NHTSA Complaint #10203902 — 1995 MERCEDES BENZ SL

I OWN A 1995 SL600 WITH JUST 42K MILES AND IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE ASR SYSTEM PERIODICALLY AND RANDOMLY ENGAGED, EVEN WHEN SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NOT PRESENT. THIS OCCURRED AGAIN 9/22/07 AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN. THE MB DEALER INSPECTED THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED MULTIPLE ERROR CODES. THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS DUE TO THE WIRING HARNESS(S) BASICALLY MELTING DUE TO ENGINE COMPARTMENT HEAT. LUCKILY THE CAR DID NOT DETONATE. HOWEVER, THIS IS A DOCUMETED TYPICAL FAILURE. THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR IS $6,000 AND THAT IS JUST FOR THE HARNESS(S) TO BE REPLACED. THERE ARE LIKELY MANY MORE PROBLEMS WITH EXORBITANT REPAIR COST, DIRECTLY CAUSED BY THE FAULTY HARNESS IN THIS MODEL. GRANTED THE CAR IS 12 YEARS OLD BUT METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AND JUST 42,581 MILES. FOR A VEHICLE WITH AN ORIGINAL LIST PRICE EXCEEDING $100,000, I FIND THIS DEPLORABLE. THE MARKET VALUE OF THIS CAR WITHOUT THESE REPAIRS IS NULL. I CANNOT AFFORD THE RISK TO MY FAMILY AND THE POTENTIAL FINANCIAL BOTTOMLESS PIT TO REPAIR ALL OF THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THIS KNOWN BY MBUSA BUT NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ALL OF THESE MODEL YEAR CARS SHOULD BE DISALLOWED FOR USE ON OUR ROADS. MBUSA WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND FAILED TO RECALL OR EVEN INFORM THEIR CONSUMERS. *TR