NHTSA Complaint #10503533 — 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ AMG E63

THE ELECTRONIC KEYLESS-GO SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE KEY IS PRESENT. THE ISSUE WAS FIRST NOTICED IN 2008 AND BROUGHT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION WITHIN MONTHS OF PURCHASE WHEN THE REAR TAILGATE WOULD NOT CLOSE. REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE LATCHES, THE SWITCHES, AND THE BATTERIES IN THE KEYS HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. IN MARCH 2013 THE KEYLESS-GO SYSTEM STARTED INDICATING "NO KEY WAS DETECTED" WHEN THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. ON MARCH 5, 2013 THE DASH WARNING SYSTEM INDICATED THE "NO KEY DETECTED" (ALTHOUGH THE KEY WAS IN THE CAR) IN FREEWAY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A FULL STOP DUE TO TRAFFIC, THE CAR SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE, IN TRAFFIC LANES. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN UNTIL THE KEY WAS RETRIEVED FROM MY POCKET, AND PUT INTO THE KEYHOLE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE ANTENNA BOOSTER (AFTER 4 DAYS OF DIAGNOSTICS). ONE WEEK AFTER THE MOST RECENT REPAIR, THE CAR (WITH THE NEW KEYLESS-GO ANTENNA BOOSTER) AGAIN INDICATED NO KEY PRESENT WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY SPEEDS. *TR