NHTSA Complaint #10538119 — 2002 MERCEDES BENZ C320

DRIVING FROM SAN FRANCISCO (SEA LEVEL) AND EVENTUALLY DESCENDING FROM ECHO PASS AT 7200 FEET ELEV TO LAKE TAHOE (6200 FEET ELEV) ON HIWAY 50, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE DISPLAY SHOWED AN ESP WARNING LIGHT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ENGINE WENT INTO 'IDLE' MODE (ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING) AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL COULD SUMMON NO POWER. PULLED OVER AND TURNED CAR OFF COMPLETELY TO PONDER. TURNED CAR BACK ON AND THE ESP WARNING LIGHT WAS GONE. THERE WAS FULL ACCELERATOR POWER AGAIN. CONTINUING THE DRIVE INTO SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT THING AGAIN TWO MORE TIMES IN ONLY ABOUT 15 MILES HAVING TO DO THE SAME RESTARTING & CLEARING THE ESP WARNING TO GET TO OUR DESTINATION. IT CONTINUED TO OCCUR SEVERAL MORE TIMES IN THE 2 DAYS WE WERE AT TAHOE. WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT MAKING IT BACK TO SF. WE DECIDED TO TRY IT AND WE LEFT ECHO LAKE (7200 FEET) AND DESCENDED TO SF (SEA LEVEL) BUT THE ESP WARNING DID NOT COME ON AGAIN AT ALL FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS. ONLY LAST WEEKEND, WE HEADED BACK UP TO THE EXACT SAME LOCATION AT ECHO LAKE AND BEHOLD, THE ESP WARNING CAME BACK ON. BY RESTARTING THE CAR AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SEVERAL TIMES ALL THE WAY LEFT TO RIGHT OVER AND OVER, DID THE ESP FINALLY GO OUT AND WE THEN DROVE ALL TYHE WAY HOME AGAIN TO SF. THE ESP WARNING HAS SINCE NOT COME BACK ON, NOR HAS THE CAR STOPPED OR SWITCHED INTO AN 'IDLE' MODE. IT IS A NUISANCE AND CLEARLY ELECTRONIC......FAULTY SWITCHES/SENSORS ?