NHTSA Complaint #10433494 — 2003 MERCEDES BENZ E CLASS

THE CAR HAS A VERY STRONG GASOLINE ODOR WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS FULL. THE GASOLINE ODOR PERMEATES THE CABIN AND, WHEN PARKED IN AN ENCLOSED GARAGE, CAUSES A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF GAS FUMES THAT OVERWHELMS A THREE CAR GARAGE AS WELL AS THE 1000 SQUARE FEET LOCATED ABOVE THE GARAGE (EVEN WITH ALL ADJOINING DOORS CLOSED). SHOULD THE GASOLINE CONCENTRATION REACH THE PROPER LEVEL, IT MAY CREATE A FIRE OR EXPLOSION HAZARD. ONCE THE TANK IS 1/8 EMPTY, THE FUEL ODOR GOES AWAY AND DOES NOT RETURN UNTIL THE GAS TANK IS ONCE AGAIN FULL. HAD AUTO CHECKED BY THE LOCAL MERCEDES DEALER AND THEY STATED PROBLEM COULD NOT BE LOCATED BUT I NEEDED TO REPLACE ENTIRE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY TO RESOLVE ISSUE. TOOK CAR TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO FOUND SIGNS OF GASOLINE LEAKAGE COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK AND RUNNING DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE TANK. BASED ON RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON THE WEB, IT APPEARS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH E CLASS MERCEDES YEARS 2003 TO 2006. THE POSTINGS FOUND ON SEVERAL MERCEDES BENZ OWNER SITES INDICATES THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DETECTED SINCE THE CARS WERE NEW. A PERSONAL FRIEND, WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL, HAS EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PREVALENCE OF THE ISSUE INDICATES A DESIGN/ ENGINEERING FAILURE THAT RESULTS IN GASOLINE LEAKING FROM 'SOMEWHERE' IN THE FUEL SYSTEM IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL TANK. I REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF ORDERING A RECALL TO ADDRESS AN OBVIOUS UNDERDESIGN FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENT. *TR