NHTSA Complaint #10594012 — 2007 MERCEDES BENZ ML350

STARTED MY 2007 MERCEDES BENZ ML 350 WITH ONLY 46,000 MILES DRIVEN AND PULLED ONTO MAJOR STREET IN JACKSONVILLE, FL. CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM FIRST GEAR - COULD NOT GET IT TO GO OVER 20 MPH. CARS WHIZZING BY ME. SURPRISED I DIDN'T GET HIT. TOOK THE CAR TO MERCEDES DEALER. FIRST PROBLEM ON ESTIMATE IS: "REPLACE TRANSMISSION ELECTRICAL PLATE (FAULTY TRANSMISSION ELECTRICAL PLATE)". MB ADMITS 722.9 TRANSMISSION IS FAULTY. HOWEVER, THEY WILL ONLY ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR VEHICLES IN WARRANTY. MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY BY # OF YEARS, NOT MILEAGE. A CAR SHOULD NOT NEED TRANSMISSION WORK AT 46,000 MILES. WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH AND THIS IS A PROBLEM OF MANY CARS WITH 722.9 TRANSMISSION. MY COST TO FIX WILL BE $1100 FOR THE TRANSMISSION ELECTRICAL PLATE. IN ADDITION, RECEIVED A CALL AFTER 3 DAYS IN SHOP THAT THEY WILL ALSO NEED TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE DEALER IS COPING THE COST TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP. I AM REPORTING BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THE GEARS WILL NOT CHANGE WHEN YOU PULL INTO TRAFFIC, HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. ANOTHER COMPLAINT LISTED ONLINE WAS THAT THE CAR JUMPS OUT OF GEAR ON EXPRESSWAY. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON ALL CARS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER IS WORKING WITH ME AND HAS PROVIDED A LOANER CAR. HOWEVER, I THINK MERCEDES BENZ SHOULD BE REPAIRING THIS PROBLEM ON ALL CARS THAT HAVE THE PROBLEM, WHETHER IN WARRANTY OR OUT, AT THEIR COST. *TR