NHTSA Complaint #10285343 — 2001 MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS

FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS MY CAR HAS BEEN GETTING STUCK IN PARK. THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. THE LAST TIME THE SHIFTER GOT STUCK IN PARK, THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET IT OUT OF PARK WAS TO HIT THE TOP OF SHIFTER WITH A RUBBER MALLET (THIS IS THE METHOD USED BY MERCEDES BENZ ROADSIDE SERVICE). THIS IS AN UNSAFE, POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. I RECENTLY RAN OUT OF GAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND AS I COASTED ONTO AN OFF RAMP, MY CAR CAME TO A STOP ON A NARROW SECTION OF ROAD WHERE THE CARS DRIVE BY VERY FAST. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO TRY TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND AFTER TRYING THIS FOR A MINUTE, I DECIDED TO PUSH THE CAR A BIT FURTHER OFF THE ROADWAY. THE CAR WAS STRUCK IN PARK AGAIN (AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME AND PLACE) AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. LUCKILY I SURVIVED. PLEASE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AT THE MERCEDES BENZ FORUMS AND YOU WILL LEARN HOW PREVALENT THE PROBLEM IS. THE DEALERS HAVE BEEN CHARGING $700 - $2200 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS CAUSED BY A 10 CENT PLASTIC PART THAT BREAKS INSIDE THE SHIFTER. THE NEWER MODEL MERCEDES BENZ'S HAVE BEEN OUTFITTED WITH AN OPEN COMPARTMENT AT THE SHIFTER WHICH ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO DISENGAGE THE SHIFTER LOCK IN THE EVENT THAT IT BECOMES STUCK. THIS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THAT MERCEDES BENZ IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ADDRESSED IT IN THE NEWER MODELS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT AFFECTS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS SAFETY AND MERCEDES SHOULD RECALL THIS SHIFTER DEFECT OR EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO COVER THIS DEFECT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT SINCE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MUST BE FIXED WHEN IT OCCURS, COMPLAINTS HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTED AS FREQUENTLY AS THEY MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT BEING USED AT THE TIME AS THE SHIFTER CONDITION HAS MADE IT UNDRIVEABLE. THE COMMON FIX EMPLOYED BY SOME OWNERS (WHICH I MAY ALSO USE) INVOLVES THE DISASSEMBLY OF THE CONSOLE, SHIFTER AND LINKAGE AND THE REMOVAL OF THE 10 CENT PART BROKEN INSIDE THE SHIFTER. THE CAR CAN THEN BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK WITHOUT PRESSING THE BRAKE. *TR