NHTSA Complaint #10300437 — 2004 MERCEDES BENZ ML350

WHILE DRIVING 2004 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 ON PUBLIC STREET THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER WHILE MOVING AT 30 - 35 MPH. LOST BOTH POWER STEERING CONTROL AND POWER BRAKING ABILITY AS A RESULT. WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISIONS AND COASTED INTO AN OFF STREET AREA SAFELY. UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ( HIGH SPEED FREEWAY TRAVEL ) ACCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN CERTAIN. CAUSE DETERMINED TO BE FAULTY CRANK SENSOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VINTAGE VEHICLE AND CAME AS NO SURPRISE TO MY MECHANIC. THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE FRIGHTENING DRIVING EXPERIENCES THAT I'VE HAD AND AM GRATEFUL THAT IT DID NOT OCCUR WHEN MY SPOUSE WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE; SHE WOULD HAVE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING OR WHAT TO DO. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. IF IT DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE CLASSIFICATION OF A TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ISSUE THEN THE DOT NEEDS TO REEVALUATE WHAT ITS MISSION IS. *TR