NHTSA Complaint #10662558 — 1997 MERCEDES BENZ E320

ON NOVEMBER 19TH, 2014, WHILE STOPPED ON HABANA AT MLK, JR. BLVD. IN TAMPA, FLORIDA, WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER, A VERY LOUD "EXPLOSION" OCCURRED INSIDE MY CAR AND THERE WAS INSTANT PRESSURE ON MY CHEST. FROM THE NOISE AND THE PRESSURE, I THOUGHT I'D BEEN SHOT, BUT THEN REALIZED NEITHER I NOR THE CAR WAS STRUCK BY ANYTHING! I LOOKED AT THE DRIVERS ON EITHER SIDE OF ME (NOBODY BEHIND ME) TO SEE IF THEY HAD HEARD OR SEEN ANYTHING, BUT NOBODY WAS LOOKING MY WAY, SO IT WAS OBVIOUS THEY HAD NOT HEARD OR SMELLED ANYTHING (BURNING ODOR" EMANATING FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE CAR). I FELT PAIN IN MY CHEST & BACK/SHOULDER, AND WAS SHAKING, BUT SINCE I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE DOCTOR ANYWAY, I PROCEEDED TO HER OFFICE FOR MY APPOINTMENT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER, I WENT TO THE MERCEDES DEALERSHIP (NO SEAT BELT), WHERE I LEFT THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED. THEY ACTED AS THOUGH THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENS EVERY DAY - NOBODY EVEN ASKED IF I WAS OK; NOR DID ANYONE DISCUSS THE OBVIOUS "MALFUNCTION" THAT HAD JUST OCCURRED. I WAS LATER ADVISED THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE "COMPUTER" THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO CRASH! NOW, THE CAR NEEDS A NEW SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AND AN SRS CONTROL UNIT/TOTAL PRICE ~$3,000! I TOLD MY SERVICE GUY (DR) THAT THEY NEED TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS, THAT THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A MALFUNCTION/DEFECT IN THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THIS IS NOT THE DEALERSHIP'S CONCERN, THAT I NEED TO CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ, WHICH I DID. I AM WRITING THIS ON DECEMBER 6TH, 17 DAYS AFTER LEAVING MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP. I AM SHOCKED BY THE LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM MBUSA - THE CUSTOMER SERVICE GIRL AT MB WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE ME HER SUPERVISOR'S FULL NAME OR CONTACT INFO.! *****NOTE: THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE ON MY EXACT MODEL, WHICH NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MBUSA HAS MENTIONED YET!!***** UNFORTUNATELY, I AM FORCED TO RETAIN COUNSEL. *TR