, III CC: NHTSA *TR