NHTSA Complaint #10227041 — 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C320

THE BATTERY IN MY 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C320 DIED IN LATE FEBRUARY 2008. DIAGNOSTICS WERE DONE AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY BY CHANDLER MERCEDES BENZ VIA ROADSIDE SERVICE. IN LATE MARCH I GOT INTO THE CAR TO GO TO WORK AND THE BATTERY WAS DEAD; CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICE. CHANDLER MB ARRIVED AND JUMP-STARTED THE CAR. MAY 5TH I GOT IN MY CAR TO GO TO WORK AND AGAIN, THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. CHANDLER MB ROADSIDE SERVICE AGAIN JUMP-STARTED THE CAR WHICH WAS THEN DELIVERED TO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS REVEALED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER SEAT MODULE WAS DRAINING THE BATTERY. I REQUESTED A BATTERY THAT COULD POWER THE CAR. WAS TOLD THERE IS NO BATTERY THAT WILL POWER THE CAR, THE POWER SEAT MODULE MUST BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $398.00 PLUS LABOR. I DID FURTHER RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM IN THE MERCEDES C320, IN FACT MERCEDES BENZ IS NOW INSTALLING A DIFFERENT MODULE IN THE 2002 C320'S DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN I BUY A MERCEDES BENZ WITH A MERCEDES BENZ BATTERY AND A MERCEDES BENZ INSTALLED POWER SEAT MODULE, THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT POWER TO DRIVE MY CAR. ASKING ME TO PAY OVER $400 TO REPLACE THEIR OWN PART BECAUSE IT DRAWS TOO MUCH POWER FROM THEIR OWN BATTERY AND THEN NOT MANUFACTURING A BATTERY THAT WILL PROVIDE THE REQUIRED POWER, IS VERY CONVENIENT FOR MERCEDES BENZ AND A GREAT WAY TO MAKE SOME VERY EASY MONEY, BUT WHEN I PAY $35,000 IN CONSIDERATION FOR A CAR AND THEY PROVIDE ME A CAR THAT DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO RUN, I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME FRAUD GOING ON AND FROM MY RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT IT IS ON A VERY WIDESPREAD BASIS. JUST THE FACT THAT MERCEDES HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BY SWITCHING TO A DIFFERENT MODULE, INDICATES THEY ARE AWARE THAT THEIR ORIGINAL PART IS DEFECTIVE AND I BELIEVE IT'S THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BEAR THE COST TO REPLACE IT WITH THEIR REPLACEMENT MODULE. *TR