NHTSA Complaint #10609171 — 2004 MERCEDES BENZ E500

THERE HAS BEEN A STRONG GASOLINE SMELL FOLLOWING A TANK FILL THAT FILLS THE GARAGE WITH GASOLINE FUMES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 5 YEARS. I ENTERED 1/1/2009 ON THE FORM DATA AS AN APPROXIMATE BEGIN DATE. THE FUEL SMELL CAN BE DETECTED IN THE VEHICLE AT TIMES, BUT IS EXTREMELY STRONG IMMEDIATELY AFTER FILL-UP. AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL MERCEDES E CLASS MODELS FROM 2003-2009. I HAVE ASKED CONTINUALLY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AT THE MERCEDES DEALER, NOW MERCEDES OF NATICK, FORMERLY FOREIGN MOTORS WEST IN NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS. SERVICE PERSONNEL HAVE DENIED THAT THERE WAS/IS ANY PATTERN OR PROBLEM AND INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMED TO AFFECT MY CAR ONLY. ONLY RECENTLY HAVE THEY INDICATED THAT AT TIMES THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AND BOTH SENDING UNITS AT AN OUT OF POCKET COST OF $850 -$2000. ALL THIS FOR A PROBLEM THAT CURRENT RESEARCH INDICATES THAT MERCEDES HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR MORE THAN 7 YEARS. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN TEXAS IN 2012 FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE DEALER HAS OFFERED NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THIS REPAIR, BUT DID INDICATE THAT AFTER I PAID FOR THE REPAIR, THAT THEY WOULD TRY TO CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ FOR ASSISTANCE. WHILE NICE, THIS STILL PUTS THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON ME WITH ONLY A HOPE THAT ASSISTANCE WOULD COME LATER. SO FAR I HAVE DECLINED THE REPAIR. WHILE SOME VEHICLES WERE INCLUDED UNDER A VOLUNTARY RECALL IN 2008, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. IN FACT, I HAVE NEVER BEEN CONTACTED BY MERCEDES BENZ FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ASKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE ONLY 2 WEEKS AGO, LATE JUNE 2014, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO FACTORY REPAIR CAMPAIGN OR RECALL AT THIS TIME. THIS MORNING I REMOVED THE BENCH PORTION OF THE REAR SEAT, FOLDED BACK THE INSULATING PAD AND REMOVED THE METAL ACCESS PLATE FOR THE LEFT SIDE FUEL SENDING/FUEL PUMP UNIT. GAS WAS VISIBLE. *TR