NHTSA Complaint #10569119 — 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500

PLEASE RE-OPEN INVESTIGATION #PE05-062. MY 2000 MERCEDES BENZ S500'S INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF IN MAY 2013. THEN, JANUARY 2014, THE CLUSTER WENT DARK FOREVER. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY; THE CAR IS 14 YEARS OLD, IN PERFECT SHAPE, ALWAYS GARAGED, W/ ONLY 45,000 MILES, AND THE CLUSTER COMPLETELY FAILED! QUITE SHOCKING THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT DATA CENTER WOULD FAIL AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE ON THIS PRICEY $90K CAR. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CONTROLS THE INTERIOR DOOR AND FLOOR LIGHTS, STEERING COLUMN CONTROLS, LOCKS, TRUNK; THERE IS TOO MUCH TO LIST THAT NOW DOESN'T WORK. NOTE: THE TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN UNLESS YOU USE THE STICK KEY AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND AWKWARD. BEWARE: IF YOU'RE IN A DARK PARKING LOT AT NIGHT AND WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN YOUR TRUNK, FORGET IT, AS YOU HAVE NO LIGHTS AND IT TAKES SO LONG TO OPEN THE TRUNK THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY GET MUGGED IN THE MEANTIME, PLUS, THERE'S PROBABLY A MUGGER IN YOUR CAR TOO AS YOU CAN'T LOCK THE CAR AND THE ALARM DOESN'T WORK; ONLY THE TRUNK LOCKS, PERMANENTLY. ALSO, SINCE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS COMPLETELY DARK, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING, ENGINE LIGHT TROUBLE, OVERHEATING, BRAKE PROBLEMS, MAINTENANCE ISSUES, ETC. MY VIN NUMBER IS EXCLUDED FROM BEING CORRECTED BY MBUSA. MY CAR WAS IN THE EARLY DATES OF MANUFACTURE FOR THE 2000 S500. THIS IS VERY EXCLUSIONARY GIVEN MY CAR IS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR PLUS THE PART IS THE SAME AS THOSE S500'S INCLUDED IN THE RECALL; WHY? I AM IMPLORING NHTSA WIDEN THE RECALL RANGE TO BE FAIR TO ALL OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR WHERE SOME ARE BEING RECALLED AND SOME ARE NOT. THIS MERCEDES BENZ USA "VIN DISCRIMINATION" IS UNFAIR & UNETHICAL, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST AND IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE RE-OPEN INVESTIGATION #PE05-062 AND WIDEN THE RECALL IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR