NHTSA Complaint #10341485 — 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E320

MY 2003 MERCEDES E320 ENGINE STALLED MOMENTARILY AS I SPED UP TO ENTER I-95 NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VA. I EASED UP ON THE GAS AND IT RESTARTED WITH NO APPARENT IMMEDIATE AFTER EFFECTS. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC CLOSE BEHIND ME, OR THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING ON THE DASHBOARD BEFORE OR AFTER THE STALLING. I CONTINUED SOUTH ON I-95 WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS UNTIL I EXITED AT ASHLAND, VA. AT THE INTERCHANGE WITH US1, WHEN I STOPPED AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE ENGINE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT RESTART, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. A POLICEMAN ARRIVED AND CALLED FOR A TOW. AGAIN THERE WERE NO APPARENT TROUBLE LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS CARRIED TO THE RICHMOND VA DEALER, WHICH REPLACED THE AIR MASS SENSOR. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MERCEDES CUSTOMER CARE IN NJ. I EMPHASIZED THE SERIOUSNESS OF HAVING THE ENGINE STALL OUT, BUT THEY WERE NOT PLANNING TO PERFORM ANY NEW FIX. THEY SAID IT WAS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED", MAKING REFERENCE TO A "LIMP HOME" FEATURE THAT STALLS THE ENGINE AND WARNS THE DRIVER TO GET OFF THE ROAD. I LOOKED IN THE CAR'S MANUAL, AND THE TERM "LIMP HOME" APPEARS ONLY ONCE CONCERNING THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS WORKS OR WHAT THE DRIVER IS SUPPOSED TO DO. IN MY CAR, THE ENGINE DID NOT "LIMP", BUT RAN AT FULL POWER AFTER THE STALL AND RESTART. IN MY OPINION, A SENSOR FAILURE SHOULD NOT DISABLE THE ENGINE, AND ANY SERIOUS PROBLEM SHOULD BE WARNED THROUGH A BLINKING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MERCEDES NEEDS TO REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS THROUGH A RECALL. AT THE VERY LEAST, OWNERS OF THESE CARS SHOULD BE WARNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM, AND HOW TO DEAL WITH IT IF IT OCCURS. *TR