NHTSA Complaint #10442782 — 2002 MERCEDES BENZ S430

WE HAD TO HAVE OUR CAR TOWED FROM INSIDE THE CAR WASH BAY BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH, WHICH IS PLASTIC, BROKE PROHIBITING THE CAR FROM SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER MERCEDES BENZ ROADSIDE SENT TO US TOLD US HE SEES THIS ALL OF THE TIME WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAR. ALSO BY THE FORUMS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A PARTICULAR PROBLEM FOR CERTAIN YEARS. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE NEW SHIFT BOX FROM MERCEDES HAS AN ALUMINUM SAFETY SWITCH OR "BILLET". WE ATTEMPTED TO BUY THE NEW "BILLET" BUT OUR MERCEDES BENZ DEALER WILL NOT SELL IT TO US. WE WERE TOLD HE HAD TO HAVE THEM TAKE THE ENTIRE THING APART DO THE WORK THEMSELVES FOR CLOSE TO $1000 FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A $00.50 PART. IN ORDER TO GET THE "BILLET" IT HAS TO BE BOUGHT AFTERMARKET ONLINE FOR CLOSE TO $200.00. OBVIOUSLY MERCEDES BENZ KNEW IT WAS AN ISSUE, THEREFORE CHANGING IT FROM PLASTIC TO ALUMINUM, SO THEY SHOULD BE CHANGING ALL PLASTIC ONES FOR FREE. *TR