NHTSA Complaint #10259430 — 2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML430

MY 2001 MERCEDES BENZ ML430 WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO I FIGURED OUT THAT THE CLAMP HAD COME OFF SO I RETIGHTENED IT AND FILLED IT UP AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS EMPTY. 2 MONTHS AGO IT HAPPENED AGAIN I NOTICED THE CLAMP DID NOT TIGHTEN SO I REPLACED THE CLAMP THEN I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE. AT THE SACRAMENTO MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERSHIP THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER GAYTON DEROSA (930382) HAD HELPED US ON 2/17/09 INVOICE NUMBER IS MCCS281762 WE HAD INFORMED HIM THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS EMPTIED TWICE BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY CLAMP AND WE REFILLED THE TANK WITH MERCEDES POWER STEERING FLUID ALONG WITH A COMPATIBLE POWER STEERING STOP LEAK FLUID HOPING IT WOULD SOLVE THE LEAKAGE WE ALSO INFORMED HIM THAT THE FLUID WAS UP TO LEVEL WHEN WE LEFT OUR HOME. THEY DID THE REQUIRED SAFETY RECALL#2003-040005 AFTER THE SAFETY RECALL WAS PERFORMED I SAT DOWN A SECOND TIME AND HE TOLD ME THAT SOMEONE HAS PUT TRANSMISSION FLUID INTO THE POWERSTEERING RESERVOIR AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED WHICH COSTS $129 ALSO HE SAID THAT THE SEAL TO THE RESERVOIR IS LEAKING AND THAT IT WOULD COST $185 FOR THE RESERVOIR TANK AND SEAL. WE INFORMED HIM THAT ANY FAULTY PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE POWERSTEERING SYSTEM SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AT NO COST THAT IF THE RESERVOIR TANK WAS EMITTED TWICE AND RUNNING WITH NO POWERSTEERING FLUID BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY CLAMP THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE SAFETY RECALL. HE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED AND THAT SEALS LEAK FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND HAPPENS SPORADICALLY WHEN I RECEIVED THE VEHICLE BACK I NOTICED THAT THE RESERVOIR TANK WAS OVERSERVICED TO THE BRIM. I AM A QUALIFIED FAA RATED AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND A RETIRED 22 YEAR MILITARY AIR FORCE AVIATION MAINTENANCE MECHANIC. THERE IS NO WAY THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS IN MY POWER STEERING RESERVOIR TANK. THAT ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES HAD FILLED IT WITH THE WRONG TYPE OF FLUID AFTER REPLACING CLAMP AND HOSE I AM DISSATISFIED OF THE SERVICE RENDERED BY MERCEDES BENZ OF SACRAMENTO UNDER THIS RECALL PROGRAM. *TR