NHTSA Complaint #10551598 — 2008 MERCEDES BENZ CL63

REF: COMPLAINT 10549686 I AM ENTERING A SECOND COMPLAINT REGARDING CASTING DEFECTS IN ORDER TO SIMPLIFY IT AND TO PRESENT INFORMATION THAT PROVES MERCEDES-BENZ MUST REPLACE ONE WHEEL ON MY VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO THE USA CONSUMER ACTION HANDBOOK CONTACTING NHTSA IS SUGGESTED. THE HANDBOOK MADE ON THING CLEAR, ?IF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS, THE MAKER MUST FIX IT AT NO COST TO YOU ? EVEN IF YOUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. P.10? I NOW KNOW THAT TWO OF THE WHEELS HAVE THE DEFECT, BUT ONLY ONE IS CRACKED. THE CRACK RUNS DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE DEFECT. IT INITIATED AT THE LOCATION OF THE DEFECT AND CONTINUES TO GROW BY MEANS OF FATIGUE (REPETITIVE LOADING AND UNLOADING). THE ARE NO INDICATIONS THAT AN IMPACT INITIATED THE CRACK. TO BE FAIR, I AM ONLY ASKING MERCEDES-BENZ REPLACE THE UNSAFE WHEEL WITH A REFURBISHED USED ONE COSTING $450, RATHER THAN A NEW ONE COSTING $1200. A STUDY OF NHTSA COMPLAINTS FROM 2000 THROUGH 2011 REVEALS THAT FOR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS IN WHEELS: AUDI HAD 1 COMPLAINT CADILLAC HAD 2 BMW HAD 14, INCLUDING A RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR DEFECTIVE WHEELS (00V383000) MERCEDES-BENZ HAD 47 MB REPLACED A NUMBER OF THESE WHEELS THAT WERE OUT OF WARRANTY. AS DEFINED IN THE USA CONSUMER ACTION HANDBOOK THIS COMPRISES A ?SECRET? WARRANTY, THEREFORE MY WHEEL IS COVERED ALSO. MB HAS A 1 YEAR / 12,000 MILE WARRANTY ON WHEELS. WHEELS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE BASIC BUMPER ? TO ? BUMPER WARRANTY AS ARE BY AUDI, BMW, GM, FORD, CHRYSLER, TOYOTA, HONDA, AND HUNDAI. THE WHEELS WERE INSPECTED BY A MB DEALER SERVICE MANAGER ?[XXX] OF GRAND BLANC MOTOR CARS (810-695-4400). HE AGREED THAT TWO WHEELS HAD DEFECTS IN THEM AND ONE WAS CRACKED. IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THIS EVIDENCE, AND THE LAW, PLEASE HAVE MB REIMBURSE ME $450. (MERCEDES-BENZ CUSTOMER SUPPORT, 3 MERCEDES-BENZ DRIVE, MONTVALE, NJ, 07645). *TR