NHTSA Complaint #10554744 — 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ AMG CLS63

A CAST ALUMINUM WHEEL ON MY 2008 MERCEDES BENZ CLS63 AMG CRACKED DUE TO A CASTING DEFECT. IN THE INSIDE LIP OF THE RIM OF THE WHEEL AT THE OUTER DIAMETER IS A VOID, OR HOLE, THAT WAS CREATED BY A AN AIR BUBBLE THAT WAS ENTRAINED IN THE MOLTEN METAL BUT COULD NOT ESCAPE THE MOLD BEFORE THE METAL SOLIDIFIED. THIS VOID MAKES THE RADIUS OF THE WHEEL AT THAT POINT WEAK AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. I AM ENTERING THIS COMPLAINT REGARDING THE CASTING DEFECT IN ORDER TO PRESENT INFORMATION THAT PROVES MERCEDES-BENZ MUST REPLACE ONE WHEEL ON MY VEHICLE. THE USA CONSUMER ACTION HANDBOOK CONTACTING NHTSA IS SUGGESTED. THE HANDBOOK MADE ONE THING CLEAR, NHTSA LAW STATES, IF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS, THE MAKER MUST FIX IT AT NO COST TO YOU, EVEN IF YOUR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. TO BE FAIR, I AM ONLY ASKING MERCEDES-BENZ REIMBURSE ME FOR THE UNSAFE WHEEL WITH A REFURBISHED ONE COSTING $450, RATHER THAN A NEW ONE COSTING $1200. HAVE FURTHER SUBSTANTIATION THAT MERCEDES-BENZ WHEELS ARE PRONE TO CRACKING: 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 DESCRIBED IN NHTSA COMPLAINTS. AS DEFINED IN THE USA CONSUMER ACTION HANDBOOK THIS COMPRISES A 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 HYUNDAI. 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).