NHTSA Complaint #10371212 — 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280

ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010 OUR 1999 MERCEDES BENZ C280 SEDAN ENGINE STALLED/STOPPED RUNNING WITH NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY FOR US WE WERE NOT ON A FAST MOVING SURFACE STREET, A HIGHWAY OR A FREEWAY. THIS SITUATION, WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS/STOPS MAKES IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR AND STOP IT SINCE THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING ARE DIFFICULT TO USE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. AFTER REFUELING THE CAR WE TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 100FT WHEN, WITHOUT ANY DASH BOARD WARNING LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER INDICATIONS, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. WE ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES AND IT WOULD NOT START. WE CALLED AAA OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT APPROXIMATELY 3:15PM, THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AT 3:55PM AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER ASKED US TO ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR AND TO OUR SURPRISE THE ENGINE STARTED. WE DROVE TO SOUTH BAY MERCEDES BENZ, TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, WITH THE TOW TRUCK FOLLOWING US. WHILE THE WORK ORDER WAS BEING PREPARED, SERVICE BAY PERSONNEL ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. AFTER ABOUT 35 MINUTES, ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO START THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFUL. OUR CONCERN IS THAT THE ENGINE STALLING/STOPPING IS MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOTAL DISASTER FOR US AND OTHER DRIVERS HAD THIS HAPPENED IN A HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA TRAFFIC SAFETY ORGANIZATION. THIS INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE TO DETERMINE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE, REVIEW MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE REPORTS AND OTHER C280 OWNERS. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT SOUTH BAY MERCEDES, TORRANCE, CA, AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 20,000 MILES. THE ENGINE STALLING/STOPPING WAS CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THERE ARE NO REDUNDANCIES WHEN THIS PART FAILS. *TR