NHTSA Complaint #10443248 — 1998 MERCEDES BENZ E430

THE VEHICLE HAS EXHIBITED SYMPTOMS FOR 15 MONTHS RESULTING IN $2,000 IN ATTEMPTED REPAIRS: REPLACED IGNITION AND KEY, K MODULE, AND AIR REGULATOR. ANY AND ALL THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS MAY AND DO OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING: ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON, BAS ASR, BAS, EMERGENCY BREAK LIGHT, DEFECTIVE DISPLAY LIGHT, DEFECTIVE BULB, ALL WARNING LIGHTS GO ON AT ONCE. ALL THE LIGHTS WILL CLEAR WHEN RESTARTING THE CAR, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL TURN OFF IN A DAY OR TWO. MECHANICALLY THE FUEL GAUGE AND RPM GAUGE WILL SWING WILDLY WHILE THE SPEEDOMETER SWINGS OR DROPS TO ZERO WHILE IN OPERATION (HAZARD 1), TYPICALLY THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRE (HAZARD 2), THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO GO FROM A STOPPED POSITION PAST THE FIRST GEAR, DOWN SHIFTS ABRUPTLY TO THE POINT OF ALMOST BEING JERKED INTO THE WINDSHIELD, NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT IN OCTOBER 2010 ON COLLEGE ROAD, OLIVE BRANCH MS (HAZARD 3). THIS IS A RESULT OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES DO NOT OCCUR UNTIL A CERTAIN SEQUENCE OF ELECTRICAL EVENTS OCCUR. THE SYMPTOMS ARE ALWAYS PRESENT IN SOME FORM DAILY BUT HAZARDS ARE INTERMITTENT. THEY ARE ESCALATING AGAIN. THERE IS NO DOUBT TO THE CAUSE BEING A DETERIORATING WIRING HARNESS AND THE CAR IS UNSAFE. *TR