NHTSA Complaint #10585077 — 2004 MERCEDES BENZ E320

I LEFT MY HOME IN CINCINNATI, OH AT 8:25, WITH A 1/2 TANK OF GAS, DROVE ~ 3 MILES TO HWY126 AND MERGED TO 75S. I MOVED FROM THE RIGHT TO THE MIDDLE TO THE LEFT LANE. AFTER BEING AT 50 MPH ~ 2 MINUTES ON THE LEFT LANE, THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE DASHBOARD WAS ALL LIT UP WITH WARNING SIGNS, CHECK ENGINE, BRAKES AND OIL. I PUT MY HAZARD LIGHT ON, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED THE KEY OFF, AND THEN BACK ON. THE SAME WARNING SIGNS CAME ON AND THE CAR DID NOT START. I CALLED MERCEDES ASSISTANCE WHO ADVISED TO CALL 911 AND THAT A TOW TRUCK WILL ARRIVE IN 1 HOUR. I CALLED 911 AND SURPRISINGLY GOT A VOICE MESSAGE THAT ALL OPERATORS ARE BUSY! A MINUTE LATER AN OPERATOR CAME ON THE LINE, SHE ASKED WHERE I WAS AND I TOLD HER THAT I WAS ON THE LEFT (HIGH SPEED LANE). SHE ASKED ME IF I WAS IN A BLACK MERCEDES. SHE INDICATED THAT A DISPATCHER IS ON THE WAY. AT 8:51 I CALLED AAA TO GET A TOWTRUCK EARLIER. THEY SAID THEY WILL COME IN 45 MIN. A CAR ASSISTANCE VAN CAME AND EVENTUALLY THE POLICE CAR. THEY STOPPED BEHIND MY CAR, AND TRIED TO TURN THE CAR ON AND WERE UNABLE TO, THEY ASKED ME TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL BUT THE GEAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THE POLICEMAN STOPPED THE TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, ASKED ME TO STEP OUT OF THE CAR WHILE HE MANAGED TO PUT THE GEAR ON NEUTRAL AND ASKED ME TO SIT BACK IN THE CAR AND STEER. THEY MANUALLY PUSHED THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER BUT I WAS NOT ABLE TO STEER AS THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. AT 9:18 THE AAA TRUCK CAME AND TOWED THE CAR TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND REPLACED IT FOR A CHARGE OF $463.46. I FOUND ON THE WEB THAT SEVERAL MERCEDES MODELS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OCCUR BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL. THE SUDDEN COMPLETE FAILURE OF A CAR IN THE MIDST OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC CREATING A MAJOR HAZARD TO ME AND OTHER DRIVERS NEEDS THE ATTENTION OF THE NHTSA. *TR