NHTSA Complaint #10237355 — 2001 MERCEDES BENZ 240

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 MERCEDES C240 AT FREEWAY SPEED. THE AUTOMATIC "EASY EXIT" FEATURE SHORTED OUT CAUSING MY SEAT TO AUTOMATICALLY MOVE ALL THE WAY BACKWARDS SO THAT I COULD NO LONGER REACH MY CLUTCH, BRAKE OR GAS PEDAL. IN ADDITION TO THIS MY STEERING WHEEL MOVED ITSELF UPWARDS AS FAR AS IT COULD GO. I NEARLY WRECKED MY CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED, HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO REACH MY BRAKE PEDAL BY SCOOTING WAY FORWARD IN THE SEAT, AND I ALSO WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE STICKSHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, AND PULL TO THE SHOULDER. I HAD BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FREEZING UP, BUT I HAD NO IDEA THAT THE RELAY SWITCH CONNECTING TO THE ELECTRIC WINDOW, COULD ALSO CAUSE A SHORT, AND THUS INITIATE THIS MOST DANGEROUS "EASY EXIT" FEATURE. I HAD BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH ALL OF THE DOOR MOUNTED CONTROLS, OFF AN ON. I HAD EVEN COMPLAIN TO THE DEALERS SHOP. BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE MY COMPLAINTS, SO THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT BROKEN. THIS TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN AS SOON AS I COULD AFTER THE SEAT AND STEERING WHEEL INCIDENT (THEY COULD NOT GET MY CAR IN UNTIL TUESDAY, THE FOLLOWING WEEK.) THE DIAGNOSIS THAT PART #203-820-15-85 (CONTROL UNIT) WAS FAULTY. THE PART WAS REPLACED FOR $579.20. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT MERCEDES BENZ COMPANY SHOULD WARN ANY OTHER OWNERS OF A CAR WITH THIS PART TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS WRECK IF I HAD BEEN IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC, OR WAS DRIVING IN BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS, SUCH AS SNOW. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR